11 Sep When your internship gives you everything you’ve dreamt of and more
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Imagine being passionate about marketing and international business, then you shoot your shot and actually end up with an internship that gives you both.
That’s not a dream. That was @Sandra Grissom’s reality!
This summer, Sandra, a Marketing student at the @University of Tennessee, Knoxville, flew to Lisbon for an eight-week international internship with Portuguese tech company @InoCrowd.
“This opportunity is a dream come true and an amazing way to learn and grow amongst professionals in Europe,” she wrote in a LinkedIn post.
But what exactly made this internship such a dream come true?
She got hands-on experience in both marketing and business development
Sandra didn’t have to choose between the two fields she was interested in because her role at InoCrowd gave her exposure to both.
She worked on marketing initiatives, conducted market research, developed promotional materials, and supported efforts to get InoCrowd in front of companies that could benefit from its services.
On the business development side, she helped identify opportunities, reached out to potential companies, and explored how InoCrowd could connect them with experts from its global network.
She discovered an entirely new industry
InoCrowd is an open innovation platform that connects companies with experts from all over the world, giving them access to knowledge and expertise beyond their own organizations.
That said, Sandra got to see firsthand how businesses can use open innovation to tackle real challenges. Somewhere along the way, open innovation went from something she was learning about to something she was genuinely excited about.
She got to create something the company could actually use
One of the highlights of Sandra’s internship was building a new landing page for InoCrowd. It was designed to help strengthen the company’s digital presence and communicate its value to potential clients.
She also developed promotional materials and supported the company’s efforts to communicate the value of open innovation.
That’s a pretty different experience from completing a classroom assignment that simply gets graded and maybe even forgotten!
“I’ve enjoyed gaining hands-on experience in marketing, communication, and business development while being part of this team.”
She got a closer look at Lisbon’s innovation ecosystem
By working at InoCrowd, Sandra had a closer look at Lisbon’s thriving tech ecosystem. She saw firsthand how companies approach innovation, identify challenges, and look for new ideas and expertise.
“Being part of Lisbon’s growing tech scene and contributing to the shift from closed-door R&D to open innovation has been a rewarding experience,” she said. “I’m so thankful to have been part of a team that’s doing such meaningful work.”
She learned about more than just her host company
Because InoCrowd works with different organizations, Sandra was also exposed to the needs, opportunities, and challenges of other companies. She learned how different businesses think about growth, innovation, and solving problems.
For a student interested in international business, that kind of exposure is incredibly valuable.
“Over the course of this internship, I learned an incredible amount and had the chance to work alongside a truly amazing team. I couldn’t be more grateful for the experience!”
She developed skills that don’t come from a classroom
Living and working abroad pushed Sandra to become more independent. She navigated a new city, met people from different backgrounds, and experienced what it’s like to build a routine far from home.
She also took on an additional role as an Absolute Creator, an ambassador for her internship program provider, Absolute Internship. She documented her experience, created content, and shared the story of her summer in Lisbon, giving other students a real look at life and work overseas.
So while she was building professional skills at InoCrowd, she was also developing content creation, time management, and storytelling skills outside.
She experienced Portugal beyond the office
Sandra documented herself riding Lisbon’s famous trams, spending days at the beach, watching football, joining local festivities, exploring other Portuguese towns, and even enjoying time on her own.
Because an internship abroad isn’t just about what you learn between 9 and 5,— it’s about discovering a new place, becoming more confident, and realizing that you can build a life somewhere completely different from home.
Sandra described the staff of Absolute Internship as “incredibly welcoming and supportive.”
Sandra had a lot to fit into eight weeks, but perhaps that’s what makes an internship abroad so special. You don’t just come home with work experience, but with stories, skills, new interests, and a much bigger idea of what your future could look like.
For Sandra, it truly was a dream come true. And it could be yours, too.
Send us a message to get started with your very own dream internship abroad!
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