The first part of my stay in the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program has passed surprisingly quickly. It has been an intense and valuable time full of learning and new experiences. From the first weeks I had the chance to get to know my host’s company from the inside: its mission, way of working, team structure, tools, and ongoing projects. I also reviewed some of the agency’s past work which helped me understand its style, values and expectations.
What I will remember most from this first part of the program is how warmly I was welcomed. The team made me feel comfortable, even though at the beginning I was worried about communicating in Spanish. Despite the language differences, everyone has been patient and supportive and step by step I feel more confident. From the very beginning I was invited to team meetings and brainstorming sessions. At first I mostly observed, but later I started contributing to small internal tasks and eventually I became involved in client projects. I had the opportunity to support work on visual identities, marketing campaigns, website concepts, and other creative assignments which has helped me grow in a very practical way.
The mentoring sessions with my host are especially valuable. She is very transparent and open about how the agency works from the business and strategic side. She has shown me the marketing tools they use on a daily basis and explained how they track KPIs and other performance indicators. We also discussed the company’s overall strategy and the way they plan and measure their campaigns. On top of that, I’ve learned about client contracts, budgets, marketing plans and internal processes, which has really increased my understanding of what it means to run a creative business. I’m also learning a lot about project management, organization, and communication – especially remote communication, which can be challenging but is essential in this industry.
One of the most important experiences so far was taking part in the preparation and realization of an event organized by my host’s company. I could observe and take part in every stage, from preparations, through the photoshoot and marketing campaigns, all the way to the realization on the day of the event. The event itself was a success and it became a great opportunity for the team to meet, outside of our usual computer-based collaboration. This helped us connect on a more personal level and strengthened our teamwork.
Looking back at the objectives we defined at the beginning, I can see that I’m progressing in the right direction. I feel more confident, more skilled, and more aware of how a creative agency works both creatively and strategically. In the second half of the project I hope to get involved in more complex tasks, participate in client meetings, and contribute more actively to the projects we are developing. I’m excited about what the next weeks will bring and how much more I will be able to learn.