The Differences Between Being a Tourist and an Intern
“Doing an internship abroad was a last minute decision.”, Annika starts off the interview. “Sí-internships helped me to find a position within one week!” Therefore, because everything worked out this fast, she was a little concerned about booking her flights and finding an accommodation. Yet, in retrospective, Annika thinks that she shouldn’t have worried about all those things at all. “I found a nice room and good flights. Plus, it turned out that my internship was a really good match!”
About the Internship
Annika was working in the field of Online Marketing in a real estate and lifestyle company: “They’re running an online platform for properties as well as a lifestyle blog about Barcelona and share their offers on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.” One thing she especially highlighted was the comfortable and relaxed working environment. She thinks that that has something to do with her boss’ mindset: “He doesn’t force us to do any of our tasks. He’s convinced of the theory that work should be fun so we are allowed to talk to other colleagues or listen to music, if it helps us concentrate.”
What a Typical Work Day Looked Like
While interning, Annika was working between 10 am and 7 pm. She started her work day by doing multiple social media posts. After that she started to compose articles for the company’s lifestyle blog. “I’m writing about the different districts of Barcelona: what to explore, where to eat and what to do.” Besides that, she was also doing marketing research with Google Analytics, editing a newsletter as well as updating the website with new properties. “Additionally, now and then, I also played a table tennis match against my colleagues or even against my boss!”, she tells excitedly.
The Difference Between Being an Intern and a Tourist
“I think that you don’t learn a lot about the Spanish mentality when you’re a tourist. You can only really get to know it by living your daily life here like taking the metro in the morning or doing your daily groceries. In addition, you have more time to explore everything you want so you’re not only seeing the tourist sights of the city.”
A Bunch of Helpful Tips
While living in Barcelona, Annika found out about a lot of things that can make life easier while staying here: Firstly, she recommends going for a 3-month metro ticket because it’s a good way to save a lot of money. Moreover, she advises to enter clubs via Facebook guest lists if you’re interested in going out. “It’s for free and you can safe the entrance fees and don’t need to wait in line.” She also recommends to not buying groceries in small shops. Their opening times are great and it is the most comfortable way to buy food, however it is also the most expensive way. Lastly, she says: “In general, I would recommend not wasting any time by sitting around at home. Seize the day even if you need to work until 7 pm. It is definitely worth going out in Barcelona!”
