GRIP, Internships Abroad Unintended Lessons

AccelOne - Buenos Aires, Argentina

The overarching reason for my interest in the Global Research Internship Program (GRIP) was simple. By participating in the program I hoped to gain knowledge within one of my intended fields of study through firsthand work experience. As a strong proponent of experiential learning, I intended to use the internship program to broaden my understanding of the field of entrepreneurship through a hands-on experience that differs greatly from the traditional classroom setting.

Looking back on my time spent abroad, I can happily say that the internship opportunity offered to me by the Start-Ups & Entrepreneurship in Buenos Aires Global Research & Internship Program gave me all I hoped for in terms of expanding my entrepreneurial knowledge. Working at AccelOne, a small software development company, I was able to collaborate with a small team of coworkers in an intimate office setting characteristic of start-ups. Collaborating directly with the company’s founder, I was able to see how important his role was in motivating his employees and driving the business forward to meet its goals. Getting to listen in on phone conversations with potential customers, I was able to understand how crucial these initial interactions were in being able to recruit more clients and expand the company.

But while I learned a lot about entrepreneurship, I also got a whole new perspective on the field of business. While my exploration of global perspectives was typically confined to mere debates or discussions with my professors and peers, the program enabled me to unearth these differing perspectives in a different way on my own through working with others of dissimilar backgrounds. Thus, by going abroad I was able to aid in the development of my global perspective on the world of business. While the principles of the field remain the same wherever you may go in the world, I discovered that it is the unique cultures and customs of different places around the world which help to give business a different meaning. From coworker interactions within the workplace to the average response time to important emails, there are many things that change depending on your location.

Although I had only expected to walk away from my internship experience with significantly more knowledge in the field of entrepreneurship, I am happy to say that I was able to leave Buenos Aires with a whole new global outlook on the field of business itself as well.