Interview with Barcelona Alumna Amanda

By Katie Arango

A year after Amanda Schultz’s Barcelona internship, we caught up with her to discuss how her time abroad influenced her career path after her graduation from Michigan State University.

You interned in Barcelona back in 2013. Tell us a bit about your Connect-123 internship.
My internship at a social media agency in Barcelona was absolutely instrumental in my employment at my current job in Public Relations. The experience I gained just in the three month period was greater than any other internship I had previously experienced, and it provided me with multiple instances I could discuss at interviews about my experiences, what I learned, and how the experiences could be transferred into the new role I was being interviewed for. My daily roles included creating content for global brands and posting them on the Twitter and Facebook accounts daily, as well as writing various blog posts throughout the summer period from the company account. I focused on monitoring the company’s brand online, and collaborated with my team on what content we could create and post that would better enhance the brand’s image.

What was your most meaningful contribution at your internship?
My most meaningful contribution was creating a social media campaign that celebrated the brand’s 40th anniversary. The campaign included an app that changed user’s Facebook accounts into a flashback of what postings would look like in the 1970s, and it was instrumental in the success of the brand’s sales for that period and overall brand image during their 40th anniversary celebration.

What are some of the personal skills and/or professional lessons you learned from your internship?
I learned about effective marketing strategies through Facebook, Twitter and blogging, as well as the analytical tools that can help you better manage the content and discover what is in fact effective and what is not.

Where are you working currently?
I am currently working for SeyferthPR, which is a public relations firm in Michigan as Project Assistant and soon-to-be Assistant Account Executive.

Do you think your Connect-123 internship helped prepare you for where you are today?
My internship absolutely prepared me for my current position at the PR firm. It sparked my interest in pursuing a full-time career that involved extensive social media work, and it provided me with the experience to set me aside from the other candidates vying for the position.

Any advice for our readers?
Advice would be to take the internship abroad and enjoy every minute of it! The internship alone will be useful experience for future careers, and the added experience of working in another culture will differentiate yourself from other potential candidates in your field.

Katie Arango

Program Director, Argentina:Katie, a US native, had traveled to Buenos Aires on several extended trips before the city’s lure became too strong and she decided to call it home. Long fascinated by the global scene, Katie earned a degree in International Studies from Miami University and spent time studying and living in Madrid, Spain. She then worked in marketing for an international board game company followed by a brief foray as an online community editor for several websites before joining the Connect-123 team. Still a tourist at heart herself, Katie loves watching newcomers discover the charm of Buenos Aires and takes great pleasure in helping them make the most out of their work and volunteer opportunities while experiencing everything this dynamic city has to offer.


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