On reflection of my experience working in Tenerife on the Erasmus+ program I feel I developed new working skills such as working in new environments where English is not the primary language and also using other forms of communication such as hand gestures, body language. These skills are not only essential in an environment where language is a problem but are also great skills to have acquired for everyday work.I learned that the simplest tasks were very important as they added to the overall look of the pieces that we were making. In order to complete these tasks, teamwork was also an essential element in order to be productive each working day of our placement.
In terms of the cultural aspect of the trip it was very interesting to see how that , even though the island of Tenerife was closer to Africa than Spain, the highest percentage of the population were of Spanish decent. This played a huge part in the cultural aspect of the island in terms of the language, cuisine, and also music and dance. In being there for nearly a month we had the opportunity see that culture is very important to the people and it was something they take great pride in. One of many things I could not recommend more was the food. It was for the majority, high quality, well made and very cheap. You could eat all your meals for the day in a restaurant for under 20 euro. The dancing on a night out was amazing also. Everyone could dance, both male and female, and it was taken very seriously. I found this a great way to meet new people and it helped me to interact with people we met at work because it was a bit of fun watching the Irish girl trying to dance.
This opportunity was "the making of me" in my dads words. Not only did I acquire new skills to incorporate in the work place, I have also developed the skills I already had and I am now more confident in using them for different purposes. Skills such as my communication skills, my ability to complete a task and adapt to my working environment, and most importantly how to work well as a team, utilising the skills of each member to the best of our ability. I am more confident in my independence and I am more certain that I am able to be responsible for myself. This experience has showed me that I am capable of living with people which is very important. Being in a new surrounding did not phase me as much as I expected it to. It pushed me to put myself out there and be confident in my social skills. This was a great help in meeting new people when we went out and making friends at work, which I feel I will always have connections with and would love to go back and visit or work in future.
This opportunity not only gave me more confidence and has been a great experience, but overall one of the best things is that this experience adds to my employability, as it is fantastic to have on my CV. At the end of the day I have a certificate and experience in the line of work that I hope to enter in future and this placement has already given me a kick start on this pathway.
In terms of the cultural aspect of the trip it was very interesting to see how that , even though the island of Tenerife was closer to Africa than Spain, the highest percentage of the population were of Spanish decent. This played a huge part in the cultural aspect of the island in terms of the language, cuisine, and also music and dance. In being there for nearly a month we had the opportunity see that culture is very important to the people and it was something they take great pride in. One of many things I could not recommend more was the food. It was for the majority, high quality, well made and very cheap. You could eat all your meals for the day in a restaurant for under 20 euro. The dancing on a night out was amazing also. Everyone could dance, both male and female, and it was taken very seriously. I found this a great way to meet new people and it helped me to interact with people we met at work because it was a bit of fun watching the Irish girl trying to dance.
This opportunity was "the making of me" in my dads words. Not only did I acquire new skills to incorporate in the work place, I have also developed the skills I already had and I am now more confident in using them for different purposes. Skills such as my communication skills, my ability to complete a task and adapt to my working environment, and most importantly how to work well as a team, utilising the skills of each member to the best of our ability. I am more confident in my independence and I am more certain that I am able to be responsible for myself. This experience has showed me that I am capable of living with people which is very important. Being in a new surrounding did not phase me as much as I expected it to. It pushed me to put myself out there and be confident in my social skills. This was a great help in meeting new people when we went out and making friends at work, which I feel I will always have connections with and would love to go back and visit or work in future.
This opportunity not only gave me more confidence and has been a great experience, but overall one of the best things is that this experience adds to my employability, as it is fantastic to have on my CV. At the end of the day I have a certificate and experience in the line of work that I hope to enter in future and this placement has already given me a kick start on this pathway.
The Erasmus+ was everything and more than I could have ever imagined it to be. Working for Santi has been one of the best experiences I have ever undertaken. It was amazing to see something spectacular come together and be a part of the making process. It was inspiring to watch Santi and his team work, and it made me think that creating these amazing costumes is possible. The level of organisation and commitment was truly amazing. It taught me a lot about how to visualise a big picture and break it down into smaller pieces so that it is very manageable.
