My Summer Abroad in Barcelona

Adam is a third-year student studying BSc Business Management in the Essex Business School. Last summer Adam completed an internship in Barcelona via Absolute Internship and tells us about the experience.

Can you tell us a little about your experience? What did you do and where was it based?

During my two months in Barcelona, I completed a marketing internship through the internship programme Absolute Internship. For my internship, I worked for Barcelona Vibes which is a destination management company that deals with group client requests from various countries, asking us to organise activities, hotels, transport, and itineraries for their time in the city and surrounding areas. The tasks included reaching out to suppliers, creating Canva presentations for clients, social media content, blog and LinkedIn posts, creating their new website content, and I even got to go up in a hot air balloon!

Why did you choose this experience?

I chose this experience because I wanted to get some real-world work experience in an international environment because I know employers are always looking for those with an international outlook for their companies. I also wanted to improve my Spanish language skills and explore a part of Spain that I hadn’t been to before.

What were some of the best moments from the summer?

The best moment for me at the internship was being able to go up in a hot air balloon with a group client from Kenya. At the company, one of the staff members always goes with the client on the activities to ensure everything runs smoothly. As a result of the experience, I was able to take some stunning photos that could be used in social media content.

Another great moment was our cultural activity for August which was to watch a Barcelona FC match at the Olympic stadium against Tottenham. It was an incredible experience and there were so many people there. I had always wanted to visit the stadium and watch a match so to be able to do both in one go was brilliant.

What would your advice be to someone else thinking of completing an internship abroad?

When look and where to go for you internship, think about what city has the most relevance for the type of industry you want to go for. Some cities will have more businesses related to a certain industry than to others. Other than that, chose the place that most interests you and that you want to learn more about.

My piece of advice for someone else completing an internship abroad would be to fully embrace the experience. Absolute Internship organise monthly group dinners, weekend trips (such as Valencia and Montpellier), day trips, and cultural activities. Go to all of them and then organise your own activities; go sightseeing, visit nearby towns and villages, and explore more of the culture. This is your one chance to explore the place – don’t waste it!

Would you recommend Absolute Intern as a programme provider?

I would definitely recommend Absolute Internship because they provide the activities as well as just the internship. This allows you to explore and make friends at the same time. Furthermore, their staff are really friendly and you’ll have at least one programme coordinator staying at the accommodation who has likely done the programme themselves so they’ll have loads of personal experience to give you.

What did you learn from the experience that will impact you in the future?

I learnt about various things whilst in Barcelona. One was the way of life there. It seemed way more efficient because of the unique way the city is planned. Additionally, I have learnt that it is important to be generous to customers and tailor their experience as much as possible. In other words, go the extra mile – it will reap rewards for years to come!

Inspired by Adam’s blog? Find out more about Study Abroad opportunities.