My placement in Krakow was both highly enjoyable and greatly beneficial to me. It allowed me to experience a new culture as well as to work abroad in a vocational area which I have a great interest in. Spending a month living and working in Krakow gave a boost to both my confidence and technical skills, as the time there gave me a lot of experience with both. Navigating the city and using the Polish I had learned from my language classes was a great feeling and it made me feel more independent and sure of myself. This was a similar case to my work as I was given a set amount of time to complete a project and it was up to me to make sure it was done on time. I had to learn various new skills for my work placement, such as a new programming language or how to use new software and I feel this was a very valuable thing to have practiced as they’re things that I will eventually be learning in my studies over the next few years.
It’s given me a good introduction to what I will be learning as well as to what I should expect from a job in the IT industry. Partaking in Polish culture and tradition was one of my favourite parts of the experience, as I got to try various foods and activities, as well as visit numerous museums and historical landmarks. It gave me a new appreciation for history and would compel me to want to travel more in the future or if possible work abroad. Overall my placement was highly enjoyable and a great boon to my confidence, not to mention the numerous skills I learned that will no doubt be useful to me in the future when I search for work placement.
It’s given me a good introduction to what I will be learning as well as to what I should expect from a job in the IT industry. Partaking in Polish culture and tradition was one of my favourite parts of the experience, as I got to try various foods and activities, as well as visit numerous museums and historical landmarks. It gave me a new appreciation for history and would compel me to want to travel more in the future or if possible work abroad. Overall my placement was highly enjoyable and a great boon to my confidence, not to mention the numerous skills I learned that will no doubt be useful to me in the future when I search for work placement.
The Erasmus+ placement was very beneficial for me as it was the first look into a real job within the IT sector. We learned quite a variety of new skills that will I will definitely need for the future and they are skills that are essential for the type of work I hope to be a part of in years to come so I am grateful I was given the opportunity to learn new things from my experience abroad.
Without a doubt I have become more independent as a person from doing this placement. I had to live like I was a normal adult getting up and going to work every morning which I have also done in the past but not for 4 weeks straight so it was a nice length of time to practice being self-reliant. Krakow is a very touristy city so there were a lot of people that spoke English including the locals. This made it easier for communication but talking to Polish people also improved my language skills by asking them to help me out with some basic words in Polish.
I believe that having developed all these new skills to put down on a cv will show future employers that I have some unique skillsets which I have developed from experiencing life and working in IT abroad. I have heard it makes a big impact on your application when managers see that someone has completed a student exchange program like Erasmus+.
Without a doubt I have become more independent as a person from doing this placement. I had to live like I was a normal adult getting up and going to work every morning which I have also done in the past but not for 4 weeks straight so it was a nice length of time to practice being self-reliant. Krakow is a very touristy city so there were a lot of people that spoke English including the locals. This made it easier for communication but talking to Polish people also improved my language skills by asking them to help me out with some basic words in Polish.
I believe that having developed all these new skills to put down on a cv will show future employers that I have some unique skillsets which I have developed from experiencing life and working in IT abroad. I have heard it makes a big impact on your application when managers see that someone has completed a student exchange program like Erasmus+.
I really enjoyed my experience in Krakow, it was an eye opening opportunity. Krakow has shown me a new way of living. It was something unique, something that I haven't done before. I love travelling and am pretty much used to exploring different countries, but the trip to Krakow has allowed me to work in a different country which is something I have not done before. It felt strange at first, my first week there I felt like I was on a holiday and that I was going to leave the city within a few days. That feeling slowly passed, it got to a point where I felt like Krakow was my home. My first few days back felt awkward then. I always woke up thinking I had to go to work. The Erasmus+ placement gave me the opportunity to live with people I never thought I would live with. I think i’ve made some good friends while on my trip.
Experiencing the new culture was fun but I only found it fun because of the people I was experiencing it with. I feel like Krakow is a big multicultural city, this gave me the chance to do things I would have never done before, eat new and different types of foods that I didn't even know existed at the time. I was also really happy with my work placement. The manager was welcoming and really did make us feel part of the company. He showed us what to do and provided us with equipment to do such tasks. I honestly felt like I was part of the company, that I worked there for years even if it was only for a few weeks. I discovered who I was as a person. Going to Krakow also helped improve my photography skills. Krakow showed me the challenge is to photograph a famous monument from a different perspective. A different photo to the millions of tourist ones, which is something i will remember forever. Overall I think my trip to Krakow is something that I’ll never experience again. I hope to go to the city in the future again but bring a friend with me so I can be tour guide instead of tourist.