Santi along with his colleagues and family welcomed us wholeheartedly despite the language barrier. We managed to build on our Spanish a little bit and it has only encouraged me to look into getting more Spanish lessons in the future. Every evening at work we got to experience traditional Spanish cuisine, which Santi’s wife Luci had made for us. It was also nice to dine out on occasion and experience the cultural cuisine there. In my spare time, I thoroughly enjoyed going for long walks and taking in the scenery. It was truly breath-taking and completely different to what we have in Ireland. The sand on the beaches were black apart from one which had sand imported from the Sahara Desert - how decadent!
This experience also allowed us to meet new people and learn about their culture. There were three other Swedish girls who were on an Erasmus+ placement also. We all became friends and it was really interesting to speak with them about their language and the cultural differences between Ireland, Spain and Sweden. Since returning home, I have stayed in touch with the Swedish girls and Santi and his family. Beautiful friendships were established on our short trip away but the memories will last forever. This experience has been great for me and I know on its completion it'll be very beneficial to have on my CV for future employers, both abroad and at home.
Santi along with his colleagues and family welcomed us wholeheartedly despite the language barrier. We managed to build on our Spanish a little bit and it has only encouraged me to look into getting more Spanish lessons in the future. Every evening at work we got to experience traditional Spanish cuisine, which Santi’s wife Luci had made for us. It was also nice to dine out on occasion and experience the cultural cuisine there. In my spare time, I thoroughly enjoyed going for long walks and taking in the scenery. It was truly breath-taking and completely different to what we have in Ireland. The sand on the beaches were black apart from one which had sand imported from the Sahara Desert - how decadent!
This experience also allowed us to meet new people and learn about their culture. There were three other Swedish girls who were on an Erasmus+ placement also. We all became friends and it was really interesting to speak with them about their language and the cultural differences between Ireland, Spain and Sweden. Since returning home, I have stayed in touch with the Swedish girls and Santi and his family. Beautiful friendships were established on our short trip away but the memories will last forever. This experience has been great for me and I know on its completion it'll be very beneficial to have on my CV for future employers, both abroad and at home.
When we first arrived at our location for our work placement, I had my reservations about how easy it would be to communicate with my colleagues. After the first day I was relieved to find that it was only as difficult as you make it. The people we worked with were extremely friendly and went out of there way to not only communicate in relation to work, but showed a huge interest in us and our culture. This was beneficial to us and to them. We learned a huge amount from them about their culture, life and history. This introduction to our placement quickly showed me how much I would learn.
The communication skills I have learned are what will stand to me more than anything else. I have learned how to communicate within the restrictions of a language barrier. It has given me great confidence in communicating with people who do not necessarily speak English and I think this is going to be a skill that will stand to me in the future whether it be for work or on holidays. The culture in Tenerife to me seemed to be focused on working very hard but more importantly, to enjoy your free time. All of our work colleagues worked ridiculous hours and extremely hard on the preparation and creation of the extravagant costumes, but they also knew how to enjoy the glory at the end of winning the carnival. This also applied to any other people we met along the way.
I have learned that the work you put in is reflected in the rewards. More importantly I have learned that you can't always just work hard, you must enjoy yourself too. The more physical and hands on work that was entailed in our placement was as beneficial as any other skills we learned. We mostly used glue guns on the different parts of the costume and were taught by the other workers how to apply different materials in a variety of ways. This is something I really enjoyed as I do see myself as a hands on and creative person. Overall I think this trip has been the most beneficial part of any education I have been involved in. I hope to go back to Tenerife next year to take part in the work again because I enjoyed it so much.
The communication skills I have learned are what will stand to me more than anything else. I have learned how to communicate within the restrictions of a language barrier. It has given me great confidence in communicating with people who do not necessarily speak English and I think this is going to be a skill that will stand to me in the future whether it be for work or on holidays. The culture in Tenerife to me seemed to be focused on working very hard but more importantly, to enjoy your free time. All of our work colleagues worked ridiculous hours and extremely hard on the preparation and creation of the extravagant costumes, but they also knew how to enjoy the glory at the end of winning the carnival. This also applied to any other people we met along the way.
