Connect-123 Barcelona Internships

My time in Barcelona was spectacular! Not only was my internship perfect for my skill set and career goals, but my free time was well spent with my the other people on the program. I have made friends for life on this trip and Connect-123 has helped me foster these relationships throughout my time here. I just know I will stay in touch with everyone I met during my time in Barcelona. I have also learned and gained extremely valuable experience during my internship, which will help me in my future endeavors.

I am beyond grateful for Connect123 and my internship experience in Barcelona. It is the most amazing city with so much to see and do. My internship experience allowed me to grow both professionally and personally which I have no doubt will hugely benefit me in the future. The housing accommodations and support from the program was behind expectations. I always felt able to reach out if I needed anything or had any questions. I will cherish the experiences I have had over the past 2 months forever!

Thanks to Connect-123 I was able to have an amazing summer in Barcelona. They helped me find a job in the environmental sustainability field to work during my two months in Barcelona. Working at this organization helped me learn about the Catalonia region and the importance of it. As well as learning about the natural spaces and the Catalan work culture and lifestyle. In this job, I was able to host activities in Spanish which helped me improve my Spanish. C123 made sure to contact us about the job in the beginning and during our time working there which made me feel confident since I knew I had a group of people supporting me.

Also, I was able to meet people from all over the US and the world through their events. C123 made sure to encourage everyone to attend these events since this is such an important part of making friendships with the people in the same program as you. Overall, I had a great time in Barcelona and made so many memories with the most amazing people.

I’ve wanted to work abroad since I started studying at university, but had always lacked the foresight and planning to be comfortable with spending an extended period overseas. Connect-123 provided me with help in all of these areas; quickly providing job offers, housing availability and all sorts of resources for living in comfort.

My job is in nanotechnology fabrications, and I was surrounded by intelligent and welcoming friends who are invaluable in learning more about science and engineering as well as local culture.

Barcelona has quickly become one of my favorite cities, with newfound lifelong friends, university and job connections and most importantly, incredible food. It’s a bittersweet feeling to know that my time in Barcelona is limited; but I’m already looking forward to visiting again, as well as the following internship through Connect-123 in Dublin!

A great programme to build your personal and professional growth. An internship places you out of your comfort zone in so many different aspects. A worthwhile and rewarding experience.

The first day I arrived, I met my programme coordinator. They made me aware of some important and useful aspects such as the metro system, emergency contacts, as well as a timetable listed with excursions and events that were held for us. These excursions were held every week, here we had the opportunity to meet other interns also on the programme.

I would definitely recommend this programme. Whether you are a student or have finished your studies and would like a break by interning in a different country. There is time to travel as well, especially during weekends and sometimes even after work depending when you finish.

Looking back when I lived in San Diego, California, I still remember walking to my bedroom on a daily basis, sitting at my computer desk, sighing and staring at the enormous poster I had on the wall - it was a world map. It was there to remind, motivate and inspire me to go for the things that I truly wanted – to return to Spain, travel, continue to learning, self-educating, connecting and seeking understanding of other cultures and people. It was a difficult choice and challenge to go back to Spain, especially, this time, as an older guy. But I learned that in the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take. That simple paper on the wall, that world map, kept me on track; it helped me stay focus on my goals and to visualize the possibilities – that it was doable, reachable.

Fast-forward to now, I have reached that goal. And I couldn’t have done it without the help and continuous support of the superb, professional and friendly duo from Connect-123, Zuzana Jurasikova and Mireia Vila. I’m grateful for Connect-123, the journalism/translation/editing internship opportunity with ShBarcelona, and for the new friendships I’ve made with other student “Connectors.” I’m aiming to keep growing personally and professionally in the beautiful city of Barcelona. I’ve no regrets in the choice that I made in joining the Connect-123 family and picking Barcelona as the place to pursue my career objectives. For any young soul out there who’s contemplating on doing an internship in a foreign country that you’re interested in, just do it! I strongly believe in investing in your own experience and education because the impact can be of a positive life change, an unforgettable adventure, a transformative and eye-opening journey – in other words: priceless.

The people that I worked with in Barcelona were so welcoming and genuinely cared that I was enjoying myself in the city. They were so supportive and they helped me out so much when I was getting acclimated to the city but when I was acclimated they let me explore and travel to other countries in Europe on my own. They planned so many fun and different events for us to come with and they are great event to see all the little things that Barcelona has to offer.

I always dreamed of living in Barcelona, and being an architecture student, there was no better city to have this experience. I was hesitating at first, when applying to the connect-123 program, I was afraid to believe in it too much, to get my hopes up. Even after everything was set, I still didn't believe it was actually happening...And then, I was Here ! Here in Barcelona living the life I always dreamed of, and it turned out to be the best decision I have ever made! For me, this was not just an internship program, it was a life experience. I had to grow on so many levels and i can already tell that now, I'm a changed person. The architecture internship was better than I expected, I was working with a team of passionate people (small office, big projects & even bigger minds), I had the chance to experiment, to design, and i was trusted and given big tasks from the get go. Not speaking Catalan or Spanish made it harder for me to fit in within the social context of the office, it was challenging, but I managed to bond with every single one of my colleagues....and that was the hard part, realizing how much of an impact the people around you have on the quality of your experience. I was out of my comfort zone in every possible way, and I managed to adapt. Throughout my stay in Barcelona, I was in contact with the connect-123 office, I met some of them, they introduced me to other interns and made me feel like I was genuinely cared about. At the end, looking back at this experience, I can say that I truly LIVED in Barcelona, I walked every street, met so many people from all from so many places, worked till my eyes shut closed, danced till my feet hurt, sang at every corner, laughed and cried my heart out...it was one of the most intense periods of my life, I loved every second of it, and I will do it again in a heartbeat!