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May 20 2018 
The keys to how to network that will turn you into an expert
During the week of April 13 in Barcelona, Jobarcelona went ahead, where university students and companies do face to face networking. Right now, we’re thinking, do our thelofttowners know how to network? And as they say: when in doubt, full speed ahead, so we bring you this post full of recommendations so that the next time you network you may be experts.
WE ARE GOING NETWORKING
- Make a list: before going networking, research companies and make a list of those that you are most interested in, so you don’t get lost in the crowd and that you go directly to the point. Get interesting contacts.
- Get up early: the early bird gets contacts. Be the first to sit at the tables of the companies that you’ve previously included in the list; be friendly, courteous, answers questions about what you have been asked, and don’t beat around the bush.
- Prepare your CV and something else: having your CD printed in order to hand it over to companies is the golden rule; but if you really want to stand out, take business cards, cover letters… everything extra that can give support to your interview will be so much the better.
- Attend talks: in networking there are often lectures, question and answer sessions… sign up for everything you can, CV checks, personal counselling, mock group meetings with people who you do not know. Do all that you can. It is training and experience for you.
We care for you and your future, so we try to place in your hands all that you need to know about how to network. Would you like us to talk about something specific that worries you or you find interesting? Let us know in the comments and we’ll talk about it 😉
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May 16 2018 
Are you thinking of doing a university internship? You have to know this first
A university internship is that university subject we are keenest to do, it opens doors to the world of work and for the first time in four years we feel truly responsible, and we put into practice all the knowledge acquired. Before you start a university internship, we recommend that you read our post; we’re going to give some recommendations so that you ace it. Shall we start?
PAY ATTENTION:
- Be punctual: we should not say it but… it isn’t too much if we remind you: it is essential to be punctual in your work. Although it is a university internship, you have to see as if you really worked for that company, so don’t only be punctual on the first day, be punctual until the last day of your internship.
- Lunch: it could be that the first day you don’t know very well how the timetables work in that company, if they go down to lunch, if they take 10 minutes to go to take a coffee. We recommend that you take a sandwich and water just in case, but if the staff go down to lunch, do it with them, that way you will know your workmates better and you will integrate faster.
- Question: it doesn’t matter if you ask questions, and we are not in class where you can be afraid to ask, it’s real life and real problems. So before delivering a project, a job or a task, ask about everything that you’ve had doubts about. You must be efficient and do the work well; nobody is born trained and everyone can be wrong; your boss began like you, so lose your fears already, and ask.
- Be proactive: do you think that the company needs to renew its website? Create social networks? Everything new that you can provide will be positive for the company and for the view your superiors have of you. Think that they do not want problems but solutions, if you contribute solutions and they are applicable, you could be in for a future hiring. So be curious, search, read, learn… all of this will also work for you.
We recommend that you take your university internship period as if it were a real job, which it is, but your condition will be as an intern, so at first you are going to deal with smaller projects, easy and secondary jobs that, little by little, and with confidence, will go toward making more ambitious projects. We all have been through this, so we encourage thelofttowners.
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May 08 2018 
Gap year: 4 reasons to do it
Some of you may ask, what is a gap year? Very briefly, it would be the period before during or after university when you decide to go away for a time to work, do an internship, study a language… and we believe that it is one of the best experiences you can have during your university years; and we are going to give you 4 good reasons that will make you catch a plane tomorrow to take a gap year.
TELL ME MORE
- Improve your performance: and we put it as the first choice because it is believed that “taking a sabbatical” implies a disengagement and delay in studies, but it is not so: returning home after a gap year makes you more independent, more responsible and more eager to continue with your studies, so… think about it well 😉
- Improve your chances of incorporation to the workplace: putting on your CV that you’ve been a year abroad educating yourself, apart from the degree, is a specification that you cannot overlook, and for sure there are many companies that will be interested in your profile. So if you have the chance, don’t lose it.
- Improve your linguistic mastery: If you go to a country with a foreign language, one of the best achievements that you are going to take away will be a mastery of the language, the ease of being able to hold a conversation, and the amount of things that you will learn. This is not taught in a school 😉
- You will have a really good time: it will be the experience that everyone says changes you, and it will: you’ll be out of your home environment, meet new people, cultures, meals, parties, places, feelings… It cannot be measured with words; you have to experience it for yourself.
How do you see it? We, as a student residence, would like you to want to live this experience of the gap year with us; in Barcelona you will find many of the things you were looking for, and others that simply appear. Come, we are waiting 😉
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May 03 2018 
The famous tell us how to study abroad
The reason why you will want to study abroad
We tend to see the famous in a position that intimidates us: they are those people who go on TV, attend galas, are interviewed and sometimes have the best photos on Instagram. Sometimes it seems that they are out of reach but is not like that; in fact there are many famous people that have experienced the feelings of an Erasmus. Today they are the ones who tell us what they learned and how to study abroad. Let’s begin with the list!
HOLLYWOOD COMES TO OUR BLOG
- Emma Watson: we could not start in a better way; the famous actress who played the role of Hermione in Harry Potter shares the same passion for studies as her fictional character, because she spent 18 months studying English literature and later studied a degree at England’s Oxford University.
- J.K. Rowling: and from the actress, we move on to the writer and creator of Harry Potter, who gave shape to the first edition of the book and the universe of Harry Potter with her first book, Harry Potter and Philosopher’s Stone, while giving English classes in Portugal; on the other hand she studied a university degree in French at Exeter University, England.
- Vera Wang: the fashionable designer from the United States spent some time studying at the Sorbonne, University of Paris, where she fell in love (and who does not) with French style; after working as an editor at fashion magazine Vogue, she took the big step to the design and manufacture of fashion until today she is globally known for her wedding dresses.
As you can see, to study abroad shapes people with the point of view of a future winner, enriches culturally and personally and opens the doors to what you want to be; if you decide it you can, you too can also succeed in life and we are sure that you’re going to do it. Dare to study abroad, we promise that we will look after you a lot 😉
