Networking

Barcelona always has tons of networking events and opportunities. These are great ways to connect with professionals from all types of fields and find different employment opportunities.

Places to check for networking events:

• Guiri Business

• Start Up Grind

• Meetup 

• Barcelona Women’s Network

• American Society of Barcelona

• Barcelona Activa

• EventBrite

Ask our Internships Team for more suggestions, check out the weekly Cultural Agenda for events, and keep an eye out for the Professional Agenda sent out each semester!

What is an “after work” you ask? Well, in Barcelona an after work is a sort of happy hour for professionals. It’s a social event that takes place after work where young professionals meet to mingle, relax and network.

Here is a link to many popular after work sites around the city. We highly suggest attending one of your internship company's after works because its a great mix of cultural immersion and professional development! It will also help you to get to know your supervisor and colleagues outside of work.

1. Select your event carefully.

If you’re just starting out, look for an event that seems to attract the sector that you’re interested in. If you just want to widen your circle and be inspired by new people, then an event that appeals to young entrepreneurs could be your best bet.  

2. Reflect on what you want to get out of networking and how to communicate effectively.

You should have an idea of what you’re trying to achieve. You should also be able to describe your job search or project clearly in a couple of sentences. If you act too much as a sales person you will just scare people off. Always be professional but also be yourself!

3. Keep an open mind.

You may go to a networking event with a very fixed idea of the person you want to meet, but the chances are that you’ll meet lots of other people who could also be interesting to you even if you don't realize it at first!

4. Follow up with your new contacts.

Spend an hour the following day to contact your new contacts via LinkedIn (if you’re not on LinkedIn, now is the time to get started). Send a quick message or email to people that you would like to meet again soon telling them that you enjoyed meeting them. Send them any resources that you had talked about, such as an article, platform, or organization!