Interview with Buenos Aires Program Alum Jay Lanners

Former Connect-123 intern Jay Lanners took time out of his busy schedule working at one of the most sucessful online companies in Latin America to participate in this interview, several years after completing his internship in Buenos Aires!

You were an intern on our Buenos Aires program a few years ago. Why did you choose Buenos Aires?

Having studied abroad in Madrid for a semester the year before, I was looking for an internship in a Spanish-speaking country, and I had never been to South America. As one of the most developed cities in South America, Buenos Aires was a logical choice at the time. I had no idea how much I would end up loving the city.

Tell us a bit about what your Connect-123 internship was like.

I interned through a Venture Capital firm at one of their portfolio companies, a multinational software development firm. For two months, I worked on a strategy project preparing for the launch of one of their new software services. I regularly interacted with the two founders of the company, conducting research in both Spanish and English. I gained valuable work experience and also improved my business Spanish a good bit.

How did you end up back in Argentina?

In the two months I spent in Buenos Aires with Connect, I fell in love with the city and the country. The people, the culture, the nightlife, and the food all make it an incredible place to live. It’s so easy to meet people here and there is always something fun to do. I ended up coming back to BA a year after my Connect internship, spending a month of vacation here as a part of a three-month trip through South America after I graduated college. I worked for two years in Atlanta as a management consultant at Bain & Company, and decided to look for a job in Latin America. I thought that living and working abroad in Latin America for a few years would be a great work and life experience before I do my MBA in the states. I was lucky enough to land a job in Buenos Aires with MercadoLibre (basically the eBay of Latin America), where I am currently working in Strategic Planning and Investor Relations.

Do you think your Connect-123 internship helped shape your career path in any way?

Without a doubt. First of all, when I interviewed for full-time jobs as a senior in college,  the first thing my interviewers wanted to talk about was always my internship in Buenos Aires. It stood out on my resume and made me an extremely interesting candidate, ultimately helping me land the consulting job I wanted. Secondly, my Connect-123 internship made me sure that I wanted to focus my long-term career on emerging markets, specifically Latin America. My Connect experience ultimately led me to seek a full-time job in Buenos Aires and it also made me a legitimate candidate for firms down here that might have otherwise been skeptical of hiring an American and native English speaker.

Any advice for our readers?

Go abroad as much as you can. I’ve been lucky enough to spend time living in Spain, Brazil, and Argentina and doing so has been one of the best experiences of my life. Being immersed in a new culture gives you a whole new perspective on the rest of the world and you learn a lot about yourself as well. Living abroad is also hands down the best way to learn foreign languages.