Introduction: Interning at a Startup
For UK and Ireland students seeking long-term internships abroad, startups offer a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in a dynamic environment.
Interning at a startup differ from short-term roles, providing in-depth learning experiences over an extended period.
In startups, interns are often given broad responsibilities, which allows them to engage in different facets of the business, building versatile skills and gaining international exposure.
Startups are gaining popularity due to their collaborative nature and direct access to leadership.
For students looking to develop entrepreneurial skills and experience fast-paced business growth firsthand, these long-term placements can be especially rewarding, setting them apart in the competitive job market.
The Pros and Cons of Interning at a Startup
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Real-World Projects: Work on meaningful tasks that impact the startup directly. | High Responsibility: Interns may be tasked with heavy workloads, requiring adaptability. |
| Close Mentorship: Interns work directly with founders and leadership, providing rich learning opportunities. | Limited Resources: Startups may have fewer resources and tools, which can slow down progress. |
| Potential for Growth: High-performing interns may receive job offers or more responsibilities. | Fast-Paced Environment: The quick-moving nature of startups can create pressure and stress. |
| Innovative Culture: The chance to bring new ideas to life in a creative, dynamic setting. | Unpredictability: Startups can face financial challenges, making long-term stability uncertain. |
| Versatile Skill Development: Gain experience in various roles, from marketing to operations. | Lack of Formal Training: Startups might not have structured programs, so learning is often self-driven. |
How Interning at a Startup Benefits the Company
- Task Support: Interns take on various responsibilities, allowing full-time staff to focus on strategic priorities, improving overall efficiency.
- Cost-Effective Talent: Interning at a startup provides businesses with affordable support, often at lower costs than hiring full-time employees.
- Fresh Ideas: Interns bring enthusiasm and innovative perspectives, offering creative solutions to challenges startups face.
- Future Talent Pool: Interning at a startup often leads to discovering potential full-time employees, building a pipeline of skilled talent.
- Enhanced Adaptability: Interns contribute diverse approaches, helping startups remain agile and responsive to industry changes.
Interning at a startup is a mutually beneficial arrangement, offering both valuable support and access to emerging talent.
Startup Internships vs. Established Companies
Comparison of Learning Experiences
When choosing between interning at a startup or an established company, consider the differences in both environments. Startups are dynamic, offering varied experiences across multiple roles, while larger companies are more structured with defined tasks and training programs.
Here are some key points to guide your decision:
Startups:
- Diverse responsibilities and faster career growth.
- Close interaction with leadership and a hands-on environment.
- Less structure and potential instability.
Established Companies:
- Specialized roles with formal training.
- Stability and clear career progression.
- Limited exposure to different business areas.
If you thrive in fast-paced, innovative settings, a startup may be a great fit. If you prefer stability and focused expertise, an established company could be more suitable.
How to Choose Between a Startup and a Big Company Internship
How to Make the Most of a Startup Internship
6 Entrepreneurial Skills You Gain by Interning at a Startup
- Idea Generation: Develop innovative ideas for products or services and identify market gaps to address unmet needs.
- Market Research: Understand your target market’s needs, preferences, and buying habits to tailor offerings and identify competitors.
- Business Planning: Create a clear plan with goals, funding sources, budgets, and financial projections for starting and running a business.
- Financial Management: Manage budgets, forecast expenses, and make smart financial decisions to ensure business stability.
- Sales and Marketing: Promote your business through campaigns, social media, and customer relationship building to attract and retain clients.
- Leadership and Management: Motivate your team, set clear expectations, and oversee daily operations effectively.
These skills can be developed through courses, mentorship, or experience at startups or small businesses.
Conclusion: Is a Startup Internship Worth It?
Interested in interning at a startup abroad?
Links Related to Interning at a Startup
- Pre-Internship Training Course
- What is the Turing Scheme and how does it work?
- Can I work during my Erasmus year?
- How to decide whether to study a new subject on your Erasmus year
- A Guide to Making the Most of Your Erasmus Experience
- 5 Tips for Building a Strong Personal Brand During Your Internship
- Spain Study Visa
- Erasmus Internships
- What are Pre-Placement Offers (PPO)?
- What are internships / intern jobs?
- What is a Placement Year?
Startup Internships Abroad Opportunities
Business Growth & Sales Internship Opportunity in a sustainability startup targeting the baby marke
Barcelona
📈 Sales and Business Development
€500 Per Month
16/06/2025
As a Business Growth & Sales Intern, you’ll play a direct role in our growth journey, gaining hands-on experience in business development, sales strategy, and marketing. You’ll collaborate closely with our founders and team to identify, nurture, and convert new business opportunities, making meaningful contributions to our strategic sales initiatives.
