Internships: from France to Spain

In France, higher education programs include internships in their programs, both in France and abroad. This part of the course is compulsory for the students on all higher education programs.

The main objective of these internships is to provide the student with a first look at the world of work. It the work placement is undertaken outside, it also permits the students to increase their language level and to use their skills in the reality of a company. They improve the CV of the person, showing that the student has practical experience in the application of the subjects learnt, which will be helpful in the future when applying for jobs.

In my case, undertaking a work placement abroad has allowed me to use the vocabulary and the grammar that I learnt during my education and to apply it to the reality of a different culture and country. You can meet different people, with different stories and discover things that you can’t learn in books.

Even if it is a wonderful experience, it is difficult to find a firm which agrees to invest time (and money) to integrate a foreign student into its organization. You need to show a high level of motivation, which isn’t easy when you have to contact firms you don’t know and that you have to face several rejections.

But don’t worry! Many firms are used to integrating trainees into their organization so that both the student and the firm have an enriching experience. Also, to live in a country you don’t know will allow you to gain personal confidence by living independently in a different culture.

Carine Beraudier
Trainee at Instituto Hemingway