Home to one of Europe’s largest and fastest-growing economies, Spain is an excellent place to gain professional experience with an internship abroad. Add in its rich cultures that are as diverse as its landscapes—from the Catalan coasts of Barcelona to the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains outside Madrid—and it’s no wonder so many college students and recent grads choose to intern in Spain. AIFS Abroad offers full-time internship programs in Barcelona, Granada, Madrid, and Seville, in addition to Study + Internship programs in Granada, so you can choose a program that best fits your personal and professional needs. Want to learn what it’s really like to intern abroad in Spain?
Hear from four college students and recent grads who interned abroad in Spain with AIFS Abroad!
Alex: Non-Profit Internship in Madrid
We recently caught up with Alex, a senior and international relations major from the University of Georgia, who did a non-profit internship in Madrid during the summer.
If you’re interested in interning abroad in Spain, it can be tough to choose between all the awesome AIFS Abroad programs in Seville, Granada, Barcelona, and Madrid. For Alex, there were a few key reasons that made Madrid stand out to her for an internship abroad:
“There’s so much to see and do in Madrid, it’s such a vibrant city! I also have an aunt who always tells me how much she loves it. Not to mention, Madrid’s location makes it very easy to travel to other places, whether it be for the day or the weekend. One of my favorite things is all of the artists that are always playing out and about. People are so talented!”
Alex took full advantage of Madrid’s location in the center of Spain and its easy access to transportation—she traveled to Morocco, Ibiza, Toledo, and Barcelona during her internship abroad. Plus, she said that not only is it easy to travel from Madrid, but it’s affordable too:
“There are super affordable trains and plane rides out of Madrid, which I love.”
When she wasn’t exploring Madrid or traveling throughout the region, Alex was gaining valuable professional experience at her internship. As she explains, her responsibilities at her host organization were varied, equipping her with diverse skills for her resume:
“During the month of June, I was giving Spanish classes to women who had immigrated from all over the world. The entire month of July was a summer camp where [my host organization] did a lot of different activities/excursions.”
Worried about making friends during your internship abroad? Remember that most interns don’t know anyone else either, so they’re likely in the same boat as you. Regarding her experience getting to know her peers in Madrid, Alex said:
“I personally didn’t know anyone on the program going in, nor did most other people. The program made it easy to make friends, because you share a living space with other interns, and AIFS also coordinates weekly activities, so we all got to know each other throughout the program.”
Ryan: Marketing Internship in Barcelona
Meet Ryan who did a marketing internship in Barcelona. One of the most captivating parts of this city is its iconic architecture designed by the famed Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí. Gaudí’s best-known and visionary work may well be La Sagrada Família, an awe-inspiring Cathedral that Ryan could see right from the window of his AIFS Abroad housing:
“So, we live in this apartment together with other guys, but the best part about our apartment is this beautiful view of La Sagrada Família, which is almost 200 years old.”
After waking up, catching an early-morning view of the cathedral from his window, Ryan would head out to his internship that hosts a social media platform. Throughout Ryan’s time at his internship, he gained experience in a wide range of roles:
“I [intern] for a social media management platform… It’s based out of the U.K., and currently, we’re trying to develop the Iberian market here in Spain. My boss and I are doing all the sales, marketing, the platform management, basically everything.”
Not sure if interning abroad is right for you? Below, Ryan provides some emphatic words of wisdom:
“You need to [intern abroad], because it’s not only a cool thing to do, but it really benefits you and your future, and it develops you as more of a professional. You get more joy out of your life because you only have one life to live, so you may as well enjoy it and experience as much of the world as possible.”
Anisha: Human Resources Internship in Barcelona
Anisha from Texas A&M University did a human resources internship in Barcelona at a recruiting company, which she describes below:
“I [intern] for a recruiting company… So essentially, we recruit for our clients, which include… a lot of European companies and big international companies. We basically recruit whoever they need, be it business developers or engineers… It’s been pretty cool.”
Wondering what the typical day and tasks of an HR intern entail? Anisha walked us through her internship schedule and responsibilities in Barcelona:
“In the mornings, I work on CRM (Customer Relationship Management), formatting candidate resumes to match the database, and I look out for candidates who match our client requests… From 2:00 – 4:00, I do actual recruitment with our international recruiter… For the last part of the day, I do business development, basically finding new potential clients for my company… I’m usually out of the office by 5:30, but there’s a dance class on Tuesdays at 6:00 that I stay for!”
One of the perks of an AIFS Abroad international internship program is that our team guarantees an internship abroad upon acceptance that matches one of your approved career fields. So, if you’re like Anisha and want to practice your Spanish while you gain experience in the field of human resources, we’ve got you covered:
“I’m able to practice my Spanish a lot, and I love it, and I love my internship. I want to pursue international human resources, so being abroad and doing HR has been super convenient.”
After chipping her tooth, Anisha discovered another program perk—just how responsive and helpful the on-site AIFS Abroad staff are:
“I immediately called my Program Director, and she was there to save the day… No matter where you are, honestly, your Program Director is… going to take care of you, and [they’re] going to put you first no matter what.”
Grace: Fitness Marketing Internship in Madrid
Grace, a senior at the University of South Carolina, did a fitness marketing internship in Madrid that was tailored perfectly to her personal and professional goals:
“AIFS did a really good job of taking my interests into account and placing me at an awesome internship based on my [personal] interests [in addition to] what I’m studying. I had mentioned I was a bodybuilder and how I was passionate about fitness, so I was happy and surprised that they took that into account when placing me.”
Below, Grace describes her marketing internship at the fitness studio in more detail:
“I’m interning at a women-only fitness studio, and it’s a lot of fun…[it] combines 15 minutes of bike, boxing, and barre workouts for a full body workout in just 45 minutes! Basically, I record videos of the classes and come up with film content ideas for the brand’s Instagram, translate documents to English, and help out with whatever else is asked of me!”
Not only did Grace enjoy her internship, but she thinks the experience will help set her apart in her future job search:
“I feel like interning abroad is a really unique experience that not many can say they’ve done, so I definitely think it’ll make me stand out!”
Another benefit of her internship was the commute—an excellent excuse to stretch her legs and take in the local sights:
“I LOVE walking to work; it’s a great way to get my steps in and see the city! Every street I walk down is so pretty, and I’ll never get over the architecture here.”
Apart from her internship and personal fitness routine, Grace found plenty of fun things to do during her time abroad:
“I love going out with friends, exploring fun places and landmarks in Madrid, trying new coffee shops, finding fun restaurants, shopping, rooftop bars, and tapas, to name a few things. I also LOVE to travel! I’ve visited Barcelona, did my first ever solo trip to Toulouse last weekend, have a day trip to Segovia through AIFS tomorrow, am going to Rome, and am traveling to Morocco with my mom after my program ends.”
Flex your professional muscles while you immerse yourself in Spanish culture—intern abroad in Spain with AIFS Abroad like these college students and recent grads did!
AIFS Abroad offers a wide range of intern abroad programs in Spain, each tailored to meet your personal and professional goals. Whether you want to gain access to convenient travel opportunities from Madrid or immerse yourself in the unique architecture of Barcelona, we’ve got you covered! Intern abroad in Spain with AIFS Abroad and take advantage of our valuable program inclusions (which really take the stress out of planning!), such as housing, trips and excursions, social and cultural activities, comprehensive insurance, 24/7 emergency support, career readiness programming, and the support of our trusted on-site staff.
