A great way to gain experience and improve your skills as a young adult are internships. Internships are usually unpaid as they are a means to test your aptitude for certain kinds of work, add initial experience to your CV and find a career path.

It is important to find the internship that best matches your interests, skills and is beneficial for both you and the company. Students are the ones who most easily find an internship, because of their flexibility, amount of free time and education.

To secure an internship, it is best to find a company and arrange the internship beforehand. Your university may help you with your search.

Internships in Colombia

Internships in Colombia are available in almost any field, whether with reputable companies, NGOs or international organizations.

Most internships are not advertised on job search websites, so you must look for an option yourself. Notice boards at universities are an excellent resource, as are student organizations. Another great way to secure an internship is to contact the company or institution of choice directly and arrange with them the possibility of an internship. Many are open to receiving a foreign intern, even when there is no formal job opening. Having a good level of Spanish is essential.
It is advisable to have your internship arranged before arrival.

Search for Internships

Online

Below are some of the online search engines you can use to find an internship:

• Internships Colombia
• Intern Colombia
• Paisa Internship
• Go Abroad
• Go Overseas
• Study Abroad
• World Internships
• Transitions Abroad
• Global Placement
• The Intern Group

It is also possible to apply directly with organizations. Research your area of interest and find if there are any organizations with online applications.

Internships may also be available at foreign embassies, or institutions such as the British Council, The Goethe Institut, Alliance Française, or the United Nations Development Program or local branches of EU institutions.

Newspaper

Local English-language papers such as The City Paper and The Bogota Post may occasionally advertise internships for foreigners in their classified's section.

Networking

Needless to say, the single most important activity that can help you secure an internship is networking. Reaching out to your colleagues, acquaintances, local friends and contacts or the expat community can take you a far way. Online forums such as the EasyExpat Colombia Job Offers and the EasyExpat LinkedIn group are also great places to find an internship.

Programs

International programs are accessible ways so obtain an internship in Colombia. Some are free, some may require a fee to secure the placement. Agencies include:

• AIESEC  - the biggest student organization in the world, running exchange programs in over 126 countries. You need to meet certain criteria, but the organization can assist you before departure and offers an excellent opportunity to integrate locally once you have arrived. 
• Volunteers Colombia – It is an organization that manages a nation-wide program for teaching English within public educational institutions. The program is free, but requires an initial refundable deposit, offering a monthly stipend and extensive local assistance.

Visa

If hired through an agency, the agency usually guides the intern through the process. If your internship lasts less than 180 days, you can enter the country on a tourist visa. If you plan to stay longer than 180 days, you will need a visa. A student visa is obtained in most cases.

For further information on visa, you can consult our section on "Passport and Visas".

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