Interning Abroad

It goes without saying that starting a new job with new people in a new place is going to be challenging. As a 20 year-old girl who has been in a new job in a new country for less than a week, leaving all her friends and family behind, I feel able to speak on this subject. In this article I aim to cover all angles of Interning Abroad drawing on my own experiences of moving to Salamanca, Spain to complete an internship over a period of nine months.

I would strongly recommend taking a close friend or family member with you to help you get settled in and to offer a shoulder to cry on when things get overwhelming. For me, it was the small things that made the biggest difference. For example, there was no kettle in my apartment when I arrived – an appliance that is commonplace in the English kitchen. Also, there were no bowls so I couldn´t even eat my cornflakes in the morning! I found it upsetting when the things I expected to be there were not. My suggestion would be to check with the landlord (before you arrive) exactly what the accommodation includes, even down to cutlery. One final comment I´d like to make is that photos are deceiving. My flat for example, is tiny. The website was extremely misleading. I would say that if you cannot visit the flat before you move in, expect for this to be a temporary measure, and then if you like it and want to stay then that´s a bonus.

A mistake that I made that you can learn from is to leave a nice gap of 2 or 3 weeks between moving in to your new accommodation and starting your new job. This is because moving house is extremely stressful as it is. Especially as a woman, there are lots of things that you will want to get straightened out before you can start to settle down. For example, I wanted to give the place a thorough clean. My flat was absolutely filthy when I moved in – the wooden floor was black and the freezer was unusable because it hadn´t been defrosted for years. After an eight hour day at work, you are not going to feel like doing any chores around the house so I would suggest allowing time at the beginning of your trip to sort out these issues. Also, it is nice to have some time to go out with your new friends without worrying that you have work in the morning!

When travelling alone, you will inevitably make friends quickly. In my experience, everyone you meet who is in the same situation – i.e. interning or studying abroad is friendly and easy to talk to and willing to be your friend!  This is the one part of the trip that you don´t have to worry about. As long as you make an effort to speak to people, you will make friends who will introduce you to their friends and before you know it you will have a big group of people to hang out with! A great idea is to organize dinner party with your new friends. This is a great way of getting to know them better. What´s more, it is a kind gesture and others will no doubt follow suit. My new friends and I organized a dinner party where we each bought a dish from our own country: Belgium, Germany, England, Argentina and Mexico!

The friends that I have made so far have fortunately all spoken English. It seems that most teenagers from European countries do speak at least basic English nowadays. However, it is still a good idea to study the language of the foreign country before you go. This is because the older generations tend not to speak English and if you don´t speak their language then they will not help you! For example, when I first arrived, I went out to buy an ice cream. Despite the fact I was speaking Spanish; the gentleman who served didn´t even let me finish my sentence when he heard my English accent! I am not saying that everyone you encounter is going to be rude and intolerant because you are foreign, but I do know that people appreciate it if you can speak at least the basics of their language – it is considered respectful.  Usually, language lessons are available at your school or university if you are going on work placement abroad and you are not already a languages student. If not, there are plenty of videos online that can help you to pick up the basics. Phrasebooks are also very useful for simple day-to-day phrases.

If you are going to work in another country, you may experience more or less structure than you are used to in your own country. For example, I have found that I am left to my own devices more than I was at my previous job in the UK, which is good in some respects if you like a relaxed working environment, but it requires a lot more self-motivation when your boss is not constantly tracking your progress.  Assumedly, you are doing a work placement at a company because it is somewhere you have chosen to apply so finding motivation shouldn´t be too much of a challenge. Although sometimes a work placement doesn´t live up to your expectations in which case it is easy to be a little down and depressed. For example, I am working at a Spanish company but all my work is in English so I am not practicing my language skills as much as I would have liked. As always though, you must keep a positive attitude and tell your manager or team leader your worries about the role and they should be able to help you find a solution. Equally of course, a job role may exceed your expectations!

Obviously, all countries have different cultures and it is important that you are prepared for this so as not to experience culture shock! I have already explained my experience with the kettle… Culture shock is a feeling of disorientation that a person may feel when living in a place that is unfamiliar. People behave differently, and it can be confusing. For example, on a Sunday, it is like a ghost town! Everyone disappears inside their house, all the shops are closed and there is nothing to do. In England, Sunday is just like any other day. Something else that I find hard to get used to is lateness! When I first arrived, I was supposed to meet my landlord at 4.30pm to collect the keys to my new flat and he was 3 hours late! This is simply not acceptable in my opinion and it still confuses and upsets me when people miss appointments for no apparent reason! Why agree a time at all? Besides the tendency to be late and the lack of things to do on a Sunday, I quite like Spanish culture. I like how people of all ages go out for tapas and a drink in the evenings and I think a nap after lunch is a great idea!