I have learned that the work you put in is reflected in the rewards. More importantly I have learned that you can't always just work hard, you must enjoy yourself too. The more physical and hands on work that was entailed in our placement was as beneficial as any other skills we learned. We mostly used glue guns on the different parts of the costume and were taught by the other workers how to apply different materials in a variety of ways. This is something I really enjoyed as I do see myself as a hands on and creative person. Overall I think this trip has been the most beneficial part of any education I have been involved in. I hope to go back to Tenerife next year to take part in the work again because I enjoyed it so much.
The opportunity to work abroad for 3.5 weeks was incredibly beneficial to me in developing skills in managing and running a creative workspace as well as new methods of costume design and creation. The areas I felt were most beneficial to me in terms of learning related to: management of a workspace; organisation of a workspace; recycling of materials, and ensuring that people with the requisite skills and motivation are working on my team.
Our creative director Santi Castro had a very clear map in his mind of the work that needed to be completed and the order in which it needed to be completed. As such he was direct and clear in the instructions he gave us. I was at no time idle or waiting for a task to be finished by others before I could start. Overall, the workspace and materials were very well organised. Every evening we cleaned up the workspace to a high standard and made sure that everything was back in the place it should be. All of the materials and resources needed for making the costumes were on-hand which saved a lot of time-wasting.
The budget for this very ambitious project is low so therefore it is necessary to reuse materials from previous year’s costumes. It was made clear to everyone that materials needed to be reused so we prepped materials where necessary for reuse (example: we painted the back of gem stones with clear nail polish so that the removal of glue from them would not damage the back of the gem) or we were conscious of how our assembly of the piece would affect disassembly (example: we were less liberal with our use of silicone on certain pieces which needed to be taken apart and reused). Santi required the work to be finished to a high standard so requested a team which had necessary skills and attention to detail. The core team gelled well and worked well together. Santi ensured that the team took regular breaks, and provided everyone with refreshments and food. He worked from the ethos that a happy, well looked after workforce is generally more hard working and productive. His team included a lot of family friends who were incredibly supportive of his endeavours and went above and beyond to realise his creative dream.
Our creative director Santi Castro had a very clear map in his mind of the work that needed to be completed and the order in which it needed to be completed. As such he was direct and clear in the instructions he gave us. I was at no time idle or waiting for a task to be finished by others before I could start. Overall, the workspace and materials were very well organised. Every evening we cleaned up the workspace to a high standard and made sure that everything was back in the place it should be. All of the materials and resources needed for making the costumes were on-hand which saved a lot of time-wasting.
The budget for this very ambitious project is low so therefore it is necessary to reuse materials from previous year’s costumes. It was made clear to everyone that materials needed to be reused so we prepped materials where necessary for reuse (example: we painted the back of gem stones with clear nail polish so that the removal of glue from them would not damage the back of the gem) or we were conscious of how our assembly of the piece would affect disassembly (example: we were less liberal with our use of silicone on certain pieces which needed to be taken apart and reused). Santi required the work to be finished to a high standard so requested a team which had necessary skills and attention to detail. The core team gelled well and worked well together. Santi ensured that the team took regular breaks, and provided everyone with refreshments and food. He worked from the ethos that a happy, well looked after workforce is generally more hard working and productive. His team included a lot of family friends who were incredibly supportive of his endeavours and went above and beyond to realise his creative dream.
After the interview and information meeting I thought I was well informed about what to expect in terms of my journey and the experience ahead in Tenerife... I couldn’t truly imagine what was ahead of me though. I learned so much on the Erasmus+ programme. I learned how to speak a little Spanish, as well as Swedish because there were girls from Sweden working with us at Santi’s workshop. From doing our shopping and speaking Spanish, to catching trains and the buses to work and even sometimes ordering our food in Spanish. I also made new friends with the girls from Sweden and learned a lot about new cultures.
In terms of learning new skills, Santi taught us that it is essential to be organised and have a clear vision when manufacturing an item. He is an exceptional leader and I feel that he really got me personally on side when he told us that it’s ok to make mistakes. This gave me the confidence to overcome any anxiety that I had in relation to making errors. Making a costume was something I had not done before and it did not take our group long to commit ourselves to the task at hand. It was a fantastic experience to be part of- a team focused on the same goal. Working abroad was not a new experience to me, as I have worked in America and England, but I feel that it was a better overall experience. It was very well organised and I loved the opportunity to live and work with new people. I actually enjoyed the closeness of Santi’s team as we were like part of a family, and he called us 'Santi’s Angels'.
