Internships in Argentina
Even though I’m so glad I studied abroad in Argentina, there was one definite downside. As I’ve said in previous posts, my arrival date was February 27, and I won’t get home until July 15—very different from the traditional, mid-January-to-early-May spring semester. This might not sound like a huge deal, but it definitely is when you’re trying to find a summer internship. Jobs can be hard enough to come by, but when you’re only available for a month, it’s nearly impossible! When I first started looking at study abroad programs, this was super stressful; I wanted to come to Buenos Aires, but everyone talks about how important it is to do something career-related over the summer, especially the summer before senior year.
Luckily, IES offers internships as part of the program here. My problem was solved! I could go to the country I wanted without sacrificing a job opportunity. It’s even cooler because Rochester will accept my internship for academic credit; my old school didn’t allow any sort of internship as part of a study abroad program. Additionally, in many ways, the program here is even better than having a traditional internship in the U.S. Working abroad looks great on a résumé, it’s helped me make contacts in case I want to return to live here someday, and it’s an interesting cultural experience.
IES has contacts with a lot of companies, museums, hospitals, and volunteer organizations and makes it super easy for you to work with them. During one of the first weeks of the program, I received a long, detailed list of all the available internships and met with the internship advisor to decide which ones I wanted to seriously consider. Within a few days, I had interviewed with two companies and accepted an offer from the one I liked best—a ridiculously fast process compared to most internship searches. Everyone who has an internship here is also required to attend a weekly seminar. Though extra class is not necessarily my favorite thing to do, I do like having the opportunity to discuss my internship and any concerns with people who can help. It’s also an interesting way to learn about what my classmates are doing and compare it to my experiences.
My internship was with a Canadian company that has several employees working here in Buenos Aires. Among other things, I’ve been writing blog posts for them and working with their Facebook page. I’ve really enjoyed it, and it definitely helped me solidify my career goals. It was also interesting to work in an international setting; the employees are Canadian and American, there were other interns from England and Australia, and we work in a shared workspace with Argentine companies. I never realized that so many young college graduates from the U.S. move abroad to work, and it’s made me consider doing the same myself.
The ability to have an internship was a major factor for why I chose this program, and I’m so glad I took advantage of it! Together with all of my other experiences here, I know it is something that will definitely benefit me in the future. Study abroad and worrying about internships probably seem so far away for you prospective and incoming students, but before you know it, it will be your turn. It’s never too early to start looking into programs and getting excited!