Want to hear from a college student who interned abroad in Portugal? We recently spoke with AIFS Abroad participant Julia from California State University, Chico, who spent her summer doing an internship in Lisbon.
Discover how Julia’s internship in Lisbon with AIFS Abroad helped her develop her career skills and make meaningful connections.
Choosing an Intern Abroad Program Destination & Term
Deciding where and when to intern abroad can be challenging for many college students and young professionals—often coming down to several factors, including personal or cultural preferences and professional opportunities. The choice to intern abroad in Lisbon became clear to Julia after doing some research and speaking to her family and friends:
“I chose Lisbon, Portugal, because I had never visited before and heard great things from family and friends. I was intrigued by the city due to its rich history, hills that reminded me of San Francisco, and the wide variety of activities to do!”
While some students intern abroad as early as freshman year, others, like Julia, choose to wait until they’re upperclassmen. For her, interning abroad in the summer before senior year was the perfect time to gain professional experience while enjoying all Lisbon has to offer. Hear why Julia believes summer is an ideal time to explore Portugal:
“I chose to go during the summer because I was looking to complete a summer internship before entering my senior year of college. Moving to Lisbon in the summer changed my experience because I met a lot of tourists from all over the world who were vacationing in Lisbon, rather than only meeting locals. Luckily, because I did a full-time internship, I still had the opportunity to meet and become close to locals. I spent a lot of time with my bosses and the locals who ran the restaurant [where] we would have lunch every day.”
Managing Finances Abroad
Cost is a major factor for many college students and recent graduates who want to study or intern abroad. Fortunately, AIFS Abroad accepts financial aid, and we offer scholarships and grants, which can help reduce costs. In addition to applying for scholarships and financial aid, it’s smart to do some financial planning and create a budget so that you don’t overspend while you’re abroad. Hear Julia explain how she managed her money during her summer intern abroad program in Lisbon:
“I managed my finances while abroad by setting a limit of how much money I could spend per week. I would make sure all of my living essentials were taken care of before I let myself splurge on new clothes or food. The advice I would give to other [interns] is to spend money at your own pace, sometimes group dinners can be expensive or awkward to navigate if you are lacking money. Don’t worry about the fear of missing out and make sure you are financially secure before trying to keep up with group plans!”
Internship Experience
With a full-time internship program with AIFS Abroad, your placement will be with a vetted organization that aligns with your professional goals and experience level. Our on-site staff visit the internship facilities and meet with your future internship supervisor before placement to ensure everything meets our high standards—ensuring a positive experience for both the intern and the host organization. Hear Julia describe her experience as a Marketing Intern in Lisbon:
“The company I worked for… is a renewable energy start-up that focuses on creating a new model of wind turbines [for] individuals [and] big businesses to create less of a carbon footprint. My role was Marketing & Sales Intern, and I represented the company at festivals, conferences, and meetings. I was also in charge of managing their LinkedIn and reviewing their website.”
Below, Julia explains how her internship abroad helped her develop new skills and led her to join a sales program at her home university after she returned to the U.S.:
“One notable task of mine was pitching [my host company’s] turbines to consumers at conferences. I initially assumed my role as an intern would be more focused on leveraging my skills with social media; however, [the company’s] products weren’t on the market yet, and there was hesitance to launch social media platforms. Therefore, I was expected to verbally sell these products to consumers face-to-face. This was communicated to me immediately, and it allowed me to mentally prepare. I ended up enjoying networking with people in tech fields or with owners of other start-ups. This task gave me a lot of confidence in my public speaking abilities in a professional setting and led me to be heavily involved with Chico State’s Seufferlein Sales Program when I returned.”
Work Culture Abroad
While work culture can vary depending on your host company, field, and program destination, Julia explains how her host company’s work culture in Lisbon compared to that of the U.S.:
“[My host company’s] work culture was extremely close-knit and welcoming. My first day was incredibly memorable because I remember laughing a lot, feeling like my goals were respected and heard, and enjoying an authentic Portuguese lunch. I worked with 4 male supervisors and 2 male interns. I was the only girl in the office, and the first female [team member the company] had ever had. I felt extremely protected and was always reassured that my voice was important to everyone.
The culture differed from the United States because we would all share lunch together every single day, whereas in the U.S., most employees have lunch at different times and do not prioritize sitting down together and having a conversation. The work environment in Lisbon felt more relaxed and well thought out, whereas in the United States, we are obsessed with having high productivity and constantly working.”
