Where better to start a fast-paced career in real estate than with an internship in Colombia. An internship abroad will help a young person develop their professional skills while gaining multicultural experience. A real estate professional needs to be social, well-organized, motivated and a solid negotiator. Learning how to communicate and negotiate with people from a different culture and in a foreign language will strengthen an intern’s interpersonal skills. Moreover, understanding how the real estate industry functions in a foreign country will give a real estate intern a fresh and unique perspective for when they look for work back home.
A real estate intern will have the opportunity to live and work in Medellín, known as “city of eternal spring”. In recent years the city has gone through quite the transformation, making it an exciting place to work in real estate.
Roles
Even though careers in real estate offer some flexibility and independence, they can be demanding and require a great deal of self-motivation. An internship in real estate will challenge an intern, preparing them for their future career. In Colombia, real estate internship roles are often in Spanish, in many different types of real estate agencies. Former real estate interns have contributed to marketing strategies, financial analysis and research. For those who don’t speak Spanish, there are international real estate agencies with internship roles available in English.
Living in Medellín
The real risk of living in Medellín is not wanting to return home. The beautiful city has spring-like weather year-round. The city has become both innovative and safe, nestled right in the Aburrá Valley. For a real estate internship in Colombia, interns live in Medellín’s upscale El Poblado district, the safest neighborhood in the city. Depending on their preference, interns can live with a Colombian family or in a shared apartment, with either program participants or local Colombians.
Spanish
Foreign language skills can play an important role in any career. Depending on where a real estate professional is looking to take their career, learning Spanish could be a very useful tool. With some 405 million native speakers, Spanish has the second-highest amount of native speakers in the world. Many real estate internships in Medellín require Spanish skills, though some international agencies accept interns without Spanish. For those who wish to learn or improve Spanish while living in Medellín, The Intern Group offers optional Spanish language classes at Universidad EAFIT in the El Poblado district. Colombia is a great place to learn Spanish as locals are known for their clear, slow way of speaking.
A city on the rise
A city once plagued by violence, Medellín has gone under a complete transformation in the last 20 years. Medellín now has homicide rates comparable with New Orleans, though it was once listed among the most dangerous cities in the world. Thanks to great city planning, infrastructure investments and a booming economy, people all over the world are flocking to Medellín.
In 2013, The Urban Land Institute recognized Medellín as the “innovative city of the year” thanks to its modern and well-planned public transportation systems, social innovation, infrastructure and technological investments. The city’s improvements have even earned it recognition by the consultancy Indra, which ranked Medellín as the best Latin American city to live in, tying with Santiago, Chile.
Paisa culture
Resting in the Aburrá Valley, Medellín is Colombia’s second-largest city and has a distinct culture from the country’s tropical beach cities. Surrounded by seven hills and the Andes mountains, Medellín’s culture is strongly linked to a regional identity called “paisa”. The term paisas comes from paisano, or “fellow countryman” and implies a cultural and regional identity encompassing Colombians in the states of Antioquia, Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío and a few towns of Tolima and Valle del Cauca. Paisas tend to speak a little quicker and use some different slang words than other Colombians. p>
One typical element of the paisa culture is the “bandeja paisa” or the paisa platter, which is a traditional regional plate. The bandeja paisa traditionally includes fried egg, sausage, an arepa, avocado, chicharrón (fried pork belly), white rice, powdered meat, plantain and beans. It’s not exactly a light dish, but it sure tastes good.
Beautiful Medellín
Part of Medellín’s charm is its ideal climactic conditions. In Medellín it never stops feeling like spring as the temperature always rests between 60 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s perfect weather to take a walk, go to a concert, or eat outside “al fresco”.
Along with its charming locals and warm weather, Medellín is famous for its glorious flower festival called Feria de flores, which draws in tourists from all over the world. In August, rural farmers make their way into the city from the province to present their intricate and colorful flower designs during the festival. Festival activities also involve an antique car parade, a horse parade, and a flower float parade featuring dancers, singers and performers.
Boost you career
Real estate internships in Colombia can transform young professional’s careers. The experience abroad gives a young person a multicultural perspective and strengthens their interpersonal and problem-solving skills. Meanwhile, the real-world job experience will help an intern develop their professional abilities and better understand what success looks like in the demanding real estate industry.
Apply now and boost your career!
Sources: mycolombianrecipes.com, Frommers, wsj.com, www.kauffman.org, Wikipedia
Photo 1. based on Medellín – 2015, by Iván Erre Jota, CC-by-2.0
Photo 2. based on entrepues.bandejapaisa, by nicole tarazona, CC-by-2.0
Photo 3. based on Desfile de Silleteros, by Guía de Viajes Oficial de Medellín, CC-by-2.0