It was such a brilliant experience and I would recommend anyone who is in the position to apply for this programme, as it has changed my opportunities in getting a job in the future. I have grown in confidence as a result. The other countries I worked in previously were English speaking and to have the opportunity to live and work in Santa Cruz has made me much more independent. Going on the Erasmus+ placement has helped me to focus on my goals and given me the confidence to know I will succeed if I have a plan. It is really a win-win situation, I gained a lot of new skills in making a costume, and even though it was challenging at times it gave me a new insight into the fashion industry.
In terms of learning new skills, Santi taught us that it is essential to be organised and have a clear vision when manufacturing an item. He is an exceptional leader and I feel that he really got me personally on side when he told us that it’s ok to make mistakes. This gave me the confidence to overcome any anxiety that I had in relation to making errors. Making a costume was something I had not done before and it did not take our group long to commit ourselves to the task at hand. It was a fantastic experience to be part of- a team focused on the same goal. Working abroad was not a new experience to me, as I have worked in America and England, but I feel that it was a better overall experience. It was very well organised and I loved the opportunity to live and work with new people. I actually enjoyed the closeness of Santi’s team as we were like part of a family, and he called us 'Santi’s Angels'.
It was such a brilliant experience and I would recommend anyone who is in the position to apply for this programme, as it has changed my opportunities in getting a job in the future. I have grown in confidence as a result. The other countries I worked in previously were English speaking and to have the opportunity to live and work in Santa Cruz has made me much more independent. Going on the Erasmus+ placement has helped me to focus on my goals and given me the confidence to know I will succeed if I have a plan. It is really a win-win situation, I gained a lot of new skills in making a costume, and even though it was challenging at times it gave me a new insight into the fashion industry.
My Erasmus+ experience was one I will never forget. In the beginning I was a bit sceptical about the placement because I didn’t know any of the other girls going and I hadn’t studied french in school. Although I had my doubts I wasn’t going to turn down such an amazing opportunity. I was lucky enough to work in two places with different working environments. I was first placed in a boutique and tea room for two weeks but it was closing for renovations on the third week so I was sent to United Colours of Benetton. I learned a variety of different skills from stock taking to interacting with clients. I built amazing relationships with both of my bosses and I was also offered a year internship and I am truly grateful to have made these connections. They were very understanding that I did not know much french and they took the time to teach me basic words and phrases to help me interact with customers. Although it would be impossible to be fluent after three weeks, I definitely have a new found hunger to learn french.
This whole experience has made me grow as a person and I feel that I have a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. I was very surprised about how well I got on, that I have booked a month working abroad this summer. It is a great experience to have on my cv and I know this will stand to me when I am applying for a job in the future. When we were not working we got the chance to explore France and socialise with the locals. We used some of our spending money to go paragliding and we would not have been able to do so without the bursary . Overall it was a very positive experience for me and I can't express how grateful I am to have been given the opportunity.
This whole experience has made me grow as a person and I feel that I have a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. I was very surprised about how well I got on, that I have booked a month working abroad this summer. It is a great experience to have on my cv and I know this will stand to me when I am applying for a job in the future. When we were not working we got the chance to explore France and socialise with the locals. We used some of our spending money to go paragliding and we would not have been able to do so without the bursary . Overall it was a very positive experience for me and I can't express how grateful I am to have been given the opportunity.
I have benefited greatly from completing this Erasmus+ placement programme. Firstly I would like to point out that my knowledge of the French language has improved greatly. The French classes we took before leaving helped with my understanding of both the French language and culture. Upon arriving in Grenoble, I had to use what we learned and put it into action. My confidence grew every day and I was soon able to communicate with people without feeling nervous and embarrassed.
