I am Maija from Helsinki, and I am a second-year student at Tampere University of Applied Sciences. I study Business Administration with a focus on law expertise.
For my first traineeship, I applied to a Finnish-owned coworking center called SmartWorkPlaza, located in Fuengirola, Spain. This started my Erasmus+ journey and in the end, I was accepted for a three-month traineeship with the goal of learning more about marketing, how international businesses are run in Spain, and the differences in everyday practices. My traineeship started on the 2nd of April and ended today on the 30th of June.
From day one, I really loved my time at SmartWorkPlaza. The company has many long term members from all over the world and I really enjoyed working in such an international and multicultural atmosphere. At work I spoke English, Spanish, and Swedish every day, which made each day interesting and helped me use these languages in real life situations. Most days I worked at the reception, helped out with digital marketing, organized events, and kept our social media updated. I also joined all the internal meetings, where I could share ideas and be part of weekly projects. Overall, I feel like I did not only learn about business and marketing, but also about different cultures and ways of working.
From the start, living in Spain has been a really amazing experience. During my first month here, I joined a local hiking group and went on hikes almost every weekend. We explored beautiful spots around the Malaga area, and I loved being outdoors surrounded by nature. I was told that by June it would get too hot for hiking, so I really tried to make the most of the cooler weather while it lasted. Along the way, I made some great new friends, enjoyed beautiful views, and even spotted some wildlife like mountain goats, vultures, and wild boars, which was really exciting!
In April, I helped the company organize a business fair that took place over a weekend. Because of this, I earned some free days which I used to enjoy a few longer weekends in May and June. This gave me the chance to travel and explore some amazing cities in Andalucia such as Marbella, Cordoba and Granada. Some highlights of my trips during my traineeship have definitely been visiting the Cordoba mosque, the Alhambra in Granada and hiking among the free roaming monkeys of Gibraltar.
During my traineeship, I noticed some key differences between the work cultures in Spain and Finland. In Spain, small talk is everything. People love chatting about their day, family or weekend plans before getting down to business. At times, meetings with clients can feel more like friendly get-togethers, and it is not unusual to spend a majority of the meeting talking about things unrelated to work. From my experience, things are a bit different in Finland, where people tend to be more direct and to the point. Small talk is often kept to a minimum, and meetings usually start on time and stick closely to the agenda.
In Spain it also feels more natural to take breaks and socialise during the day. The atmosphere in our office was often very relaxed and warm. In Finland, work tends to be more structured and quiet, with a strong respect for personal space. Both ways have their good points and challenges, but having now experienced them both has really helped me appreciate how culture shapes the way we work and connect with others.
Overall, I have really loved my time working, living, and exploring Andalucía. I really enjoyed my traineeship and it felt even more rewarding than I could have hoped for. During my time here, I have made great new friends, had amazing food and experiences, and also learned a lot about life, work, and different cultures. My time here has given me new perspectives and memories that I know I will cherish for a very long time!
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