Alejandro Lugo
Considering a business internship abroad? Alejandro L. is an Accounting Intern who just finished up his internship in Madrid. Here, he discusses his experience in Madrid and how his internship helped him land a job in accounting.
What was your internship and what roles/tasks did you do?
I did an accounting internship at Insituto del Cine Madrid, a film institute, where I assisted with day-to-day financial transactions, including recording payments, paying receipts, and keeping customer files to keep the database organized. I was also able to learn and organize their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to keep departmental processes up to date. Moreover, since the system was practically new to the company, at the end of my internship I had to train three other employees so they could continue working with the program after I left.
What was your experience like at your internship?
My experience during my internship was great. I liked the environment, the professional attitude, and the trust I received from my supervisor. Everyone was really nice and treated me like family.
What is your new job how did your internship help you get your new job?
As an accounting student with no experience in the field I faced many challenges. I needed relevant experience to get a job, and a job to get experience. This internship offered me the possibility to get more exposure, learn, and grow. The CPA firm that hired me saw me as a great candidate and decided to give me a chance to prove myself. I’m starting a new position as an Audit Staff Accountant, and I could not be more excited.
What did you learn at your internship that helped you with your new career?
What I learned during my accounting internship that helped me in my career was the accounting-related duties and responsibilities that I performed. Recruiters definitely notice your interest in the field, the aptitude to learn, and eagerness to improve oneself. I was able to gain real-life exposure, grow my knowledge, and face challenges of work environment that I believe will be useful in my path.
Did you have any plans for your career before your internships abroad? Did they change after your internship experience?
My main goals before the internship were to finish my master’s degree in public accounting and get a position in the field; they did not change after the internship. I am three classes away from graduation, and just got an Accounting-related job. I am very excited to see what the future has in store for me in this career.
How was Madrid? What did you like most about it? dislikes?
I loved Madrid; it is an amazing city. I visited Madrid a while back in 2017 and fell in love with it. Going back was like going home. What I loved the most was that I was able to meet a lot of amazing people, eat delicious food, travel to other cities within Spain, and also went to Portugal and Italy. It was also amazing to visit houses of some famous personalities in history that made such a huge impact, such as Miguel de Cervantes’s house in Alcalá de Henares, the writer of Don Quixote, where I also bought a copy of the book; Galileo Galilei’s house in Pisa, the Italian astronomer; and Dante Alighieri’s house in Florence, writer of the Devine Comedy. I don’t have anything bad to say about my time in this beautiful country. Overall, it was an incredible experience that I will cherish forever.
What is your most memorable experience from your Intern Abroad program?
My most memorable experience was hiking to Monte Abantos and Siete Picos in San Lorenzo de El Escorial and Cercedilla, respectively. The mountains were beautiful, and the views were breathtaking. I joined an activities group to do this and was able to meet a lot of people form many different countries and talked about plans for the future and goals. It was really interesting to see how many people come to Madrid for different purposes, to improve themselves career wise, or simply to get credit for their universities back home.
What advice would you give to current/future Adelante Abroad candidates?
I would tell them to take advantage of their time, for it is once in a lifetime experience. I would also advise them to be open to learning during their internship as much as they can, to push themselves to meet new people because one of the great elements of going abroad is sharing your experience with other international students and with locals and create great relationships with your coworkers and supervisors. Finally, I would tell them to have fun, to travel to other cities if they can, and even other countries.