This trip also enhanced my independence. The many challenges that I encountered I was able to solve by myself, and as a result my confidence grew greatly. I feel that because of this programme, I can adapt to any environment. It has given me the self assurance and enthusiasm I need to work abroad over the summer. If I did not undertake this programme, I would be very uncertain about working abroad and perhaps not commit. As I was working in a store, I have acquired invaluable retail experience and professional skills. I know these skills would be transferable to the fashion retail industry and I believe that I am more employable after completing this programme.
I have dealt with and overcame many fears, not only professionally but personally also. It has definitely made me a stronger person and I imagine that I can take on many other challenges that scare me. During the three weeks in Grenoble I made new friends and we worked well as a team where I also explored the French culture to which I found very interesting and fun. Overall I think the Erasmus programme was greatly beneficial to me. It has certainly afforded me the opportunity to enhance my flare for fashion and helped me develop an idea of my future career.
This trip also enhanced my independence. The many challenges that I encountered I was able to solve by myself, and as a result my confidence grew greatly. I feel that because of this programme, I can adapt to any environment. It has given me the self assurance and enthusiasm I need to work abroad over the summer. If I did not undertake this programme, I would be very uncertain about working abroad and perhaps not commit. As I was working in a store, I have acquired invaluable retail experience and professional skills. I know these skills would be transferable to the fashion retail industry and I believe that I am more employable after completing this programme.
I have dealt with and overcame many fears, not only professionally but personally also. It has definitely made me a stronger person and I imagine that I can take on many other challenges that scare me. During the three weeks in Grenoble I made new friends and we worked well as a team where I also explored the French culture to which I found very interesting and fun. Overall I think the Erasmus programme was greatly beneficial to me. It has certainly afforded me the opportunity to enhance my flare for fashion and helped me develop an idea of my future career.
I am happy to reflect on my time of placement in Grenoble as it was such an enjoyable time. Working and living abroad was a very new experience for me. I feel like after just three weeks of placement that I have grown in my confidence in new situations and in my independence, so working abroad or in a new environment is a fun prospect rather than a scary one from now on.
I have learned many new skills within the retail environment. I have learned how to communicate with my co-workers who had little English, working on a foreign till system and retail technology, learning the ins and outs of stock organisation/ rotation, communicating efficiently with customers in order to make sales, visual merchandising and working symbiotically within a team.
These skills as well as my confidence within a new environment will really enhance my job application and opportunities as I can prove myself efficiently in a retail job and I feel that I can adapt to new and different situations independently. I will continue to improve these professional skills within my career because of my confidence and success of my work placement abroad. I was surprised by my personal development abroad also. Such as simply navigating my way through a new place, making new friends, being myself confidently outside of my home environment, living independently, embracing and respecting a new culture and meeting new people.
It was such an enjoyable experience and surpassed all my expectations. I would implore any students to embrace an Erasmus+ placement such as this if they ever get the opportunity.
I have learned many new skills within the retail environment. I have learned how to communicate with my co-workers who had little English, working on a foreign till system and retail technology, learning the ins and outs of stock organisation/ rotation, communicating efficiently with customers in order to make sales, visual merchandising and working symbiotically within a team.
These skills as well as my confidence within a new environment will really enhance my job application and opportunities as I can prove myself efficiently in a retail job and I feel that I can adapt to new and different situations independently. I will continue to improve these professional skills within my career because of my confidence and success of my work placement abroad. I was surprised by my personal development abroad also. Such as simply navigating my way through a new place, making new friends, being myself confidently outside of my home environment, living independently, embracing and respecting a new culture and meeting new people.
It was such an enjoyable experience and surpassed all my expectations. I would implore any students to embrace an Erasmus+ placement such as this if they ever get the opportunity.
Overall my reflection of my Erasmus+ placement, working abroad, was that it was a huge success and I am very grateful that I got the opportunity to do this experience for 3 weeks. I got to experience and work in a new country which was a new experience for me. I also experienced a new culture that I didn't know about and I learnt so much about a new language also. This placement opportunity has most definitely helped me in developing confidence after spending 3 weeks abroad working in a new environment which makes me feel like I can take on new challenges and I also feel like I can go anywhere in the world and work even if there is a language barrier. This opportunity has allowed me to improve my communication skills so much. This placement opportunity will also be noteworthy on my cv and hopefully will stand out from the crowd and enhance my job applications in the future for new jobs.
