Internships in Panama

Internships in Panama center around environmental and biology with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and other NGOs, and international relations with the cluster of international organizations in the City of Knowledge.

For Panama labor authorities, an intern is a worker so most Panama companies are reluctant to hire foreigners which would expose them to government fines for hiring without a permit. A work permit can take more than 10 months to be granted and by that time the internship is over. However, some options are available.

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Internships Information

Follow Florida State University to the next level of education: international internships. These are remarkable opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students to work within prestigious organizations and dynamic corporations, while at the same time earning academic credit. Internships are integral to FSU's global perspective, offering students not only incomparable career experience, but more intense cultural interaction. At our respected year-round study centers, FSU has forged strong professional affiliations within the host countries. The result is coveted job placements in four major world cities: London, England; Florence, Italy; Panama City, Republic of Panama; and Valencia, Spain. In addition, our College of Social Work has established opportunities for international internships around the globe.

What is an internship?

Internships are generally unpaid, full-time or part-time work assignment opportunities in business, political, and professional settings for which students receive academic credit. Internships are planned with, and guided by, professors and the International Programs Internship Coordinator. But once on the job, interns function as employees, with their full responsibilities being to the host firm, their colleagues, and superiors.

In addition, interns complete a personal journal, a summary report, and other academic requirements. These experiences can be invaluable in shaping and defining an education and career. Internships help students:
• focus on a prospective career
• enhance academic study with practical experience
• open a new area of special interest
• develop new skills for future advancement

Program information - Panama Interns
Florida State University has been a strong and important presence in Panama City for 50 years. FSU Panama is, in fact, our oldest international program. With such deep roots in a multinational crossroads city, we have excellent working relationships with Panamanian agencies and enterprises. Internship opportunities are especially interesting because both the region's natural and business settings are so distinctive.

The Republic of Panama is a center of world trade and the meeting place of two oceans. It is an unparalleled place in which to learn about and enter into Latin America's crucial world role. The following is a list of recent placements. Many more are available.

Specific placements are not and cannot be guaranteed. Placements are dependent upon the cooperation agreements between FSU Panama and the organizations.

Note: Internship applicants must have a strong background in both Spanish comprehension and conversation. Total immersion in the language and culture is part of the internship.

Business
Cable & Wireless
Caterpillar
The Ford Company (Distribuidora David)
HSBC Bank
Jansseen Cilag for Central America and the Carribean (Johnson & Johnson)
Manpower

Government and Not-for-profit Organizations
International Federation of the Red Cross and Crescent Moon
National Association for Nature Conservancy, ANCON
United Nations Childrens Fund, UNICEF
United Nations Development Program, UNDP
United Nations World Food Program

https://international.fsu.edu/Types/Internships/Panama.aspx

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Education And Internship Opportunities In Panama - Education In Panama - by Matthew Atlee
Filed under: Moving & Living Overseas, Jobs Overseas ­ mattatlee @ 10:22 pm

Internships In Panama

A few years ago the U.N headquarters for Latin America moved from Colombia to Panama; the U.N renovated two or three building in Fort Clayton, the old headquarters of the U.S. Army in Panama, for its Latin American headquarters – and they are currently planning to expand their operations in Panama. Fort Clayton is also the home to the Ciudad del Saber (City of Knowledge). Ciudad del Saber offers educational opportunities for those who want to invest in, or lead to the creation of, new knowledge. Institutions that are accepted by the Ciudad del Saber are allowed to apply for resident visas for their employees and families as well as use office space and recreational facilities within Fort Clayton. Ciudad del Saber is to education in Panama what the Colon Free Zone is to trade: an open inexpensive place for outsiders to operate – in this case in knowledge rather than goods.

The UN since it arrived in Panama has been running a number of development and cultural programs, for example, UNICEF runs a number of different programs in Panama and around the region; there are internship possibilities at UNICEF for students. U.S. President George Bush's daughter, Jenna Bush, worked with UNICEF in Panama for 9 months. There are plenty of internship opportunities for students who would like to get some experience working in an international institution. Internships can be arranged by FSU-Panama or by going directly to the UN offices in Clayton. The UN publishes job and internship openings: go to their offices to find out more.