Experiencing the new culture was fun but I only found it fun because of the people I was experiencing it with. I feel like Krakow is a big multicultural city, this gave me the chance to do things I would have never done before, eat new and different types of foods that I didn't even know existed at the time. I was also really happy with my work placement. The manager was welcoming and really did make us feel part of the company. He showed us what to do and provided us with equipment to do such tasks. I honestly felt like I was part of the company, that I worked there for years even if it was only for a few weeks. I discovered who I was as a person. Going to Krakow also helped improve my photography skills. Krakow showed me the challenge is to photograph a famous monument from a different perspective. A different photo to the millions of tourist ones, which is something i will remember forever. Overall I think my trip to Krakow is something that I’ll never experience again. I hope to go to the city in the future again but bring a friend with me so I can be tour guide instead of tourist.
My work placement in Krakow has enabled me to enhance my professional and person skills. Through my work placement I was able to exercise my communication skills, time keeping skills and language skills. I feel that I was able to communicate my ideas and thoughts to others in my work placement efficiently and effectively. I learned how to use software such as Photoshop and how it is used in marketing in the IT sector.
In addition to this i also learned valuable form and letter editing skills which I used to talk to international organisations and I would ask them if they would be interested in future collaboration projects which has also given me the confidence to communicate with other people in my area of work. I also learned the important role that the internet and social media has to a business and how a business can share information with a vast amount of people in seconds at a reasonable cost .
Outside of work I was able to experience the great city of Krakow and the various different cultures and people that fill its streets. I got to gain new experiences and to have new adventures with the people who I came to Krakow with, these experiences have allowed us to bond closer as a group of friends and has allowed all of us to gain the confidence and independence to always try new things and to learn about new cultures. At first it was overwhelming to communicate with the locals in polish but we all quickly overcame that challenge with practice which also added to my confidence, independence and confidence skills as well as breaking the ice which is important to making new friends. This once in a lifetime experience has given my multiple of new skills ,perspectives and friends which I wouldn't have found possible to gain if I were not to experience it. I feel that my professional and personal skills have been reinforced and I can feel more confident when given new tasks and when meeting new people in the future. I am ever so grateful to have been accepted to take part of this experience.
In addition to this i also learned valuable form and letter editing skills which I used to talk to international organisations and I would ask them if they would be interested in future collaboration projects which has also given me the confidence to communicate with other people in my area of work. I also learned the important role that the internet and social media has to a business and how a business can share information with a vast amount of people in seconds at a reasonable cost .
Outside of work I was able to experience the great city of Krakow and the various different cultures and people that fill its streets. I got to gain new experiences and to have new adventures with the people who I came to Krakow with, these experiences have allowed us to bond closer as a group of friends and has allowed all of us to gain the confidence and independence to always try new things and to learn about new cultures. At first it was overwhelming to communicate with the locals in polish but we all quickly overcame that challenge with practice which also added to my confidence, independence and confidence skills as well as breaking the ice which is important to making new friends. This once in a lifetime experience has given my multiple of new skills ,perspectives and friends which I wouldn't have found possible to gain if I were not to experience it. I feel that my professional and personal skills have been reinforced and I can feel more confident when given new tasks and when meeting new people in the future. I am ever so grateful to have been accepted to take part of this experience.
I think my Erasmus+ placement has been very beneficial for me. My work placement has given many new skills which are beneficial for both my course and future job prospects. Living away from home has taught me to be more independent and has made me much more confident with myself. The language barrier I faced living in Krakow has made me significantly better at communicating. Being able to say i’ve worked in an IT company abroad will be extremely beneficial for me when trying to find a job in the future as it will look very impressive on my CV. Taking part in the Erasmus+ programme has been one of the best experiences in my life and I would recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity to apply for it.
