8 Reasons to Intern Abroad in Argentina

There aren’t just eight reasons to intern in Argentina, because there are actually hundreds of reasons why travelling and interning abroad will be beneficial for your future and your resume. Not to mention it will begin to make a global citizen out of you and shape your perspective of the world.

Interning students upon arrival in Argentina

However, for your sake, we’ve condensed the most important eight reasons why you shouldn't pass up the opportunity to intern in Argentina:

1. You’ll be able to apply what you’ve learned in school to real life.

Argentina is a country full of culture, history, and lots of Spanish! If you’ve learned about military dictatorships in Latin America and the return of democracy, Eva Peron, or have spent many hours with your Spanish textbook, an internship in Argentina is the perfect way to bring to life all the information you’d read about. While interning in Argentina you may be asked to go to Avenida Santa Fé and Billinghurst in the neighbourhood of Palermo to make a visit to the bank, but knowing that the Saenz Peña presidential family lived on that block will make it all the more meaningful.

Traveling in Argentina will open your eyes to people of all different ages, races, and social classes, and your internship will be the perfect way for you to become immersed in all that wonderful Latin American culture you’ve heard so much about.

Expert Tip: If your Spanish skills aren’t as developed as you hoped, you can always opt to combine your internship in Argentina with Spanish courses.

Palacio Barolo is classic Argentine architecture. Interns can take tours to the top floor for wonderful views of the city.

2. You can discover Argentina’s incredible food and wine.

Argentine wine is becoming evermore well known among wine connoisseurs. Malbec is the staple wine of Argentina, along with the Cabernet Sauvignon or Torrontes white wine in the summertime. There are a range of vineyards scattered throughout the country and plenty of places to drink wine in the city of Buenos Aires too, and many places offer wine tastings in English (we understand that you’ll need a break from Espanol occasionally).

The mixture of Spanish and Italian influence in Argentina means you will have a wide selection of options when it is time for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Pasta, pizza, and great steaks (who doesn’t associate Argentina with good ol’ lip smacking beef?) are very commonly served at restaurants, but be sure to take the opportunity to try Mate too, the infusion, tea-like drink your coworkers will likely be drinking at the office.

3. You will be able to network and make useful contacts for the future.

Interning abroad is a great opportunity to meet professionals in your field, and you may even end up meeting your future employer! Argentina, especially Buenos Aires, is full of foreigners from all over the world and local entrepreneurs high up in companies wanting to meet eager and capable students. Any and all contacts you make during your internship in Argentina will be extremely useful later on in life in one way or another. Along with professional contacts, you’ll surely end up making many good friends both in and out of the office, and it is always great to have a place to crash if you come back to visit on a shoestring budget!

4. You’ll add experience to your resume and attract future employers.

The experience you’ll gain through your internship in Argentina will not only be beneficial personally, it will look great on your CV and in the eyes of future employers when you are on the hunt for jobs (professional development alert!). Completing an internship shows future employers that you are willing to work hard to learn and grow within the field, but doing an internship in Argentina will show them that you are far more dedicated (and frankly, will be much more interesting to interview!).

In future job interviews, you’ll have the chance to talk about all the tasks and responsibilities you had during your internship, how you dealt with unexpected situations and problems, and adjusted to things that you may not have been familiar with. With an international internship under your belt, interviews will become increasingly easier and more and more successful. Just by telling your interviewer that you interned in Argentina, you will be able to illustrate your ability to deal with cultural difference no matter how it is presented to you, which is a highly valued skill in the globalized world of today.

Make contacts and network with experienced and professional people in your area from all over the world

5. You just might pave your way to a full-time job.

If you make a good impression during your internship placement, it is highly possible that you will be offered a full-time, paid position afterward, whether in Argentina (trust us, it will be tempting to stay) or in one of the company’s other offices abroad.

Interning in Argentina is the perfect way to get your foot in the door of your future career and get your name out there in the Argentinean job market.

6. You can (and should) explore all of Argentina’s natural beauty.

Argentina is one of the most amazing countries when it comes to sightseeing, architecture, and natural wonders. It’s a country that has everything, from salt plains in Salta, mountains and great wine in Mendoza, sierras in Córdoba, snow and ski slopes in Bariloche, and the Iguazu waterfalls in Misiones. On your weekends or holidays off, there is no reason not to make the most of your time and see all of these wonderful sights!

7. You can enjoy shopping in the “Paris of South America.”

Buenos Aires is known as the “Paris of South of America” because, compared to its neighbors, it is one of the most romantic and modernised cities in the region, not to mention it clearly resembles many European towns. Buenos Aires is great for shopping, grabbing a coffee, and going out to eat, especially because the exchange rate is quite favorable for those from Europe and the U.S. If you end up interning in Palermo, there will be plenty of chic shops and bars for you to visit on your lunch break or after work, and if you find yourself in the town centre, wandering through the streets and admiring the historic buildings will fulfill your ache for culture and perspective.

Open your mind to different cultural experiences and ways of life

8. You’ll meet people who value friendship and family relationships.

In Argentina, locals value friendship and family relationships a lot more than most other countries. Argentinians are talkative and warm by nature. Be prepared for a more close-knit approach to relationships, and don’t be surprised if your colleagues opt to give you a kiss on the cheek over a shake of your hand when they first meet you. In fact, you will find that the Spanish and Italian influence in Argentina is especially strong when it comes to greetings and conversations between friends.

It’s decision making time...

Now that you know why you SHOULD intern in Argentina, it is time to decide on the how and when! Take the opportunity to gain international work experience and discover all the great reasons to intern abroad in Argentina that didn’t make it on this list, find an internship in Argentina that is perfect for you now!

This article was contributed by Road2Argentina, an organization based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Founded in 2005, Road2Argentina’s mission is to provide immersive, enriching programs for individuals from around the world, which allow them to fully experience Argentina.