Another place you may want to look into as far as internships is the Smithsonian Institute. The Smithsonian has a long history in Panama. Currently, the Smithsonian has a close relationship with Princeton University and McGill University in Canada. If you want to do an internship with Smithsonian, then you should try to arrange something before you get to Panama.

Another internship possibility is with one of the large hotel chains in Panama. There is more and more of a focus on upgrading food and lodging in Panama and many of the large hotel chains offer students internships. The InterContinental hotel chain is opening a new school of hospitality in Panama, which will also be located in the Ciudad del Saber. The idea is to train Panamanians and others Latin Americans in hospitality.

There are plenty of other internship possibilities in Panama in Anthropology, Archaeology, Business, and Foreign Relations; if you are interested in pursuing an internship in Panama you might want to start your search with one of the many universities in Panama; both FSU-Panama and Louisville offer internships for credit with institutions in Panama.

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PANAMA LEGAL INTERNSHIP
Earth Train - Panama's Land Conservancy and Sustainable Development program is working on a hybrid combination of investment and donation to develop mixed use buffer zones in the valley of the upper Mamoní River on the southwest border of the Kuna territory.

Earth Train is seeking 1or 2 law students:

• Who would be willing to work in Panama as interns for a minimum of three months. A one-year stint would be ideal.
• Who have fluency in Spanish
• Who have an interest in developing an understanding of Panamanian law – particularly related to environmental protection, forestry, and non-profits, both in the U.S. and Panama.

Interns will work with Earth Train's Panamanian lawyer, Carlos Varela in his office in Panama City. The internship will include housing at Earth Train's Casa Arias and a modest stipend for living expenses.
http://www.naels.org/resources/panama.htm

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International business law internship

International business law firm in Panama offers internship opportunities to students and graduates from Law, Social Sciences, International Relations or Business who have an interest in Tax and International Business Law, offshore investments and intellectual property. Previous interns recruited have been from Germany, Italy and Argentina. The firm also offers German referendars the opportunity to spend their “Wahlstation”.

Interns will work with corporate, banking, intellectual property and other legal documents from Panama and other jurisdictions. Activities typically include projects that present an inside view of the work of an offshore business law firm, as well as attendance at government hearings, local bar association seminars and internal training sessions. Good word processing and online research skills are essential. Main working language is English. Spanish, German and Italian are also used. The internship location is in the middle of the banking center of Panama City.

Please note, that we do not compensate interns during their training period. We recognize, however, that living expenses in downtown Panama City are not low and therefore provide a modest monthly stipend for local transportation expenses. Local visa regulations allow 30-90 day stays depending on the nationality of applicants.

The application should include the following documents:
* A personal letter in English or Spanish, explaining the applicant’s interest in the program
* A resume in English, French, German, Italian or Spanish
* Copies of credentials (e.g., copy of current school transcripts)
* A letter of recommendation, in English, French, German, Italian or Spanish, from a member of faculty, business community or the legal profession.

Please send your application to:
Lombardi Aguilar Group
Aptdo. 0831-01110
Panama 0831, Panama

or to infoweb[at]laglex.com or contact http://www.laglex.com/htm/en_con.htm
http://www.europlacement.com/en/1/2-10-internship-search/internship-program/pr3234-international-business-law-internship.html
http://www.internabroad.com/listingsp3.cfm/listing/65518/site/rss/channel/33

Other internship opportunities in
http://www.europlacement.com/en/1/2-10-internship-search/tab/internship-program.html
http://www.europlacement.com/internship/panama/
Getting a Job in Panama as a Foreigner
.

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Cost of living in Panama for Interns

Estimated One-Time Expenses

Expense Type	Price
International Travel	$1000
Visa Fees
Recommended Immunizations	$500

*See Additional Cost Information below.