Intern Abroad Supervisor
AIFS Abroad internships place college students and young professionals in a small or mid-sized company in their host city. This ensures students can collaborate directly with colleagues, build closer relationships, and take on a more important role within the company or organization. Every intern abroad will also have at least one supervisor, who (as we mentioned earlier) is vetted by the AIFS Abroad on-site staff. Hear Julia explain her experience with her internship supervisor in Lisbon:
“I had a wonderful time working with my supervisor, [the company’s CEO]. He was very good about completing check-ins with me to see how I was doing in and out of work and making sure I was on top of all my projects. His leadership style was democratic, and he always wanted my input.”
Internship Perks
Some international internships come with unique perks. While we can’t guarantee you’ll get an internship with VIP access to a local music festival like Julia did, we can’t rule it out either! Listen to Julia go into more detail about this awesome perk along with some other benefits of interning at her host company in Lisbon:
“My internship offered many perks beyond the wonderful team. I was able to attend two weekends of the festival ‘Rock in Rio’ with VIP access to one stage. The festival hosted many popular musicians and bands such as Macklemore, The Jonas Brothers, Doja Cat, and Ed Sheeran. I was also able to attend many conferences with other tech companies, startups, and student leaders. I grew my professional network a lot and got to see in real time how start-up companies are run and managed.”
Professional Development
In addition to building your network, interning abroad provides plenty of opportunities for professional development. Hear Julia explain how her internship in Lisbon helped her develop important career skills:
“The top three skills I gained from my internship were independence, initiative, and confidence. The internship helped me gain knowledge about how to sell and market products that haven’t hit the market and find ways to stand out from competitors while being on a budget. It also taught me a lot about the importance of investors. Although I learned a lot, the hands-on day-to-day experience of interacting with business professionals helped me gain the most skills.”
Language Learning
You are not required to be fluent in another language to intern abroad. As Julia explains, she got by just fine in Lisbon with English, and even picked up on some basic Portuguese:
“I did not need to know Portuguese to be eligible for my summer internship in Lisbon, Portugal. Lisbon has a lot of English speakers; however, knowing some basic Portuguese phrases was helpful while communicating with locals. My language skills improved when I spoke to the locals at the cafe near my work.”
Housing
One of the most beloved benefits of AIFS Abroad programs is that housing is always included. Plus, we always make sure it’s safe and centrally located, so you don’t have to commute too far to your internship or the city center. Below, Julia describes her experience in a shared apartment with other AIFS Abroad participants:
“AIFS placed me in an apartment with 5 other girls and 1 man. The apartment had 8 bedrooms, allowing all of us to have separate bedrooms. There were 3 bathrooms, a living room, a spacious kitchen, and a dining table. The apartment complex had cleaners and great management. [It] was located in Saldana, an affluent part of the city with lots of shopping and metro stations all around.”
Sharing housing with other AIFS Abroad participants is a great way to make friends from day one. As Julia explains, one of her favorite memories from her time abroad is with her roommates:
“A core memory I will never forget is kayaking with my roommates in Lagos and uncontrollably laughing with the tour guides who thought we had all known each other for years.”
Making Friends Abroad
Housing isn’t the only way you can meet people in your program. AIFS Abroad internship programs include a welcome orientation, social activities, as well as trips and excursions—providing plenty of opportunities to make friends abroad:
“I was able to immediately build personal connections while abroad with my fellow roommates who went through AIFS as well. I also had the chance to meet everyone going to Lisbon through AIFS for the summer at our welcome orientation. I made friends with a couple of locals who worked at bars or restaurants I would frequently go to.”
Why AIFS Abroad?
While people may choose an AIFS Abroad program for different reasons, just about everyone comes to appreciate our trusted on-site staff who are there to support them—wherever they go:
“The AIFS resources that stuck out to me were the incredible staff members. The first being Max Panconessi, who joined me and my fellow interns on our first and last day of work. He was incredibly supportive when it came to moving into my new apartment, providing recommendations of things to do in the city, and supporting me professionally. It was clear that all the on-site staff from AIFS had all of our best interests in mind throughout the whole program.”
Are you ready to take the leap and intern abroad like Julia did in Lisbon with AIFS Abroad? We’d love to help you start your journey!
Here at AIFS Abroad, we know a thing or two about helping college students and recent graduates intern abroad. Our programs come with many valuable inclusions that are designed to enrich your experience abroad and ease the transition in your host city. From coordinating your housing to providing things like integrated career readiness, comprehensive insurance, 24/7 emergency support, on-site staff, and cultural and social activities and excursions, you’ll take comfort in knowing you’ll have support throughout your entire experience abroad.
