Our apprentice on International Skilled Exchange in Valencia

Elischa, how did your stay abroad come along?
My supervisor Edita Dragolj asked me if I wanted to go abroad for a few weeks to work and gain new experiences. I was immediately enthusiastic and applied to the IFA association with the support of my company. There were several countries or cities to choose from as a destination. My first choice would have been a stay in Oslo, but my second wish – a stay in Valencia – worked out.

What was your arrival like – what was your daily routine?
I flew to Valencia with a group of apprentices from other German states. On site, we had a contact person called Damian, who looked after us, answered questions and took us to our accommodation. We were accommodated in single rooms in various shared flats. In the first week, all the apprentices attended a language course together – a crash course in Spanish, which was very demanding. My work assignment began as early as the second week. Damian accompanied me to my workplace and introduced me to my employer Juan Salvador Moragues Robledo from “coolgifts.store”, a web shop that sells gifts and gadgets. We immediately hit it off.

What tasks did your Spanish employer give you?
The maintenance of the web shop, for example. I was allowed to put new products online and manage the Facebook shop. I also helped him with search engine optimization (SEO) and made suggestions for improvements. I really enjoyed my tasks. The working atmosphere was great, the people in Spain are generally very relaxed, as far as I can tell. They showed me a lot of things and I was able to get to know a new online shop system with a user interface that I didn’t know before. I’m grateful for that, because I want to learn as much as possible during my apprenticeship so that I can get ahead in my job in the future.

How did you spend your free time – did you get to know the country and its residents?
Yes, definitely. I also made friends. I was out a lot: in the city, on the beach and I visited the village where, I was told, paella, the national dish, was “invented”. The locals are very open, you quickly strike up a conversation with them, whether you’re sitting in a bar or asking for directions on the street.

So can you recommend the exchange of professionals?
Absolutely, especially I would recommend it to young people who want to get out of their “comfort zone”. It’s a challenge to be on your own in a foreign country and have to fight your way through. My advice to anyone who wants to take this step abroad is: Show your best side and enjoy your time abroad, because you probably won’t experience it in this form a second time.

Elischa and his employer Juan Salvador Moragues Robledo