El nuevo — The New Guy

First jobs, internships, and the Spanish office newcomer

Pablo's path, a degree, a master's, an unpaid or low-paid internship, then a first junior job in his mid-twenties, is the common route for young graduates in Spain, and it explains some of his nervousness. Spanish university graduates often enter the labor market later than in many English-speaking countries, partly because a master's has become almost standard for professional jobs and partly because youth unemployment has long been high. Las prácticas, internships, are usually part of the degree or master's and governed by agreements with the university; the intern, el becario, is a recognizable office figure, sometimes used as cheap labor and often, as Pablo says, left to work things out alone. Reforms in recent years have tightened the rules on internships, but the becario remains a stock character in Spanish office humor. The advice Alex passes on is typical of a good small Spanish workplace. Use tú with colleagues from day one, but usted with older clients. Ask questions; nobody expects a newcomer to know the acronyms. Be direct with the boss, with reasons, and tell her your mistakes yourself. Don't show off in front of local officials, who know their territory better than any graduate. Take part in the social side, coffee time and lunch, because that is where you integrate and where the stories are told, including the stories about your own mistakes. There is something circular in the scene that Spanish offices rely on. The person who was the newcomer a year ago becomes the mentor, repeats what was told to him, and in doing so realizes how much he has learned. For Alex, explaining the culture in Spanish to a native speaker is a quiet measure of how far he has come.