(Remote) Technical Strategy Intern For Software Startup
€1,400 Per Month
16/06/2025
A high-growth startup is seeking a technically skilled intern to support enterprise use cases, build lightweight tools, and contribute to cross-functional technical projects. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working at the intersection of product, engineering, and growth. The intern will help prototype integrations, support advanced users, and tackle technical challenges that support the broader business strategy.
Founder’s Associate & Business Development Intern in a Pilates startup
Barcelona
💡 Founders Associate
€400 Per Month
16/06/2025
This is a unique internship working closely with the founder and core team. You’ll gain hands-on exposure across both business operations and growth strategy, supporting everything from studio logistics and financial admin to brand partnerships and business development. It’s an ideal role for someone who’s excited by wellness, startups, and learning the behind-the-scenes of building a purpose-driven company.
(Remote) Founders Associate Intern at an AI startup
Barcelona
💡 Founders Associate
€1,400 Per Month
16/06/2025
A proactive Founders Associate intern to join the team and support community management, social media activities, and go-to-market (GTM) strategy development. This role offers a unique opportunity to work closely with the founding team, gaining exposure to startup growth and tech innovation. While the company doesn’t have a formal office, the team works remotely and values strong communication and collaboration.
Sales Intern at a Restaurant Delivery Startup
Madrid
📈 Sales and Business Development
💰 Paid
09/06/2025
The Role<br/>As a Sales Intern, you’ll join our SMB team, working closely with restaurant clients, Customer Success Managers, and Account Managers. You’ll play a key role in driving our growth by connecting with potential clients and introducing them to the value of Pleez.
Sales Development Representative (SDR) Intern
Madrid
💰 Paid
09/06/2025
This 6-month, in-office internship in Madrid offers hands-on experience in B2B SaaS sales at a fast-growing startup. As an SDR intern, you’ll help generate and qualify leads, work closely with Sales and Marketing, and gain practical skills in outreach, CRM, and pipeline building. Ideal for a proactive, commercially-minded candidate eager to launch a career in tech sales.
Sales Intern at a Barcelona-based Co-living Startup
Barcelona
💰 Paid
06/06/2025
The Role<br/>As a Sales Intern, you’ll work directly with the team to help grow occupancy and manage inbound interest from students and young professionals looking for housing. You'll engage with potential residents, support the sales funnel, and help optimise their leasing process. Ideal for someone motivated, communicative, and eager to make an impact.
Administration Intern at a Barcelona-based Co-living Startup
Barcelona
⚙️ Operations
💰 Paid
06/06/2025
The Role<br/>As an Administration Intern, you’ll support day-to-day business operations and play a key role in keeping internal processes organised and running smoothly. It’s a great fit for someone who’s detail-oriented, reliable, and eager to build hands-on experience in a structured startup environment.
Community Manager Intern at a Barcelona-based Co-living Startup
Barcelona
📈 Sales and Business Development
💰 Paid
06/06/2025
The Role<br/>As a Community Manager Intern, you’ll be at the heart of building and nurturing a vibrant resident experience. From onboarding new tenants to organising events and managing day-to-day communications, your work will shape the community’s culture and satisfaction. This role is ideal for someone who loves people, thrives in social environments, and is excited to grow in a fast-moving startup.
International Expansion Intern at a Women’s Health & Wellness Startup
Barcelona
📈 Sales and Business Development
💰 Paid
05/06/2025
A fast-growing startup on a mission to redefine women’s health, with a focus on menopause. Using a combination of science, technology, and tailored support, the team is building holistic solutions to improve the lives of millions. With growing traction and a bold vision to become a global category leader, the company is now preparing to scale internationally.
Consumer Account Executive Placement Student at a PR agency in the Gaming industry
London
📈 Sales and Business Development
💰 Paid
05/06/2025
This home-based Consumer Account Executive role at a dynamic PR agency offers a unique opportunity to work with gaming clients across PC, mobile, console, and more. The position involves day-to-day client management, media outreach, social media support, and creative storytelling, all while contributing to an award-nominated agency focused on global video games communications.
Founders Associate intern for 2 startups at the intersection of the Real Estate industry
Barcelona
💡 Founders Associate
💰 Paid
05/06/2025
This role is a unique opportunity for an entrepreneurial intern to support two fast-growing startups — one in creative production and one in real estate — as a Founder’s Associate Intern, gaining hands-on experience in business strategy, operations, and creative execution. Based in Barcelona, this six-month internship offers the chance to work closely with founders, contributing across marketing, logistics, client relations, and more, while building valuable insights into how startups grow from the ground up.
Tech Back-End Developer Graduate Associate at a global invoice startup (YC-backed)
Madrid
💻 Web Development and UI/UX
💰 Paid
05/06/2025
This YC-backed startup is modernising global e-invoicing compliance with a developer-first API that generates and submits compliant invoices worldwide. They’re seeking a recent graduate in Madrid to join their engineering team as a Back-End Developer, contributing to the core systems that power their platform and working alongside experienced engineers to solve complex real-world problems at scale.
