Itske is 20 years old and studies International Tourism Management at Breda University of Applied Sience. Itske has plans to move abroad in the future, so to get a taste in advance, she chose to do an internship in Barcelona. Itske is happy to share how she liked the first 4 months so far!
"Before I left the Netherlands for Barcelona, I wanted to get to know a new culture. I also thought it would be super fun to meet new people, preferably as international as possible.
In the future I would like to move abroad, before that I wanted to find out what it's like to be abroad for a longer period of time. It's important to find out whether I would like it at all."
"I am an intern at a company which is very active in the field of tourism. My daily tasks vary enormously. I have to write and rewrite blogs for on the website or write a piece for other companies' websites that we have a collaboration with. I also have to shoot and write content for social media and beyond that I often have to think along for the best social media strategies.
I definitely got an internship that suited me well. I had already gained a lot of knowledge at school that I can apply in real life during the internship. As a result, I really feel I can add something to the company. I also learn a lot of new things during my internship.
During my internship, I get a lot of freedom and often get to go out and shoot content. As a result, I have already seen a lot of Barcelona during working hours! I get very involved in the company and am given a lot of responsibilities. I can recommend an internship abroad like this to anyone."
"Definitely the mindset! In the Netherlands, people are very focused on go, go and go. Always have to perform and always have to do better. In Spain, people are much more relaxed. Things are not so tight, and they enjoy life. During the day and in the evening, they spend a lot of time outside or on the terrace with friends and family. What I very much experience is that the Dutch live to work while Spaniards work more to live!"
"Before I left for Barcelona, I imagined life here as if it would be very free, that there would always be a lot to do, and that the city would just have a lot to offer. Actually, this corresponds exactly to reality. It's a great city."
"There are several things I would recommend. First, don't worry too much about the process of 'going abroad'. I was very concerned with whether my internship would be fun, whether I would make friends or whether I would find a house in time. But what I found out is that you just have to let everything come to you. As long as you live with an open mind and go into it with an open view, everything will be fine.
Furthermore, I would recommend enjoying the nightlife immensely and going to the beach as often as you can. It doesn't necessarily have to be 30 degrees, as long as the sun shines, the beach is lovely. You should also explore all the places outside Barcelona. Go into the mountains and take little trips. Unfortunately, I haven't done that enough and I regret it. If you're in Barcelona anyway, you'd better see some of the surroundings too!"
"Because you basically leave all your friends and family behind and have nothing at all holding you to the person you are, you have the freedom to develop yourself into who you would like to be or who you actually are. I found this hugely educational and liberating. I am therefore afraid that when I return to the Netherlands, I will soon fall back into my old habits. So, I have resolved that I will try to do that as little as possible!"
Omdat je eigenlijk al je bekenden achterlaat en helemaal niks hebt dat jou vasthoudt aan de persoon wie jij bent, heb je de vrijheid om jezelf te ontwikkelen tot wie jij graag wilt zijn of wie je eigenlijk bent.
"I met most of the people in Barcelona through AE Internships. Even before I left for Barcelona, I joined the AE Internships group app. We met up with several people from the group app and immediately afterwards we had become best friends. I also participated in the welcome event. This was specially organised by AE Internships to get to know new people."
"That's very simple! To develop yourself and to see that there is more than life in the Netherlands. It's good to start with a clean slate once so you can choose how you want to develop, and you are in the unique position that no one can stop you in that."
"Within two weeks, AE Internships had found the perfect internship for me. I was also hired by the company within the first try. To my mind, they found the perfect match between the company and me. Furthermore, I always had nice contact with AE's employees and that combined with the fact that I had a super nice internship it was a positive experience!"
Do you also think it would be really cool to do an internship in Barcelona or abroad? Then register for free now and schedule an interview with one of our internship experts.
Curious about how other students experienced their internships abroad? Then check out the Abroad Experience blogs of other AEs: