A unique and impactful internship opportunity awaits students who have an interest in living in Madrid for a semester while developing an understanding of international trade. Situated down the street from the U.S. Embassy, U.S. Commercial Service interns are exposed to a professional work environment that is sure to be challenging and rewarding. Interns will actively participate as their office plans and facilitates trade shows, expositions and other business networking events. Many events are even hosted at the U.S. Ambassador’s residence, but can be hosted just about anywhere in Spain! Learn more below about the exciting personal and professional opportunities that this internship can offer.
Living in Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city in Spain. With a population of about 3.3 million, it is the third-largest city in the European Union after London and Berlin. No city is more alive than Madrid, boasting a relentless nightlife, beautiful art galleries, live-music and numerous fine restaurants and tapas bars.Madrid is smack-dab in the middle of the Iberian Peninsula - the city center’s main and busiest plaza, Puerta del Sol, is Kilometer 0 of the radial network of Spanish roads. Thus, students find themselves in the beating heart of Spanish culture and life while interning with the Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy.
Guides to Living in Madrid
U.S. Embassy's Guide to Living in Spain: This site, operated by the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, provides resources regarding official documents, banking, driving, and voting while abroad.
Tourist Offices of Spain: This site is operated by the representatives abroad of the Instituto de Turismo de España (TURESPAÑA), which is the Administrative unit of the Central Government of Spain in charge of promoting Spain abroad as a tourism destination.
Working in Madrid with the U.S. Commercial Service
The U.S. Commercial Service is the trade promotion unit of the United States Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. The U.S. Commercial Service in Madrid is located just around the corner from the U.S. Embassy. The Commercial Service provides a range of services to help American companies export goods and services to Spain with a team of International Trade Specialists helping identify trade opportunities, find local business partners, launch companies, promote products and services, obtain valuable market research reports, and protect Intellectual Property Rights.At the Commercial Service, interns will be paired with an International Trade Specialist and work directly under him or her for the duration of their internship. Each Specialist covers an array of different sectors, so the clients, projects and events can vary from semester to semester. Interns may find themselves dabbling in franchising, health care, security, pleasure boats, food and beverage, market research, or all of the above!
Typical Intern Duties
U.S. Commercial Service interns should be prepared to dip their feet into anything and everything, because whatever industries or sectors their supervisor works in, will dictate their projects and assignments. Typical intern responsibilities include, but are not limited to:- Creating and updating databases
- Making phone calls
- Writing and answering emails, usually concerning invitations to events such as trade shows or expositions hosted at the US Embassy
- Market research/ company research
- Meetings with clients (both American and Spanish)
- Translations
- Reception and event support
My internship with the U.S. Commercial service in Madrid, Spain provided me with various opportunities to learn both inside and out side the office. Inside the office my schedule was usually 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with an hour break for lunch. The office usually had a very calm atmosphere, which made it the perfect environment to become comfortable enough to ask questions to anybody. While each intern is specifically assigned to one trade specialists, there are various projects and events which require everyone’s collaboration. The collaboration opened the door to working with more than one trade specialist. While every trade specialist works in the business of bringing American companies to Spain, each of them works with a different sector, therefore, the opportunity to work with different specialists allows the intern understand how different sectors work and the different requirements in introducing American companies to the rest of world.