Program Overview
Summer of 2019, I got the opportunity to participate in one of Fisher’s Global Internship programs. I decided to apply to Madrid, as I had previously traveled there before and I loved the city’s vibrancy and excitement. Madrid is considered a ‘cultural hub’ within Spain and since I was searching for an internship with some sort of creative factor, I knew that it would be the perfect place for me.
I worked at Melboss Music, a small marketing company right in the heart of the city. Melboss specialized in working directly with artists hoping to gain more recognition within the music industry. During this internship I worked directly under the Chief of Marketing and I handled the launch of their English website and social media fronts, created content for artists and planned networking events for their clients. This internship was everything I could have hoped for and I would encourage anyone to check out Madrid or even the other locations that Fisher offers.
Pre-Departure Reflection
I learned about this program after attending an information session freshman year on a whim. As I’ve mentioned in my ‘About Me’ page, I’ve always known that I’ve wanted to spend time abroad before coming into OSU. My family has always stressed the importance of travel and the value that it can hold. So with their encouragement and the experiences of our past trips fueling my ambition, I decided to go for it. I thought that this program would be a perfect balance between getting a taste of the abroad experience while also obtaining valuable work experience in a field I plan on pursuing in the future. After being accepted and talking to our coordinator I was eager to be placed with a company in a creative field. That being said, when the time came, my interview with Melboss– a music marketing agency was all that I could’ve asked for. My placement process with Melboss was entirely seamless and by the time my interview with my boss was over, I could not wait to hop on the plane.
Prior to my departure for Spain, it was necessary for all students studying to take an online Advance Field Study course with some occasional in-person sessions. This course helped prepare us by introducing situations we might face and how me might better prepare ourselves for our time abroad. From small things like buying a SIM card in the new country to what we might do if we lose our Passport; we were ready for it all. This course did a great job at preparing us for our time abroad as we actually encountered some of the ‘unexpected’ situations we talked about. For example, we talked about what one should do if they were to lose their phone/passport and this was something that actually happened to one of my peers! While I of course was happy to not be the one facing this problem, we were able to solve it fast and without too much strife.
Although there were some nerves before leaving, I think my excitement outweighed it. I was entirely consumed by fears of not being able to adapt to Melboss’s work culture and equally nervous about making friends on the program. I was headed into a summer where I didn’t know anybody, didn’t speak the language, or have any internship experience yet my enthusiasm for what was to come couldn’t be dulled. All of this aside, a week into the program I was able to finally feel comfortable not only at work but with the others on my program. It was a brief transition but was fairly seamless. While traveling across the world into a situation out of one’s comfort zone sounds daunting to some, I think my adrenaline kicked in and led to an easy transition into the Spain lifestyle.
While Abroad Reflection
While abroad it felt like I explored a new part of Madrid every day. The city has one of the best and most affordable public transit systems in Europe, so getting across the city was nearly effortless. Our apartments were in Chamberi a very trendy neighborhood just north of the city center. We were close to the big university and a large number of restaurants, shops and so much more. While I got to know Madrid in and out, during the weekends I got to travel with my peers and even meet up in different cities with other friends I had that were abroad. Over the duration of the summer, I got the chance to go to Budapest, Amsterdam, Milan, Strasbourg, Hamburg, Nice, Montpellier, Lyon, Copenhagen, and several smaller cities in Spain. With cheap flights and trains that span all across Europe the ability to travel was very much feasible.
During my internship, I became great friends with my coworkers. As I was working at a Music company, it was a very laid-back environment. There was always good music playing and lots of fun gatherings after work. It was great getting to experience the music culture in Madrid. I attended a few concerts with my coworkers for work, how can it get any better than that? It wasn’t challenging adjusting to the new work style. My workday started at 10 am and went until 2 pm. At 2 pm we’d have a two-hour ‘siesta’ where I could either explore the city or grab lunch with the team. We’d either return to work for a few hours after the siesta or call it for the day. My workday changed every day and I really enjoyed the variety of assignments I had. One of my favorite assignments was to work directly with one of their clients, a small Madrid-based band who wanted new content for their gig promotion. As I got to take the reigns on this, I was in charge of all communication and of course the final product. The band wanted more photographs of themselves playing around Madrid, so I volunteered my photography skills and worked for a week catering to their band’s image. Below are some of the photos I took of them, which were then used for their website and different promotional ads. It was great having the opportunity to work with a very hands-on project and to be trusted with such a big responsibility!
I went into Spain with extremely limited knowledge of the Spanish language. Since I’m a French minor, this did not help me much in Spain but it certainly did while traveling to France on the weekends. However, I slowly started to really pick up on a lot of vocabulary. My work environment was almost entirely in Spanish, with only one coworker that spoke English. They helped me learn and loved to hear my terrible pronunciation of Spanish words. While daunting at first, it became natural to switch the Spanish on each day. I believe my proudest moment pertaining to the language was when a Spaniard asked me for directions and I was able to help them out– it was definitely a confidence booster.
Melboss Networking Event
After Return Reflection
After returning home from my adventurous summer in Madrid, I found it challenging to adjust back to the norms of the United States. I was skeptical hearing about others’ experiences with reverse culture shock, but I was quickly made a believer when I experienced it first-hand. After becoming accustomed to the European lifestyle for months, there were many things I missed when leaving Madrid. I enjoyed the ability to travel so freely not just across Europe, but within Madrid. When returning to the United States it felt bizarre driving a car for the first time in months because of the lack of public transport and the lack of proximity to things. In Madrid, I felt that I could get to the other side of the city either walking or by metro easily. Other small factors were also very apparent when I came back. Fashion differences were one of the largest ones visibly, as Europe is very fashionable it was nice getting to dress creatively each day. As someone very interested in fashion, I really missed the versatility of Europe when I came back to the United States. Professionally, differences within the work culture were also something I needed to revert back to. Work differences such as a ‘siesta’ in the middle of the day was a factor I had to adjust back to as well as lifestyle changes involving how late things start/open. Overall the work environment in Spain was much more casual than that of the United States. I felt that I became very close to my coworkers since I was spending a lot of time outside of work with them, whether it be grabbing lunch or going to outings with them too.
Since returning from Madrid, I’ve luckily gotten the chance to make some great friendships with others I went abroad with. I’ve gotten the opportunity to join a Professional Business Fraternity of one of the girls I spent a lot of time with and have found out about other organizations on campus because of these people. We catch up frequently and reminisce on Madrid whenever we do. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’ve made connections that will last long past our summer in Madrid and I think these relationships are important both professionally and personally. Going off of this, I still talk to some of my Melboss coworkers to this day. One of my coworkers has started her own business and it has been great getting to talk to her and support her even from the United States. I always know that I at least have a few friends if I ever decide to return to Madrid again.
If there was anything that I’ve taken away from this experience it was that I could not wait to get back to traveling. The summer was such a positive experience that even after my time in Spain I decided to return to Europe for an additional semester study abroad. As I had my reservations about going abroad twice, after Madrid I realized that I’d be more than happy to head to Europe again but this time for longer. If there is anyone that is contemplating partaking in an abroad program, my advice is to 100% go for it. I made memories that I will remember forever and I think anyone who’s done something similar would say the same.