Internship Spotlight: Paco Hernandez, BBCA Legal

Paco Hernandez '23 BA (Economics with Business Administration & Global Business) was a Global Intern at BBCA Legal in Barcelona, Spain.

If you worked on a big project during your internship, please describe what you did to help. 
As an intern at BBCA Legal International Law Firm, I worked with the head of the finances/accounting department and completed tasks such as creating excel spreadsheets to organize data as well as use a software called CONTASOL that helped manage all the data from the firm. 
Beyond this, I worked closely with the owner of the firm and created invoices for clients, update contracts, contact potential clients, and I even attended an international exhibition of logistics and material handling. The name of the program was called SIL Barcelona. SIL is the leading exhibition for logistics, transport, intralogistics, and supply chain in Southern Europe. Because the firm I interned at had a focus on transport law, the exhibition was fitting. I thoroughly enjoyed attending this three-day exhibition because I was able to network with a variety of companies, represent the firm that I worked at, and attend numerous talks regarding different topics in the industry. As an economics major, I was fortunate enough to have been able to hear a talk on the future of international economies with respect to the supply chain industry. It was an incredible experience I had as an intern at BBCA Legal.

What did you find most challenging about your internship?
What I found most challenging about my internship was not knowing certain Spanish jargon for a law firm setting. Because I was already not extremely familiar with legal jargon in English, having to adopt a new understanding for the Spanish words and phrases in the field was unexpected at first but over time, I got the hang of it. I ended up finding myself learn a lot more this way. Not being super comfortable at first allowed me to grow professionally by having to think on my feet and figure out the best possible solution to a given problem or situation.

What advice do you have for other students that are also considering interning abroad?
I would argue that everybody should experience an internship abroad. Beyond interning in a field that will benefit your career and allow you to practice soft skills, studying abroad gives you a unique outlook on life that makes you wonder what is out there in the world. Living abroad for months at a time truly gave me a sense of independence and encouragement to accomplish my professional goals as well as personal goals that I could not find before I got to Barcelona. It is an opportunity to meet many different students from other Universities within the United States, as well as in Europe. There was a point in time where I debated not going abroad last minute. It would have been the biggest regret of my life if I hadn’t gone. 

How did Eller (or your previous coursework) prepare you for your internship? 
Eller prepared me for my internship with foundational courses like accounting, economics, statistics, and business communication, just to name a few, that greatly impacted my abilities to complete different tasks while abroad as an intern. The greatest thing I took from Eller with me to my abroad experience was my ability to serve as a strong leader for those around me in the workplace. I felt grateful to have had experiences working with others in Eller prior to going abroad as it helped me be one step ahead.