Sabática

Placement organization

Name of organization: Sabática
Town/city: Mataró (Barcelona)
Country: Spanje
Website: http://sabatica.org

Name of student: Cindy van Herwaarden

Specialist area: MTT
Placement period: 2015-2016

Information about placement organization

Type of organization: Educational consultant
Organization’s activities: Company with different activities worldwide. They offer programs such as volunteering, language courses, Au Pair in the USA or Ireland and Internships in the sectors Enology, Agriculture, Vetenary, Hospitality and Tourism.

The company has in total 180 activities based on the Spanish market.
Target group of the organization: Spanish market
Company culture: You will work with 2 colleagues and have your own desk with pc.

During workdays you can dress yourself casual but when you go to an University or a workshop it is necesarry to dress yourself formal.
Number of employees: 2
Dress code: casual
Did the organization meet the agreements you made beforehand? Yes

Information about your placement

In which department(s) are you working? Most of the time marketing department
Brief description of your daily activities: Depends each day.

– Working on marketing programs (social media, website, PowerPoint etc.)
– Translate Spanish/Catalan letters into English letters for the companies
– Skype/Personal interviews with participants
– Prepare Information (information for Universities, pre-departure information etc.)
– Assist my boss at universities and workshops

Brief description of your company assignment: Analyze the participants of Sabática from the last 5 years and make a marketing analyze for the company.

Comment briefly on your supervision by the organization: I have supervision all day long because most of the time you work with her.

Requirements for students on placement

What kind of personal skills are required for this placement? Independent as well as a teamplayer
Additional company requirements for this placement? Photoshop, MS Office, Writing Skills English/Spanish
English: Advanced
Spanish: Intermediate
French:
German:
Italian:
Other languages:

The trip

Mode of transport to reach your destination: Everything is on walk distance in Mataró

Accommodation

How did you arrange your accommodation? Myself
How did you go to work every day? By foot

Visa / work permit / vaccinations

Do you need a visa? No
Do you need a work permit? No
How did you arrange the necessary documents:
How much time did it take to arrange the necessary documents? 1 Month
Did you need certain vaccinations? No
How long in advance?

Language course

Did you take a language course before you started your placement? Yes
Would you recommend to have a language course prior to this placement? Yes, If your Spanish is not intermediate I will recommend a course

The costs in euros

Travelling expenses (e.g. return ticket): € Around €100,-
Accommodation (monthly): € €325,-
Local transport (monthly): € If you want to go to Barcelona it cost around €8,00 or less
General costs of living (monthly): € €100/€150.
Costs of visa: € –
Costs of work permit: € –
What did the company pay for/to you? €150 each month

Culture

How did you prepare for the country’s culture?
I took a Spanish course in Barcelona to improve my Spanish.

Did the culture of the country influence your performance during the placement in any way? The Spanish culture is really open, they are able to help you with everything

Future students on placement

Future students are free to contact me for further information: Yes
My e-mail address: Cindy.1994@live.nl

Other information

Recommendations on what to do and what not to do: Take (extra) Spanish lessons

Leisure possibilities in the city/surroundings of where the placement took place: Mataró is a small and friendly village with a long beach and clear water. Everybody speaks most of the time Catalan with eachother but all the people are able to speak Spanish as well.

I live in the centre of Mataró which is most expensive, with 3 other Spanish students. It is possible to live less expensive.

Next to the office there is a Technocampus, an university where you can meet many students. There is a great nightlife with many clubs and bars to visit.

There are many places around Mataró to visit. Barcelona is 30 min, Calella 20 min and Blanes/Malgrat 40 min by train. Traintickets are really cheap besides it the transport is really easy.

Media

Youtube link Youtube placement video link