How I ended up at OneCoWork is a bit different from your usual route. So here’s the back story. Last year, I moved to Barcelona from Dallas, TX, to pursue my masters in Film Business and Production. You may be asking yourself: “Film Business and Production sounds cool, but what does that have to do with a coworking company?” Bear with me. I’m getting to that. Once I finished, I wanted to stay and get some experience on that field. Just like any of us how have experience the joys of job hunting, I sent applications and resumes to every internship available in the film industry. Radio silence. Nada. The time was running out on my student status, so if I wanted an internship I had to act QUICK.
Then, a light bulb went off in my head. I remembered my friend Fernanda, who had been an intern at OneCoWork and was always talking about how much she loved her internship. So I decided to call her up and asked who should I contact. Long story short, after a few interviews with Alex and Seb from people and happiness (HR), and Ray (marketing) I got the internship. Yes, there was a happy dance involved.
“They” were right. When I was in college I didn’t really take the time to be an intern anywhere, which I later regretted. The summers were for sleeping in, hanging out with friends, and late night pizza. Work experience? Psh! Who needs that? Umm… everybody! Word to the wise, friends, always find ways to apply what you have learned, continue learning, and be open to feedback. Even if it pays nothing, or close to nothing, you will learn invaluable things for your professional and personal life. I happened to do this backwards. Kind of like Robert De Niro on “The Intern”. Since I didn’t do any internships in my 20’s, I’ve checked that off my list now that I’m in my 30’s, but it was a very rewarding experience nonetheless. “Experience never gets old,” they say.
The truth is that I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know if the cliché idea of an intern was true. You know – making coffee runs, picking up dry cleaning for the boss, picking up their lunch… Everything that seems to come with the territory of being at the bottom of the food chain. I don’t know if that’s true anywhere else, but I’m happy to inform you that that is not the case here. Let’s start with the fact that from the moment I walked through the door, I felt welcomed. Everyone was incredibly nice and friendly (they still are). I love the fact that there is such a diverse environment. It was quite incredible to be able to be in close contact with people from so many different places, backgrounds, and professions – members and staff alike. It’s the beauty of a coworking space. When you’re an expat and home is thousands of miles away, you can find comfort in knowing that there are other people that know what is like to be away from home, and often life-long friendships are born from it.
My internship was in the marketing department as a social media manager. My background is in Marketing and Graphic Design which, of course, was very helpful. As a millenial, you are wired to know at least the basics of how social media work. At my previous job, I used to design ads and posts for social media, but designing them was the extent of it. I had no idea how complex it can be when you’re using it as a marketing tool. I learned so many things regarding social media during this internship that will for sure come in handy in the future. I’m a true millennial now!
I worked with Ray, who by the way is a published author now, and you should check out his book “Golden Boy” #ShamelessAd. He’s incredibly talented, witty, and an absolute dream to work with. If you are a creative person and work, or have worked in a creative environment you know how important it is to have creative liberty. At my previous job I didn’t have that, so coming here where my voice was heard, my ideas were not only welcomed but encouraged was a delightful change of pace. During my time at OCW, I had the chance to take on several different projects ranging from creating and scheduling content on different social media channels, creating strategies for all marketing areas, designing the template and creating weekly content for the newsletter (you should sign up for it if you haven’t!), creating different campaigns like the “Refer a Friend” campaign (you can enjoy this wonderful work of art displayed on the screens, kitchens, elevators, and while you do your business. Where you go, we go), video content among many other things. I had SO.MUCH.FUN working on every single one of these projects. However, my favorite one is a video series that unfortunately I didn’t have time to complete, but I trust Ray will do it justice and the final results will be mind-blowing. You will want to stay tuned for this one. I promise you will enjoy it.
(construction but make it fashion)
The months I spent at OCW as an intern never felt like work.You know that super overused quote that goes something like this “Find something that you love to do, and you will never have to work in your life.” Well, let me tell you that it’s true. Every morning I would wake up excited to go into the office because it never felt like 1. An office 2. Work. Choose from three absolutely beautiful offices to work from? Flip a coin! (although my favorite one is Catedral), Feeling under the weather? Work from home!, Dogs at work? We have plenty!, Work with a view? You got it!. How many internships have you done that you have all these perks and more? My guess? Not many. Most importantly, having a team that supports you, encourages you, helps you grow, and most of all values you… you can’t put a price on that.
The downside? Well, every beginning has an end, just like anything else in life, and my time at OneCoWork has unfortunately come to an end. It was a fantastic summer. One of the best for sure. I learned a lot about many different things – marketing and non-marketing related. I made friends that I’m positive will last a lifetime, networked, improved my craft, took risks and grew – professionally and personally. I’m not good at goodbyes. Who is, really? So, I’m just going to leave you with this – Working at OneCoWork has been one of the most positive experiences I’ve had in my professional life, and I encourage anyone who is looking for an internship in Barcelona to intern here. And to my OCW family, THANK YOU. Thank you for the opportunity, the experience, the support, the memories, the laughs, the afterworks, and everything in between. I’ll see you soon.
That’s all for now. I hope you enjoyed reading my last blog.
Nat– out!
Back to your regular programming, folks!
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