I personally feel as though my time spent in Krakow was incredible and one of the best things i’ve done with myself in a long time. The overall work factor could have been better since we primarily focused on learning a new language and trying to get a grip with a new IDE but given that they’re a young company and couldn’t be with us all the time, it was understandable. I would hope that my job prospects have widened greatly now because of the trip. I feel as though my confidence has increased since going to Krakow and my communication skills have increased also due to the language barrier. I was quite sure it would pose a bigger issue than it actually did and ordering food or buying shopping got quite easy after learning a few phrases. Overall I really enjoyed the trip and am incredibly grateful to have gotten this opportunity.
Erasmus 2016 was my best experience yet. I love to get up and go travelling to new places, but to get the opportunity to work was great. The three weeks I have spent in Ceuta has taught me many new things as well as testing current skills. Starting out i'd just like to mention the language barrier. As a student myself with dyslexia, I didn't want this to stop me from learning Spanish or any other languages. I say this as I feel being in a new country for this long you really need to have the basics of a language to get by.
Ceuta is a place where there is not a lot of English speaking people at all so it was difficult starting off here working and just being in Ceuta. Any student going on an experience out of ireland with a different language should take full part in all available classes and just study the basics so you're not left in a difficult position. In regards to living in a new country, I live on my own at home for the last two years so i'm used to doing my own things and getting by just fine. Out here in Ceuta I felt that I wasn't as relaxed as I would be at home as it's a different country and there is a lot you need to take into consideration. After the three weeks and getting to know Ceuta and a lot of people it got better. My placement in the town hall of Ceuta consisted of updating records to be entered and graphics to be shown on data that were given to me by my co-worker. I feel after getting used to a Spanish keyboard layout my efficiency and knowledge has improved immensely and I have a better understanding of the software and have learned how to implement different elements into a graph. What I found difficult was typing spanish and trying my best to be efficient. Having to have the work typed out correctly definitely tested my efficiency as I did need to go back and check a good bit of the work but I got better as time went on. Talking with some of the 5 coworkers here in the office it was difficult as only two had workers spoke english. One was Rocio, my boss. She is studying english so it was good that we could talk and both of us could understand each other. Where this got difficult was if Rocio assistant would assign me work it was hard to fully understand so it took time to get it out. As time went on and I felt better about myself in my placement it was easier to talk and get work done. Overall the whole experience has lifted my confidence. My placement here has really given me an understanding of how important different aspects of my current course is. I can take from this experience the want to work hard and get into my career area, as well as experience more in different sectors of IT work. Thanks to Leargas and GTI who have giving me this opportunity.
Ceuta is a place where there is not a lot of English speaking people at all so it was difficult starting off here working and just being in Ceuta. Any student going on an experience out of ireland with a different language should take full part in all available classes and just study the basics so you're not left in a difficult position. In regards to living in a new country, I live on my own at home for the last two years so i'm used to doing my own things and getting by just fine. Out here in Ceuta I felt that I wasn't as relaxed as I would be at home as it's a different country and there is a lot you need to take into consideration. After the three weeks and getting to know Ceuta and a lot of people it got better. My placement in the town hall of Ceuta consisted of updating records to be entered and graphics to be shown on data that were given to me by my co-worker. I feel after getting used to a Spanish keyboard layout my efficiency and knowledge has improved immensely and I have a better understanding of the software and have learned how to implement different elements into a graph. What I found difficult was typing spanish and trying my best to be efficient. Having to have the work typed out correctly definitely tested my efficiency as I did need to go back and check a good bit of the work but I got better as time went on. Talking with some of the 5 coworkers here in the office it was difficult as only two had workers spoke english. One was Rocio, my boss. She is studying english so it was good that we could talk and both of us could understand each other. Where this got difficult was if Rocio assistant would assign me work it was hard to fully understand so it took time to get it out. As time went on and I felt better about myself in my placement it was easier to talk and get work done. Overall the whole experience has lifted my confidence. My placement here has really given me an understanding of how important different aspects of my current course is. I can take from this experience the want to work hard and get into my career area, as well as experience more in different sectors of IT work. Thanks to Leargas and GTI who have giving me this opportunity.
