The objective of internships is to enhance foreign language and intercultural skills through a structured experiential program. In addition, students may be interested in learning about the work environment in a specific country or field. Some foreign schools and organizations assist international students in finding local unpaid work experiences. Depending on the support services offered, schools may provide these services at no cost but in some cases there may be a fee.
Employers generally do not pay interns. Exception may occur if interns are experienced in their field and can make a significant contribution, and if local labor laws permit compensation. Internships require ‘functional’ foreign language skills and final interviews with local employers. As a result, most internship programs start with a 4-6 week foreign language course and preparing for interviews. When interviews are successfully concluded, some students work full-time, while others work part-time while continuing to take language classes and improve their language skills. Scheduling, interviewing and acceptance of an internship is the responsibility of the student.
The school or organization suggests employers and provides introductions, however, determining if you are right for the job and visa-versa is between you and the employer. Organizations may mediate between you and the employer if misunderstandings arise and assist with second placements if necessary, but they cannot guarantee success.
Enjoy your stay in Barcelona by organising your internship well in advance at home. Be aware that your internship in Barcelona will notl be cheap. Therefore, you need to make sure that you have the financial preparations ready, normally the first month is the hardest when it comes to bills and payments. Rent and deposit for the accommodation, your plane-ticket to Barcelona, insurances, costs to agencies providing help etc is to be paid. It might be a very good idea to calculate the initial costs and make a budget.
In order to get an internship-offer you need to make sure that you have a proper insurance. A copy of the insurance papers normally has to be attached to the signed contract for the company. Make sure you bring a copy of your insurance with you the first day you start your internship to give to your employer. Carry an E-111 form with you, in case something should happen this is the paper you need to have. You can get the form in your local social security office.
Having an internship in a company does not guarantee you payment. It is ususally up to the company to decide. Some companies give bonuses and other advantages, like discount for Spanish classes. Other companies can be very generous and pay well. The average payment a month is 300 euro. Not all internships are of the same quality so it might be a good thing to check out the different offers. There are agencies providing you with internships if you have not found one yourself. These agencies have good internships of high quality.
Before deciding you should try to aquire as much information as possible about loans and scholarships. There are a lot of different scholarship available for those who search, however they are not easy to find. You can find a lot of information on the internet. In addition there are some banks that can provide you with more information. The government also has a lot of sources for those who ask. Depending on the bank you might even get a special loan if you explain the plans and ideas you have.
When applying for a placement it is not necessary to speak Spanish, although a basic understanding will make your stay in Barcelona a lot easier. It will also give you an advantage of getting you the internship you are most interested in because it will be easier for the company to have an intern who speaks the language, at least to a certain degree. However there are a lot of companies who do not weight this, but rather your skills and earlier performances. When it comes to the Catalan language there are only a few interns who speak it, and it is certainly not a requirement to get an internship in Barcelona. Attending Spanish courses is recommended if you do not know the language at all. We work with several of the best language schools in the city and will therefore be happy to provide you with more information about these.
There will be many festivities during your stay, Spain is known for its many bank holidays. Be aware that they differ from what you are used to, and you will find that they celebrate a lot more days than other countries.