Paid Work Experience / Internships in the United States

Work Experience Placements are aimed at young professionals between the ages of 18 and 30 who fit into one of the following profiles:

1. Have a relevant Higher Level Certificate or Graduate Degree and proof of at least one year of experience in the same field.
2. Proof of 5 years work experience in similar jobs in the sector. (In this case higher level study is not required).
3. Be currently enrolled in a Higher Level, Undergraduate or Postgraduate study program that is relevant to the work offer. 

Have recently completed a Higher Level, Undergraduate or Postgraduate study program, with the work experience start date within 12 months of course completion.

• Be between 18 and 30 years old.
• Fit one of the four previous profiles. Sometimes a work experience placement may only be open to people who fit profiles 1 and 2 (these applicants are going to be an Intern or gain work experience). Other work experience placements may only be open to people who fit profiles 3 and 4 (these applicants are going to be a Trainee or follow a Training Course). Other work experience placements are open to people who fit any of the four profiles (this type of work experience can be registered as either an Intern or a Trainee so it is open to all applicants). The difference between Intern and Trainee is determined by the characteristics and requirements of the work experience placement and the profile of participants.  Intern is specific to profiles 1 and 2 whereas Trainee is specific to profiles 3 and 4.

Have an upper intermediate level of English: knowledge of the language and communication skills. (You will have to pass an interview in Phase 1 of the application process).

This program is regulated by United States Government laws. Work experience in the United States is not the same thing as working in the United States. To work in the United States you have to have a work permit or a Green Card, and the process to get one is quite complicated and expensive. This program for work experience in the United States, called the J-1 Program Exchange, provides limited offers that are classified under ‘Cultural Exchange’. Once the applicant has been accepted onto the program they will receive, amongst other things, the necessary documents for the J-1 Visa application that will permit their entry into the United States.  The J-1 Visa corresponds to your status in the country: work experience student. Without being accepted onto the work experience program you will not have the document you need to apply for the J-1 Visa, without this you will not be able to obtain permission to enter the United States.

El salario variará dependiendo de las horas trabajadas. El precio por hora trabajada oscila entre los $8.5 y $11. Por lo el salario mensual de una jornada de 40 horas semanales sería aproximadamente entre $1360-$1760 (equivaldría a 1050€-1355€ mensuales respectivamente, a tipo de cambio 0.77 euro/dollar). En trabajos tales como Técnico de Restauración o Camarero, el salario por hora es menor, ya que en Estados Unidos se da entre un 15% y un 20% de propina por el servicio recibido. Esta propina es únicamente para los camareros que han dado ese servicio, no es para el conjunto de los camareros. Por lo que con el salario por hora mas propinas, se alcanzan los $8.5-$11. En días de mucha clientela se supera con creces esta cantidad.

In accordance with the legalities and particularities of this program, the number of hours worked per week must be a minimum of 32. If more than 40 hours are worked in a week then the worker must, by law, be paid time and a half for every extra hour worked.

Companies who cannot offer accommodation usually offer to pay for 2 weeks accommodation in order to allow the work experience student some time to find their own accommodation.  The company will contact participants and send them information about apartments and roommates to help search for and find accommodation before the student arrives.
Most participants in the work experience program share rooms.  In most cases where the company offers accommodation (for the full duration or only on arrival) they offer shared rooms.
On average, participants could expect to spend between $250 and $400 (between €190 and €300) per month for a shared room, depending on the area. When you rent a room you usually need to provide a deposit equivalent to, or less than, one month’s rent.

Daily travel to work is the participant’s sole responsibility. Most participants live close to their work place so that they can get there on foot, by bicycle or by public transport.
Students must pay the cost of their round trip flights.  Transport costs from the airport to the destination are also charged to the student, although sometimes the company will provide some sort of help.

The United States Health System is quite different to the health systems of other countries and is quite difficult to understand. In the United States they don’t have a public health system like the one we have in our country, and this is why it is enormously important that you take out medical insurance.
In accordance with the regulations of this program established by the United States Government, it is obligatory for participants to have health insurance with the following minimum coverage:

• Coverage of at least $50,000 for accident or illness.
• Repatriation $7,500.
• Medical transport costs for patient or family $10,000.
• A deductable that does not exceed $500 per accident or illness.

Once accepted onto the program we can advice you about medical insurance and you should contract one of the two insurance policies that our head office in the United States suggest:

Option A: $100,000 coverage and co-payment 80/20 of $250. €30/month.
Option B: $50,000 minimum coverage and deductable of $250. €21/month.

Normally work experience job offers are in the catering or the hotel sector: receptionists, waiting staff, kitchen staff, etc.

We work with well known and prestigious global companies like Hilton Hotels, Marriot Hotels, Sheraton Hotels, Orange Lake Resort, Casa Marina (Waldorf Astoria Resort), Kingston Resorts, Oceana Resorts, Sea Pines Golf Resort etc.

