How do I find an international business internship in Spain?

France and Spain have always enjoyed good trade relations in a variety of sectors, including transport materials, mechanical equipment and electronic technologies.

Many students studying international business are keen to take part in these Franco-Spanish commercial relations by doing an internship during their studies.

In this article, we’d like to help you define your international business internship objectives, so that you can grasp the economic reality of Franco-Spanish business relations and find the best internship offer in Spain.

International business internships in Spain

As mentioned in the introduction, Franco-Spanish trade relations have always been very good, so much so that France is Spain’s 2nd largest trading partner.

For France, Spain is a very good customer, ranking just behind Germany but ahead of Italy. French students are well aware that Spain represents a great opportunity to increase their international experience and enhance their professional profile.

What are the objectives of an international trade internship?

For an international business internship in Spain, it’s important to bear in mind the main objectives that will enable the student to train for his or her future profession.

• Understanding Spain’s industrial and economic fabric: An internship in Spain gives students the opportunity to get to know the country’s industrial fabric, understand its infrastructure, logistics facilities and Spanish investments in international trade.
• Discover the realities of international trade: the company and managers hosting the student for an internship will introduce him/her to the sector’s activities and the professional profiles in demand. During the internship, the student will gain an insight into the realities of working for an international company.
• Facilitating Franco-Spanish exchanges and collaboration: An international business internship should also enable students to improve communication with their colleagues and business partners. Usually, French universities have partnerships with Spanish companies that facilitate dialogue and exchange. In fact, to find an international business internship in Spain, we recommend that you contact the secretariat of your French university for guidance. Make use of your school’s professional network to find the right internship for your studies.
• Develop new skills in international trade: Finally, doing an international trade internship in Spain enables students to develop new skills, improve their mastery of tools and gain a better understanding of trade policy within the European Union.

Which companies recruit international trade interns?

Spain’s economic diversity is great, but if you’re looking to maintain Franco-Spanish business relations, the tourism, transport equipment and e-logistics sectors are the ones to choose.

For tourism, prospect on the Costa Brava, the Costa Blanca and Spain’s big, attractive cities: Barcelona, Malaga, Palma de Mallorca, Las Palmas, not forgetting the big companies further inland: Madrid, Valencia, Seville, Bilbao, Alicante, Murcia, etc.

Spanish import-export companies

Target companies that have export and import needs with France, prospect the country’s best companies such as :

• Inditex,
• Mercadona,
• Telefonica,
• CaixaBank,
• Mutua,
• Iberdrola,
• etc…

Take a look at some of the world’s leading brands: Apple, Google, Danone, Amazon, Leroy Merlin, Nestlé, Ikea, Coca Cola, etc.

Spanish directories

Finally, don’t hesitate to consult the Spanish Yellow Pages (www.paginasamarillas.es) and the Franco-Spanish Chamber of Commerce (http://www.lachambre.es/).

An international business internship in compliance with Spanish law

As in France, the practice of an internship abroad is strictly regulated by law and administrative obligations.

For your internship, you’ll need an agreement signed by your Spanish employer, your French university and, of course, yourself.

The internship agreement provides you with a legal framework for: hours of work, duration of internship, remuneration and the professional activities entrusted to you.