My work placement in Ceuta has been a huge learning curve. I have worked on issues that I have never dealt with before, and worked with people I have never met and made many new friends. Working independently has definitely yielded some unexpected results. I feel more confident in my own work, can perform tasks with increased efficiency and I know now how a typical workplace operates daily as well as learning how to communicate in different ways with my colleagues regardless of the language barrier.
The overall experience was a stepping stone, not only will it without a doubt enhance my future job possibilities, but also allow me to translate what I've learned during this experience into the workplace. I was very happy with the placement and, while the work was not completely identical to my course, I developed new skills, learned new methods and met some great people. I'm very grateful to be given the chance to participate in such a program and if given the opportunity would again.
The overall experience was a stepping stone, not only will it without a doubt enhance my future job possibilities, but also allow me to translate what I've learned during this experience into the workplace. I was very happy with the placement and, while the work was not completely identical to my course, I developed new skills, learned new methods and met some great people. I'm very grateful to be given the chance to participate in such a program and if given the opportunity would again.
I really enjoyed a lot of things during this work placement. I loved the weather, the people, the shops and the food. I like the way Siesta is an actual thing that the people adhered to it. It was nice to have a break during the day. I learned a lot of new things on this trip but one thing that I will take with me forever is the importance of good communication skills. I have begun to find it easier to communicate with people I do not speak the same language as. Work skills in general have also improved on, whether it be punctuality for work or actually computer skills, this work placement has helped a lot in those areas. When I came here I expected to be completely shocked by the culture, but it was all something I have seen before, apart from siesta and how late they have dinner so I found it easier to settle in.
I am also very thankful for being chosen to have this great experience. I have met some great people and this will certainly help me in the future when I begin job hunting in this sector of work. This trip has also prepared me for the future, if I ever have to work abroad I will be better prepared than I ever would be had I not gone on this work placement. I personally think the Erasmus+ is a great project and I hope Leargas keep funding it. I want to say thanks to Leargas and all in the European Commission,GTI, John, Paul, Ashley, Manuel and Javier for making this an enjoyable trip. I'd do it all again.
I am also very thankful for being chosen to have this great experience. I have met some great people and this will certainly help me in the future when I begin job hunting in this sector of work. This trip has also prepared me for the future, if I ever have to work abroad I will be better prepared than I ever would be had I not gone on this work placement. I personally think the Erasmus+ is a great project and I hope Leargas keep funding it. I want to say thanks to Leargas and all in the European Commission,GTI, John, Paul, Ashley, Manuel and Javier for making this an enjoyable trip. I'd do it all again.
My Erasmus+ experience is one I will cherish and remember for life. It was an amazing opportunity and the experience that I got from the program is invaluable. Krakow is one of the best cities i have ever had the pleasure of visiting. One of my main fears going to Krakow was the language barrier and I believed this would be an area I would have problems with, but after the first few days in Krakow I was very impressed to see that the vast majority spoke perfect english and again enhanced my experience.
My work placement in Krakow was again very helpful and fulfilling, and I was given the opportunity to learn about different parts of the IT sector that I was not knowledgeable in before. I was given the opportunity to work independently and was able to enhance many skills related to my course and what I want to do in the future.
Krakow has benefited me both technically and socially through our time there. I've learned how to live and cohabit in a foreign city and workplace. I have learned a lot about myself and how I can push myself out of my comfort zone and experience more things i'm not used to doing. I can't properly explain how much I would recommend this to future students thinking of applying for this program, just go for it. I guarantee you won't have any regrets and you will have a great experience,
My work placement in Krakow was again very helpful and fulfilling, and I was given the opportunity to learn about different parts of the IT sector that I was not knowledgeable in before. I was given the opportunity to work independently and was able to enhance many skills related to my course and what I want to do in the future.