Acquire professional experience in world famous companies like the Hilton chain.

✓ Improve and perfect your knowledge of the English language.
✓ Cultural exchange and personal enrichment.
✓ International perspective.

✓ Internationally competitive CV.

✓ Minimum Salary: $8.50 to $11 per hour (from $1,360 to $1,760 approximately per month).
✓ Accommodation on arrival: during the first 10-14 days in most cases.
✓ Legal documentation or sponsorship for the J-1 Visa.
✓ Complete advice for the management of legal documents for the J-1 Visa application for entry to the United States.
✓ Personalized preparation for the United States Embassy interview with an expert advisor.
✓ Personalized online advice and orientation from an expert advisor.  Before arriving in the U.S.A.: work experience program objectives, work experience program rules, the importance of medical insurance, entry into the United States.
✓ Individual personalized online coaching from one of our expert advisors: Introduction to life and customs in the United States. Introduction to the United States’ job market.
✓ Continued evaluation and monitoring of work experience satisfaction.
✓ A group of expert advisors at your disposal for the duration of your program to resolve any queries about the way the work experience program works and for any legal questions related to the program.
✓ Certificate of assistance for the Work Experience Program in the United States.
✓ Emergency assistance in the United States 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (Spanish or English).

• Public transport to and from work.
• Plane tickets.
• Airport transfer to destination (some help may be provided).
• Medical Insurance.

United States Embassy Government Fees: Data entry and Visa application ($180 + $160).

There is a €50 initial payment for application processing.  This payment covers the cost of the time it takes to process applications that meet the established requirements and avoid an avalanche of applications that don’t meet requirements and are sent ‘to try’.  Experience tells us that this is a way to filter out those applications for candidates who are genuinely interested in participating.
It is important that applicants realize that the process of revising applications is lengthy and that they will also have to take an English test to check that their level corresponds to the requirements.
This initial payment is non-reimbursable and is not subject to refund.

Only Pay

*Euro equivalent based on exchange rate of 0.77 Euros to the Dollar

 

Pago Aplazado Mensual 

*Euro equivalent based on exchange rate of 0.77 Euros to the Dollar.[/expand]

There is no deadline for applications.  As soon as a company sends us a job offer we send them out all the suitable applications that we have on our database.  New job offers will be added as and when they become available throughout the year and, as soon as we publish them, they tend to get snapped up very quickly.  It is very important that your application gets into our database as soon as possible because, when we receive a new job offer, the first CVs we send out are the ones that have already been completed in our system.

Ideally candidates should be prepared to go to any destination, and it is good to express your preferences, for example: “I want to be in a big city” or “I would like to go to the state of Florida”.
However, if you make a specific request in terms of requirements or demands then a special fee of $300 or €250 will be applied.  In the following cases this special fee of $300 or €250 will be applied:

• The applicant only wants to do their work experience in a big hotel.
• The applicant only wants to go to destinations with specific characteristics: climate, coast, main cities etc. Or the applicant does not want to go to destinations like remote islands or luxury independent resorts.
• The applicant will only accept work experience placements that provide accommodation.
• The applicant only wants to work in a specific type of hotel such as a resort, a business hotel or a conference centre.

Equally, if the applicant does not express any requirement preferences and, following an interview offer, they change their mind and decide to specify some requirements, this special fee of $300 or €250 will also be applied.
If two applicants want to be in the same area or hotel, this special fee of $300 or €250 will be applicable to both applications.

Check out this flow chart we made to make the whole process easy for you to understand.

You have to pay a cancellation deposit when you receive the good news that you have passed your English test and before you can proceed to the interview with our head office in the United States.
This deposit will be fully refunded in its’ totality unless a cancellation is incurred with the following characteristics:
a) The applicant has taken the interview with our head office in the United States but still has not taken an interview with a company looking for work experience students and the applicant decides to abandon the program without prior notice, the applicant will lose their deposit.
b) If an applicant accepts a work experience placement and, before the legal documents have been sent out for the visa, they decide to reject their placement, then the applicant will lose their deposit.
c) If the applicant receives and interview offer and rejects it, we will ask them to explain their motive for rejecting the interview.  We will decide whether the motive could be considered a “specific demand or other preference” or if it is a complete resignation from the program.
The cancellation deposit is $300 or €231.
If the program is cancelled after phase 4, once your work placement has been assigned or the legally required documentation for your J-1 Visa has been sent, there will be no refund of the program price.  The only case where the program price would be refunded would be if your Visa application was refused.  In this case the applicant must cover the costs of the management and sending of legal Embassy documentation, these costs come to around $689 or €530.

Click here to access Frequently Asked Questions about Work Experience Placements.