My first few days in Madrid have been an incredible experience. Arriving at my host family’s home the first day, being greeted with two kisses, and realizing there really was no air conditioning in Europe was my first of many culture shocks, which has been my personal theme for the week. Adjusting to Madrid has been an exciting process, surrounding myself in a new language, new dining culture, and living in a Spanish home has already shown me so much about the country. People are slower, more social, and the days are much longer. I have already had tapas every day, and spent a lot less time scrolling on my phone in bed. I feel compelled to dress nicer, eat slower, and enjoy the things around me. Seeing tall buildings and walking the city has been a highlight of my week.
With orientation taking up the first two mornings of my time here, I learned about how to live in Spanish homes, how to ask the waiter for the check, and that above all, the Spanish people are a talkative culture. The days here have seemed long, with waking up at seven for orientation and going out to dinner at 10pm, I have never tried to keep myself so busy and out of the house. It has been tiring at times, but it is so different from my life at home I really have enjoyed it. I have gotten used to speaking to waiters and barisas in Spanish, but I have already had my share of times when somebody starts talking to me, and then switches to English. All I can do in those situations is to learn what I need to say right next time, and be patient with myself! I have never attempted to speak this much Spanish before, so I have to continue to practice it, even if I get it wrong at times. I plan on being able to practice the most when I begin my internship on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, I will start my internship at Jimmy Lion working in the fashion industry. Working with the director of the wholesale department, I will be first introduced to what the day-to-day operations of a small international company looks like. Many business administration duties, in combination with helping create, design, and communicate with vendors from countries like Portugal, Germany, and hopefully, the United States. After having an interview with a co-founder of the company, Alvaro, he was able to give me a picture of what I could contribute during my time there. My conversation with him gave me a good idea on what skills I will develop during my internship and what things I need to focus on to efficiently operate within this company.
Some skills that I think will be necessary to be successful in the fashion industry are adaptability, communication, and creativity. The fashion world, especially in a competitive city like Madrid, it is important to be aware of trends and have the ability to pivot. Being open to exploring new or different ideas is essential if you want to create or advertise a successful product. Communication is also incredibly important, and it was one of my personal areas of growth I wanted to achieve during my internship. Communication to me is the most important skill anybody in the modern workplace should try to achieve. Whether you are working in a team big or small, having the ability to communicate effectively, respectfully, and with purpose is important for a future career. Creativity is important for this industry because it is constantly evolving, and coming up with new ideas is key to stay relevant. Jimmy Lion is an incredibly unique company in their industry, and I am looking forward to being among so many creative designers. Creativity is not something I feel is focused in the United States as much, especially within the finance major, but it is an important skill to have for any company. Having the ability to be creative with ideas or solutions is a transferable skill that can apply to many industries.
Competencies I will need to develop for Spain in particular would include awareness and appreciation of the culture, and language proficiency. Completing an internship in my second language will prove to be challenging, and understanding it will be my first priority that I hope to develop over the course of my internship. Being constantly exposed to the language in this way will help me with my proficiency, which will be helpful in the future when I work across Spanish speaking countries. In addition, Madrid is an incredibly fashion-forward city. Having an appreciation for the trends and culture will be critical when understanding the clothing designs and ideas of my coworkers. Having the tolerance and ability to understand and want to learn about the Spanish culture will help me do a better job at understanding a crucial part of the culture: the fashion.