An Incredible Experience in Curitiba Brazil Past Review

By (University of California - Berkeley) - abroad from 05/16/2018 to 06/30/2018 with

Intern Brazil: Professional Internship Placements in Brazil

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
From the first phone calls with the directors of the company to the last days at my internship, the team at Intern Brazil was supportive in every step of the process. Not only could you tell that the team truly cared about placing you in an internship that fit what you were looking to learn, but they also made that extra effort to make this experience as personal as possible. Intern Brazil picked me up from the airport and helped me accommodate to Curitiba the first day. As I had been to this city before and am half Brazilian, our conversations centered more on talking about the company and familiarizing myself with its practices and people. I was placed in an internship that was geographically convenient to where I was staying, and fit the job skills that I was looking to develop. Throughout the entire experience, Intern Brazil, made sure to check in with me to make sure that everything was running smoothly. They truly aided with the professional development that I was searching for and even organized socials so that interns from different programs could meet each other. We took trips into the old parts of town and ate at local restaurants. That day listening to live bossa nova, eating feijoada and getting to know the interns in old Curitiba is definitely one of my favorite memories from this program. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone looking to get a taste of a young professional life in Brazil with the help of a hands-on, competent and caring team. Throughout the course of this program you will get the chance to meet other interns exploring different career paths, experience a typical Brazilian office, better your professional and casual Portuguese, and broaden your international work experience in a country as vibrant as Brazil.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Fluent
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Fluent
How many hours per day did you use the language? 10+

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Other
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The staff from Intern Brazil
  • The chance to better my portuguese
  • The professional experience in a Brazilian office
* What could be improved?
  • Better communication between the internship and intern brazil as to what the intern's daily duties are
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? A Brazilian workplace environment is very different from an American one

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'