Having spent 3 or 4 years working towards your degree, you’re now in a pile of debt, and still the future job prospects aren’t looking too great. Now comes more bad news…graduates of 2010 will not only have to compete with fellow graduates of their year, but also with the 300,000 graduates of 2009. The country is in recession and only showing slow signs of recovery, unemployment is growing rapidly (2.2 million in May 2009). As a result, the U.K. job market is incredibly competitive and employers are looking for candidates who stand out from the crowd. As a way to bridge this situation, a rising number of graduates are turning to internships. With the government encouraging graduates to consider working abroad when they finish university, why not consider getting some professional experience overseas, in a country that hasn’t been hit as hard by the recession, a country likely to emerge as a political/economical leader amid the global economic crisis: Brazil!
In recent years, Brazil has become one of the most promising international markets, a fact underlined by the performance of the economy, the interest in the country shown by foreign investors, and the prospect of a period of sustained growth in conditions of politics and economic stability.
idid. arranges business-related internships throughout Brazil. The programme aims to provide you with an opportunity to take on responsibility within a host company to learn more about the Brazilian economic environment.
As an intern in Brazil, you will experience living and working in an exotic environment and gain a valuable understanding of the Brazilian people, culture and language. Very few tourist destinations are able to offer such varied opportunities as Brazil. Who hasn’t heard of Rio de Janeiro, the Amazon, the Iguacu Falls, caipirinhas or carnival?
So with all the hype about internships, it’s useful to know what an internship actually is and what it isn’t. An internship in Brazil provides you with an opportunity to take on responsibility within a Brazilian company, an ideal chance to acquire beneficial hands-on experience within your field of study. It is not an opportunity for employers to take on a student or graduate and have them make coffee on minimum wage! They can be paid or unpaid opportunities lasting up to 12 months and provide an opportunity to gain hands-on relevant work experience in a particular industry.
This type of professional experience provides and requires different skills to those attained through academic research. Working within a company exposes interns to fresh challenges and new ways of thinking. Working alongside like-minded people to solve real problems develops adaptability and effectiveness and so self-confidence soars. Other benefits include: enhancing your CV; starting to develop a network of professional contacts; getting your foot in the door with a company/organisation; developing employability skills e.g. communication, team work, leadership; providing time to reflect on a particular career path and assist with your future career decisions.An internship abroad not only gives you the chance to benefit from the internship itself, but also a chance to travel the world and explore different cultures, the chance to add an international edge to your CV, which is a great advantage in today’s globalised interdependent economy.
The world is your oyster and Brazilian companies are offering internships in almost every sector these days, with Business, Marketing, Computer Science, Web Design and Information Technology placements being the most prevalent opportunities. The image of Brazil is football, coffee and samba, not of sophisticated information technology products; but that’s an outdated image. For example, Brazil has a software industry that can compete globally. The country’s telecommunications infrastructure is already state of the art; it’s received billions of dollars in investment since 1990 and with a minimal time difference between Brazil and USA; many American IT companies have been developing in Brazil, alongside local companies. Its rapid growth over the past 10 years means there is much to learn and many future opportunities. It’s just a matter of doing your research, contacting the right companies and spending a bit of time preparing your application.
Unless you have a direct contact in a Brazilian company, it is very rare that placements can be arranged independently. It is much more the case that you apply through independent programme providers which will help create and match relevant positions based on your expectations. Make sure you are well prepared for your Brazilian placement by: creating your CV and making sure it is in the correct format; writing a tailored cover letter – no longer than 1 page, which outlines what industry sector/role you’re interested in, what you’d like to gain from the internship experience and what skills you feel you could offer the company; searching job sites and search engines for “internships”; looking out for internship programme schemes which you might be eligible for. Many offer a service to match you to a host company. Some schemes are free and others you will have to pay a fee for; speaking to any contacts you have who may have links with Brazil.
Before going to Brazil, you will have to apply for the VITEM I Internship Visa. As the application procedures vary from country to country, just consult your Embassy for specific details. For this particular visa, you will need a Sponsor Letter that only International Education Organisations, such as idid.,can issue.
Placements can be paid or unpaid so although host companies tend to pay a stipend to cover daily expenses, you will, of course, need to consider your budget for your internship. Think about return travel, adequate health insurance and accommodation. Accommodation costs in Brazil can range from R$130 Reais (approx. £40) per week in small cities, to R$480 (approx. £. Just ask Sean Williams…
Sean Williams was approaching the end of his 2nd year BA (Hons) Hispanic Studies and History course at Nottingham University when he started weighing up his future career prospects. His course required him to take an industrial year placement or to study abroad for his 3rd year, before returning to complete the 4th year and graduate. After attending several careers fairs, study abroad information sessions etc., he had realised that he needed to use the sandwich year in the best possible way. He was passionate about History and Hispanic studies but wasn’t too sure about where this would lead in terms of his future career prospects, which industry sector, role might appeal to him or how he could best contribute to a company and use his skills. He wanted a valuable experience which would earn him the chance to learn new skills and knowledge which would position him ahead of his peers in the impending competitive graduate employment race.
After researching the options available, Sean decided that he would pursue an internship in the field of Business in Brazil during his sandwich year. Prior to departure he hoped to develop his language skills, learn about the Brazilian economy, gain an understanding about the Brazilian business culture, gain work experience in the area of international relations and start to develop a professional network of contacts. The bonus of the placement year in Brazil was that on completion, he could spend a few weeks travelling around South America before returning home. In terms of organising the internship, Sean opted to use a placement company, idid., for the arrangement of his programme as they would help him set up the internship position, sort the paperwork for the visa and assist with finding accommodation.
He spent a year as a trainee in the British Chamber of Commerce in São Paulo. The experience gave him an opportunity to learn about international trade, particularly from the viewpoint of Britain to Brazil. He realised Brazil is a dynamic economy, growing rapidly with many opportunities, which often British businesses don’t take advantage of, since many UK companies are focussed on China at the moment. The placement was working with a large friendly and supportive team and his transition into Brazilian way of life was a smooth one. His placement involved many projects ranging from researching British – Brazilian relations and compiling the Chamber of Commerce Directory ready for publication, to the creation and translation of the company’s website. The work was challenging, not to mention the language barriers, but for an ambitious student like Sean who thrives on a challenge, it was just a case of knuckling down and soaking up the culture and atmosphere. Sean found his placement extremely interesting and really rewarding. He did, however, find that he had to be strong if he wanted to achieve the objectives of this experience, especially as many Brazilians were keen to flaunt their English skills which, tempting as it can be to latch onto English-speaking companions in a foreign country, would have prevented him from improving his own Portuguese skills.
Back in England, Sean is now studying hard for his finals and looking forward to visiting his friends and former colleagues in Brazil this summer. As for working life, he feels that when the time comes to begin the job applications, he has a much better idea of what working life is going to be like. His advice to fellow interns is: “If you want to get the most out of an internship overseas, you have to throw yourself 100% into both the working and the cultural environment. Enjoy it!”
Written by Emma Kemp, currently working for idid. and just about to head out to São Paulo to do my own internship.