Graduate Business Development Associate in a global invoice startup
Madrid
📈 Sales and Business Development
💰 Paid
05/06/2025
This Y Combinator-backed fintech startup simplifies global e-invoicing compliance through an API that converts sales data into locally compliant invoices. They’re seeking a proactive Business Development Associate in Madrid to help drive growth, manage client relationships, and contribute to expanding their international reach.
Community Management & Sales intern at female-focussed members club
Barcelona
📈 Sales and Business Development
💰 Paid
02/06/2025
Join Barcelona’s first women-only members' club as a Membership Intern, supporting member retention, community-building, and data analysis in a dynamic, inclusive coworking and wellness space. This 6-month, on-site role is perfect for a detail-oriented, proactive individual excited about community engagement.
Customer Success & Sales Intern at a FinTech startup
Barcelona
🎧 Customer Success
💰 Paid
30/05/2025
This internship role involves supporting both customer success and business development by managing client relationships, analyzing key success metrics, and contributing to sales content and strategy. The ideal candidate is a proactive, bilingual (Spanish and English) final-year student or recent graduate with CRM knowledge, ready to join a dynamic team in September 2025 for a 6-month hybrid internship.
Public Relations & Social Media intern in a private clinic
Barcelona
📢 Digital Marketing
💰 Paid
27/05/2025
Join a cutting-edge longevity clinic in Barcelona as a PR & Social Media Intern, where you’ll craft creative campaigns and drive media buzz to make the brand a household name. Ideal for an energetic, Spanish-speaking intern passionate about wellness, storytelling, and digital marketing.
UK Business Development intern for Healthcare Startup in Barcelona
Barcelona
📈 Sales and Business Development
💰 Paid
27/05/2025
Join a purpose-driven healthcare organisation improving dental access for people with mobility challenges across the UK and Spain. As a Business & Sales Intern in Barcelona, you’ll support operations, outreach, and cross-market growth while gaining hands-on experience in international healthcare delivery.
Outbound sales intern for a safe-storage startup
Barcelona
📈 Sales and Business Development
💰 Paid
27/05/2025
Join a fast-growing international company in Barcelona as an Outbound Sales Intern, where you’ll help drive lead generation and sales across the EU and UK. Perfect for a proactive, English-speaking candidate eager to gain hands-on experience in a dynamic, international sales environment.
Business Development & Marketing Intern (US & UK Markets) for a LinkedIn AI agent startup
Barcelona
💰 Paid
27/05/2025
Join a fast-growing AI startup in Barcelona that’s redefining LinkedIn outreach for global markets. As a Business Development & Marketing Intern, you’ll support sales, content, and customer success while working directly with the founding team to drive growth in the US and UK.
Business Development Intern – Sales Support & Lead Generation for a platform connecting startups and
Palma
📈 Sales and Business Development
💰 Paid
27/05/2025
Join a fast-growing AI startup in Palma (or remote) that's transforming how investors discover early-stage startups across Europe. As a Business Development Intern, you’ll dive into lead generation, outreach, and sales strategy—gaining hands-on experience at the intersection of AI, startups, and venture capital.
SDR Intern at a cloud and cybersecurity startup in Malaga (must be Catalan/Spanish speaker)
Malaga
📈 Sales and Business Development
💰 Paid
06/06/2025
Kickstart your career in B2B tech sales with a 6-month internship at a fast-growing IT company in Malaga, specializing in infrastructure, cybersecurity, and managed services. As a Sales Development Intern, you'll gain hands-on experience in lead generation, outreach, and CRM tools while working with a dynamic commercial team—ideal for proactive, Catalan/Spanish-speaking students eager to break into tech.
Software engineering intern in an e-commerce startup
Lisbon
💰 Paid
12/05/2025
Join a fast-growing Portuguese e-commerce startup as a Software Engineering Intern, where you'll help build web and mobile features using React, React Native, and Next.js. This is a hands-on role with real impact, offering mentorship, ownership, and the chance to contribute to the launch of a social commerce platform.
Digital Marketing intern at a remote-first e-commerce startup
Lisbon
📢 Digital Marketing
💰 Paid
11/05/2025
Join a fast-growing social shopping startup as a Marketing Intern, where you’ll gain hands-on experience across social media, email marketing, content creation, and user engagement. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a product launch, work closely with an experienced marketing team, and shape how the brand connects with its community.
Sales intern at a remote-first e-commerce startup
Lisbon
📈 Sales and Business Development
💰 Paid
11/05/2025
Join a fast-growing Portuguese ecommerce startup on a mission to redefine social shopping. As a Business Development & Account Management Intern, you’ll help onboard sellers, analyze performance, and contribute directly to marketplace growth in a remote, high-impact environment.