Krakow has benefited me both technically and socially through our time there. I've learned how to live and cohabit in a foreign city and workplace. I have learned a lot about myself and how I can push myself out of my comfort zone and experience more things i'm not used to doing. I can't properly explain how much I would recommend this to future students thinking of applying for this program, just go for it. I guarantee you won't have any regrets and you will have a great experience,
These three weeks flew by. I just began to settle in to Krakow and it’s time to go home. I really enjoyed these three weeks of my work placement. The company I work in is called MAN Digital in Hubraum, Krakow. This company is a marketing company, which deals with businesses, especially startups across europe including Ireland and some parts of asia. My role in the company was to create social website accounts and interlink them together. I had to do a course for the first week, which I really enjoyed a lot. During my duration here in this company, there were two big events on. Many well known professionals from all over europe were here. You have to prepare one year for this event. Small startups came with their ideas and products as well as representatives from companies like cisco, intel and many more...Other than my working experience, I enjoyed the historical side of Krakow. I heard about St. Mary's Basilica, but now I can say that I went inside it. It was truly beautiful. Most of all I loved Old Town, Krakow. It was lethal, beautiful during nights, when the basilica and towers and fountains were all lit up. There’s something beautiful hidden in Krakow, which most tourists won’t even know about. That is the Quarry. It’s such a beautiful view from high tops. Groups went rock climbing there and just chilling on mountains with the most amazing view in front of you. Evan and I went segwaying for the first time with the tour, and that’s how I got to know about the Quarry. There’s one thing I would love to bring back to Ireland but unfortunately I can’t….that is the weather. It’s only May and it’s 28 degrees. From my work placement, I have gained a lot of confidence. I learned so many new skills, both personal and technological. I believe I would have a higher chance of getting a job, when employers see Erasmus + on it and when they see that I have gone abroad to work in an I.T company. Most importantly, I made contacts from my work placement, which would be very very beneficial in the future. Many were from outside Poland because of the two big events, but I managed to get some contacts from Poland too. Overall I really loved it, both the working and cultural experience of Krakow. I will love to come here again next summer for my holidays.
The experience in Krakow has been an amazing one. It was very different to anything I have experienced before. I feel very lucky that I was given the chance to go abroad and experience short term living and working abroad and to see what the culture was like in Krakow. Everyone in the company where I worked was extremely friendly and very helpful. When I arrived in the work placement I had to learn a new coding language which was a challenge. It took me a long time to get my head around it, but after some trial and error I got the hang of it. At the beginning I thought understanding Polish and getting around would be difficult but that was overcome easily just by learning a few simple words and phrases even at some points we were able to speak fully in polish.
Overall this experience has been one of the best things I have done. Between the beautiful scenery and astounding buildings in Krakow it is an amazing place to experience. The people that I worked with are some of the friendliest and helpful people I've ever met and i'm very grateful to be given the opportunity to have gone on this trip to Krakow.
Overall this experience has been one of the best things I have done. Between the beautiful scenery and astounding buildings in Krakow it is an amazing place to experience. The people that I worked with are some of the friendliest and helpful people I've ever met and i'm very grateful to be given the opportunity to have gone on this trip to Krakow.
The 3 weeks of Erasmus+ placement working in Sharptec(GymManager Solution) at Krakow was my first time working in the developed area and it was really productive for me. I learned a new programming language (C sharp), a new framework (.NET) , a new IDE(Visual Studio 2015), automated testing tools for visual studio and I got the chance to develop my skills in programming, team working, problem solving, communication , language and generally being professional. The work started with the introduction to the programming language C sharp after this we got to solve the problem of giving change with 1,2 and 5 slot coins, with this task I learned how to use the language and how to use the IDE and the .NET framework. After that we learn how to automatise using Microsoft official information, working as a team and ending with a presentation of all the work done. The Sharptec team was happy with our result and this will help the company in the future.
Living in Poland was a great experience. We learned to adapt to a totally new culture and adapt to different living rules. The city of Krakow is one of the places where the western culture was created so it has plenty of history and places to visit. There are around 15 museums in city, natural reserves, historic places and more. After this 3 weeks I have done my first step in the IT area and it was done in the right way. Overall I can find nothing negative to say and I am grateful to have had this great opportunity.
Living in Poland was a great experience. We learned to adapt to a totally new culture and adapt to different living rules. The city of Krakow is one of the places where the western culture was created so it has plenty of history and places to visit. There are around 15 museums in city, natural reserves, historic places and more. After this 3 weeks I have done my first step in the IT area and it was done in the right way. Overall I can find nothing negative to say and I am grateful to have had this great opportunity.