FINANCE AND BUSINESS INTERN

Sara transferred from sunny Spain to Edinburgh for 3 months through an Erasmus+ programme. Having just completed a Finance and Business programme of studies, she took the opportunity to put into practice all she had learned over a couple of years of professional training, and neither the cold Scottish spring nor the beautiful Scottish accent put her off.

What did you achieve during your placement and what tasks did you undertake?

The team at Dialexy has involved me in every aspect of the business. Among other tasks, I have learned to use accounting software that I had never used before, helped with business planning and assisted in creating and managing inventories. This has provided me with a good understanding of every division of the business and learned the responsibilities attached to each. There is so much to learn that is not written in books.

What have you gained personally from this placement?

My experience at Dialexy has taught me how a business functions in real life. I was scared at the beginning; there were many unknowns and I didn’t know if I would be up to the job. But as the internship progressed I could see how much I had learned and this gave me reassurance and self-confidence to make decisions on my own. The experience has taught me to overcome the fear of the unknown and realise that you just have to face it and see what can be done!

Would you recommend the programme to other students, and if so, what would you say are the key benefits?

Doing an internship at Dialexy has been an amazing experience and I would recommend it without hesitation. In addition to giving me the opportunity to live in another country and discover a lovely city and its culture, the programme has allowed me to push myself out of my comfort zone and improve personally and professionally. It has also helped me overcome the fear of using second my second language. As you build relationships with people who speak another language, you become increasingly more comfortable and more confident in your foreign language. This kind of experience makes you more independent and face life from a different standpoint.

What are your future career plans?

Thanks to Erasmus+, I have been able to live and work in Edinburgh and improve my English language skills so my immediate plans include keep studying and becoming more fluent in this language.

Although she didn’t know at the time of this interview, Sara ended up joining the Dialexy team as part-time Operations Coordinator, which she combines with studying a university degree in Labour Relations.