Estimated Monthly Expenses

Expense Type	Price/month
Housing	$400-$500
Food	$100
Local Transportation	$100
Recreation	$100
Personal Expenses	$100

http://ie3global.ous.edu/positions/print/smithsoniantropicalresearch
.

More changes to Immigration Regulations

Five months after having entered into force the new Immigration Decree regulations of Executive Decree 320 of 2008, the government amended several of its articles, reported Tayra Barsallo, deputy director of the National Immigration Service. For example, it eased the requirements for visas for seafarers, extended the term of visas for temporary workers, and reduced the cost of extending visa for domestic workers, among others. The changes in Executive Decree 26 0f 2009 were published in the Official Gazette No. 26,238, yesterday Wednesday.

See also New Regulations for Immigration Law are enacted

Getting a Job in Panama as a Foreigner

This is a frequent question I get. If you google getting a job in Panama, you will read that for foreigners without a work permit finding a job has to do with personal contact as much as (or more than) having a US degree.

Panama is a great place to be an entrepreneur if your clients are located worldwide - not as good place to be an employee of a Panama company. If you think about being a "salaryman" in Panama, the call center at Dell always needs young insomniacs at US$600/month.

Most companies feel that US or European workers will come with expectations of a stateside salary which will create jealousies from local staff which performs the same work. Branches of US multinationals are usually manned by an expat send from headquarters who does not want another English-speaking stateside young mind to steal away his thunder. Many Panama companies are privately-held and prefer to hire an incompetent relative over a smart finance wiz from Wharton. UN, STRI, embassies and other international organizations or NGOs usually tailor their hiring ads in order to favor a friend they want to hire ("International Relations graduate with 13.5 years of experience with a government organization and 3.25 years working in a European country").

Foreign professionals will find that Panama-owned companies are unwilling to go through the work permit hassle unless they feel they really need somebody (MBA in finance, bilingual accounting and occasionally marketing) or are really needed because of a short supply (all Civil Engineering and Port-related degrees - and now even Geology experts). By law, companies cannot hire more than 10% of their staff as foreigners so they think twice about their hiring.

Needless to say, fluency in Spanish is helpful, a work permit is crucial. Thinking about moving to Panama with a family and then finding a job - as some have suggested by email - is not prudent. Things to do which are not guaranteed to get a foreigner a job but certainly do not hurt:

- Send resumes in SPANISH and English to Panama alumni. Your college's alumni office should have their addresses. Pay a Spanish translator to proofread the Spanish version. Most Panamanian alumni may have aced their written exams in the US but are more comfortable with a resume in Spanish.

- List your resume with Panama headhunters registered in http://www.panamcham.com/business_center/business_directory.asp?cat=H14 and Panama websites like www.mastrabajo.com Specify that you are willing to pay all expenses of your relocation, work permit and visa.

- Read the 2 leading business weeklies in Panama: http://www.martesfinanciero.com and http://panama.capitalfinanciero.com Not only do they give you most of the hard realities on Panama business, the new, progressive companies and they also have job surveys every so often.

- If you can afford it, enroll in a good Panama MBA program http://www.latintrade.com/resources/MBA%20Ratings%20Oct07%20eng2.pdf . Locals who are currently working with Panama companies attend there. Even better, enroll with Thunderbird or another school popular with Latin execs to start a networking process BEFORE relocating.

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Back when Latpro was just a free conference list and before they started charging for their website services, its founder Eric Shannon circulated a very revealing email about how HR people at multinationals think, when going abroad:

Subject: Managing Your International Career Forum Synopsis
Date: Thu,16 Oct 1997 08:31:49-0400
From: Eric Shannon eshan@one.net
To: “Latco list(E-mail)”latco@psg.com

This email contains a synopsis of “Managing Your International Career” a forum held September 22, 1997 by the Global Business Association of New York City.