My experience in Grenoble was amazing. Financially, I would never have been able to have the experience that I had in France, but thanks to the Erasmus Programme I was able to experience such a placement. I haven’t had much work experience and because of that I don’t have any references and therefore have never been able to get even a little summer job. Now that I have this placement completed, and having went abroad on my cv for work experience is a great thing to have and will benefits me greatly in the future.
I am a very independent person but I am never able express this in Ireland because I am very socially awkward and don’t like to be in a place alone or be in big crowds. Being in another country for nearly a month has improved that. The fact that I didn’t know anyone and
after this experience I will probably never see them again, It was a big confidence boost to be able to interact with new people that I didnt know previously. I love the French language and studied it for 3 years in school but after I dropped out I was never able to continue or improve on it. Being in France really refreshed my memory and taught me a lot more. While working in Ultimate Gliss (sports shop) I mostly worked on the computers, I was working on the online registration for the web site. I can do the basics on computers but using a website was a hole different world for me and if I ever decided to set up one of my own I now have the experience and skill to be able to do it myself. Overall, I would definitely advise anyone to take up an Erasmus placement.
I am a very independent person but I am never able express this in Ireland because I am very socially awkward and don’t like to be in a place alone or be in big crowds. Being in another country for nearly a month has improved that. The fact that I didn’t know anyone and
after this experience I will probably never see them again, It was a big confidence boost to be able to interact with new people that I didnt know previously. I love the French language and studied it for 3 years in school but after I dropped out I was never able to continue or improve on it. Being in France really refreshed my memory and taught me a lot more. While working in Ultimate Gliss (sports shop) I mostly worked on the computers, I was working on the online registration for the web site. I can do the basics on computers but using a website was a hole different world for me and if I ever decided to set up one of my own I now have the experience and skill to be able to do it myself. Overall, I would definitely advise anyone to take up an Erasmus placement.
Having completed three week’s work placement in Grenoble France, I can honestly say it was one my best experiences to date. I was very excited when I was given the opportunity to go and the language lessons previous to the trip were really beneficial. I had not studied a language since Junior Cert, and I had wanted to take up French as a second language for a while and this gave me the opportunity and motivation to take it seriously.
I had done some retail work in Ireland previous to the placement and as I was pursuing dressmaking as a career I was a bit apprehensive as to what I could gain from retail work but I was happily surprised with the work and skills I gained during my placement. I got to really take part in the running of the business and I really improved on my computer skills, using retail management systems I had no knowledge of previously. I got great understanding into the running of a business and as someone who hopes to run their own fashion label one day it was incredible to get that insight.
I was quite reserved in communicating in French during my first few days but my colleagues were so helpful and accommodating, we would have great fun role playing work related scenarios in French to help me work with customers. I exchanged contacts with some of my work colleagues and I will definitely be returning to visit them. Grenoble is an amazingly beautiful city and the people were friendly not at all like the stereotypical rude people that I was led to believe previously. Working in a new country really lets you experience a culture that you just can’t get from being just a tourist. I am delighted to add my Erasmus work experience to my cv. The skills I have learned, now having a second language and to show that I have the adaptability and confidence to work in new environments will greatly enhance my future employment opportunities.
I had done some retail work in Ireland previous to the placement and as I was pursuing dressmaking as a career I was a bit apprehensive as to what I could gain from retail work but I was happily surprised with the work and skills I gained during my placement. I got to really take part in the running of the business and I really improved on my computer skills, using retail management systems I had no knowledge of previously. I got great understanding into the running of a business and as someone who hopes to run their own fashion label one day it was incredible to get that insight.
I was quite reserved in communicating in French during my first few days but my colleagues were so helpful and accommodating, we would have great fun role playing work related scenarios in French to help me work with customers. I exchanged contacts with some of my work colleagues and I will definitely be returning to visit them. Grenoble is an amazingly beautiful city and the people were friendly not at all like the stereotypical rude people that I was led to believe previously. Working in a new country really lets you experience a culture that you just can’t get from being just a tourist. I am delighted to add my Erasmus work experience to my cv. The skills I have learned, now having a second language and to show that I have the adaptability and confidence to work in new environments will greatly enhance my future employment opportunities.
