Everyone should go abroad at some point in their lives. I spent my summer in Madrid with the primary goal of becoming a more proficient Spanish speaker, yet what I received from the experience was much more transformative (although I did become a better Spanish speaker). I have found that it is very easy to…
Tag: IIP Madrid 2022
Success Is in the Hustle (Kind Of)
In general, I believe it is more difficult to define professional “success” in Spain than in the United States. Besides the existing cultural differences between different industries in every country (a family-run restaurant will obviously have different professional goals than a Private Equity firm), Spanish culture overall tends to emphasize work as a part of…
Lost in (Cultural) Translation
High-context communication and low-context communication are often used to compare and contrast how different countries and cultures approach conversations. High-context communication countries such as Spain derive a lot of their meaning within conversations from the general context, the location of the dialogue, the tone and emotions used, and any underlying knowledge used in the conversation….
A Change of Leadership
In the past, I had always been good at taking charge, but I was not always the best at being a leader. Before this internship experience, I had always felt comfortable taking on a leadership role. Take this common situation for example: you’re stuck in a group project full of people you don’t really know…
On Learning Skills to (Eventually) Pay the Bills
Coming into my second month in Spain, I have noticed so many changes about myself, both personally and professionally. I have learned so much about who I am and what my strengths are, as well as the skills I have gained, both hard and soft, along the way. To begin, there have been a multitude…
Navigating Culture Shocks: Qué Será Será
There have been many cultural differences between Spain and the United States that have challenged me, both in my daily life and the workplace. Although Spain is a western European country with many similarities to the United States (e.g. they have similar foods in grocery stores, similar multinational retailers in stores around the city, etc),…
Flustered Meetings and Mistranslations: Navigating Ambiguities in a Spanish Workplace
There are many moments of uncertainty at my internship, as is expected in an internship in a foreign country, in my non-native language, and in a new field and environment. I feel like it is only natural that confusion and miscommunications arise when entering such a complex and novel space. Moreover, ambiguity and complications are…
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