Best Regards,

Eric Shannon
Latin America’s Professional Network (LATPRO)
For more information about LATPRO, send a blank email to index@mailer.mindexchange.com or visit our web site: http://www.latpro.com

KF = Korn Ferry
CX = CONEX / Intersearch
WMB = West Merchant Bank

WHAT IS THE TYPICAL PROFILE OF THE CANDIDATE YOU ARE LOOKING FOR IN LATIN AMERICAN?

Both KF and CX are “agressively seeking” Spanish speaking candidates. In the last six months CX finds Information Technology to be the hottest market. KF agrees but says recruitment for these positions is a “local issue”. KF says Mexico is a “hot market”, Venezuela is coming back nicely, Brazil office is expanding rapidly while Argentina is flat. The major drivers are multinationals and some large indigenous family conglomerates.

WMB emphasizes that they are mostly sending infrastructure people to Latin America – technology and intranet specialists.

All the panellist agreed that they prefer to hire foreign nationals (locals) over US citizens for foreign assignments. They emphasized several times that the corporation will always choose the fastest, most efficient, cheapest alternative. A foreign national with a “western education” is always their first choice.

WMB- Doesn’t like to hire US citizens in foreign countries because in this situation they are paid as locals and find themselves sitting next to another American from headquarters who makes more money.
Goldman Sachs VP disagreed, has no problems making these hires.

The panellists report that Americans with foreign MBA’s are not at a disadvantage with their US educated counterparts and they also view the executive MBA no differently than the full time MBA.

When they do send US citizens on foreign assignments they look for mentor / teacher types who can more easily train locals to replace themselves

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO GET A FOREIGN ASSIGMENT?

CX remarks that a good way to get an international assignment is to attend an international MBA program such as Thunderbird’s, MIBS, or pepperdidine’s. Recruiters tend to gravitate to their alumni networks particularly the more organized ones. WMB agrees; “strong alumni networks play a key role in our recruiting”.

KF says the best way to get overseas is to go to work for a company with revenues of 10 billion or more in a domestic assignment and lobby persistently for an expatriate assignment. WMB agrees and mentions that they generally don’t send anyone overseas who doesn’t have several years experience with the company.

KF- Be careful picking your international assignment as the general manager of operations in a small country, you may be forgotten- “Vince Who???” Have an exit strategy or end up in a job you had ten years ago when you get back. Try to negotiate your next job when they promote you. Even if you do this, the person you negotiated your career path with may have been axed when you get back!

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT A CANDIDATE WHO HAS SPENT SIX MONTHS OR A YEAR TRAVELING THE WORLD?

AM- I like it, sometimes companies are looking for that types of person. My boss however would say he doesn’t like it. Companies look heavily at the chronology of your resume.

KF- This is a very serious issue with a man – if his career is substantive or if he has been job seeking, it isn’t so bad. Unemployment or consulting gaps are OK but travelling is a serious question mark for me.

WMB – If you haven’t been laid off in financial services you lack experience.

HOW DO YOU LOOK AT A CANDIDATE WITH OVERSEAS GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE BUT NO CORPORATE EXPERIENCE?

AM – If the person has the skills the client is looking for and there is chemistry between the candidate and the client and the company is flexible – no problem. The search is always steered by what the client says.

KF – this person should look into opportunities with the consulting companies.

Panama green card has another color

Unlike the US where a single application results in a work permit and a visa, Panama requires two separate applications for a work permit (issued by the Directorate of Employment of the Labor Ministry) and a visa (issued by the Directorate of Immigration of the Government Ministry).

The number of work permits is of 6, which requirements are listed in the Labor Ministry website. As a general rule, a foreign worker can apply for a permit if the company which sponsors him/her would have no more than 1 foreign worker for every 10 Panamanian workers if the application was approved. The ratio is raised to 1 foreign worker for every 15 workers if the foreign worker has a technician permit.

Foreign spouses of Panamanians are exempt from this requirement.

Every year the permit must be renewed and proof of the immigration visa renewal must be included.