I very much appreciate the opportunity to go on the Erasmus+ Placement to Tenerife. I experienced how easy it is to work abroad, its all in the planning, and other countries are not much different from our own, except for the language and weather. This placement has helped me to realise that travelling and working abroad isn’t impossible to do now that I have seen that it is such a great opportunity. I now have the confidence to apply for any job in within fashion sector without feeling intimidated. I realised that I can start work at any age as my colleague on my placement was 62 years of age and working right up until retirement and she looks great.
I have had the opportunity to speak to customers from other cultures, also working with and communicating with my Spanish colleagues. I found it fascinating how most of the Spanish people knew so many languages including English. I made some really nice friends also. My work experience was extremely beneficial overall and I learned how to work in and maintain a high class boutique shop. My boss could see areas that I needed to improve on and he would point them out to me which I very much appreciated. This experience has been life changing for me, as now I know I have a great future ahead with so many opportunities opening up for me. Thank you so much.
I have had the opportunity to speak to customers from other cultures, also working with and communicating with my Spanish colleagues. I found it fascinating how most of the Spanish people knew so many languages including English. I made some really nice friends also. My work experience was extremely beneficial overall and I learned how to work in and maintain a high class boutique shop. My boss could see areas that I needed to improve on and he would point them out to me which I very much appreciated. This experience has been life changing for me, as now I know I have a great future ahead with so many opportunities opening up for me. Thank you so much.
In terms of vocational skills I learned how to live away from home and budget my money as this is one of the longest times I have lived away from home. My language skills have come on immensely since being in Tenerife. At work I speak 6 hours of Spanish a day and also speak a little in shops and restaurants. I’d never speak this much Spanish at home and i've also been introduced to other languages as my colleagues are from all around the world. It fascinates me greatly to watch them converse with clients in such a variety of idioms. It’s definitely been a cultural eye opener for me.
Culturally I’ve learned a lot about Spanish humour and idiosyncrasies of Spaniards from both observation of my co-workers and the general public while walking to and from work and while at the beach. It amazes me how differently cultures and countries interact with each other and I find the Spanish refreshingly open and warm. My confidence has come on leaps and bounds through both having to talk to customers and through interacting with the Irish group I came with. Everyone had such different upbringings and life experiences yet most of us haven’t even hit 20 yet. I always love meeting new people and the friends I’ve made here have definitely made the experience so much better than I thought it was going to be. When I return home and update my CV to say I worked for a HUGO BOSS Boutique I will do it with such pride knowing how amazing this experience was and will look forward to my future endeavours in the fashion industry. Having previously worked in a retail area a lot different to the one I worked in in Tenerife, I feel my skills have improved as how to approach varied types of work. I’ve also learned further knowledge about the global fashion industry and different types of brands. The fact that I did this placement abroad will only help me further my career especially since I would like to continue to travel with my work. I am so forever grateful to have had this experience. To conclude I am delighted to have been chosen for a place on this unforgettable programme and only wish the best for any future students and hope that I can use this as a stepping stone to further my career abroad.
Culturally I’ve learned a lot about Spanish humour and idiosyncrasies of Spaniards from both observation of my co-workers and the general public while walking to and from work and while at the beach. It amazes me how differently cultures and countries interact with each other and I find the Spanish refreshingly open and warm. My confidence has come on leaps and bounds through both having to talk to customers and through interacting with the Irish group I came with. Everyone had such different upbringings and life experiences yet most of us haven’t even hit 20 yet. I always love meeting new people and the friends I’ve made here have definitely made the experience so much better than I thought it was going to be. When I return home and update my CV to say I worked for a HUGO BOSS Boutique I will do it with such pride knowing how amazing this experience was and will look forward to my future endeavours in the fashion industry. Having previously worked in a retail area a lot different to the one I worked in in Tenerife, I feel my skills have improved as how to approach varied types of work. I’ve also learned further knowledge about the global fashion industry and different types of brands. The fact that I did this placement abroad will only help me further my career especially since I would like to continue to travel with my work. I am so forever grateful to have had this experience. To conclude I am delighted to have been chosen for a place on this unforgettable programme and only wish the best for any future students and hope that I can use this as a stepping stone to further my career abroad.