New Entrepreneur (NE)
Name & surname: Claudia Castillo
Country: Spain
Sector of activity: International Relations and Law
Did you already started your business? Not yet
What is your (future) business? Cybersecurity
Host Entrepreneur (HE)
Name & surname: María Dolores Arroyo Masero
Country: Germany
Sector of activity: Law
Experience in running a business (in years): 31
Name of business/website: Arroyo & Asociados www.arroyo-asociados.com/presentacion.htm
What is your business? International Law Firm based both in Madrid and Munich
Period of Relationship: 18/03/2019 – 19/08/2019
Duration of Relationship: 5 months
How did Claudias work at the law firm in Germany help her build an international network of contacts?
Hello, everybody. My name is Claudia, I am 23 years old and I am a Spanish student in International Relations. I heard about this program during my master’s studies at the University of Granada and I was offered participation in the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs program: I didn’t hesitate to participate. From the beginning it was clear to me that my future company would be around the field of cybercrime and after creating my company, I entered the directory where I contacted several small companies to be part of their team for a couple of months. I did several interviews and finally dedicated myself to my current company, which is a law firm in Munich, Arroyo & Associates. The truth is that from the beginning everything was very simple: they told me what my activities could be, we reached an agreement of our objectives according to our interests.
My stay in Munich has been very positive. I have learned more than ever: not only the language, which I think is fundamental, but also the day-to-day running of an office. My tasks have been very varied from reading files, attending new clients, appointments, preparing papers, sending documents to the court… the truth is that it is impossible to get bored or fall into monotony. The atmosphere in the office is magnificent, all the colleagues have had a lot of patience with me and have always been willing to give me a hand or help me with doubts.
I arrived here in February, but it seems as if it was yesterday; time flies by. I only know that, if I could, I would choose this program and this office again to be able to develop my knowledge and look for my place in the labour and business market.
With regard to the social sphere, if it is true that culture shock was initially a barrier to expanding my social circle, then Munich is a multicultural city,
full of life and offering you many plans; it is international, it is always on the move. This has allowed me to meet people from many countries and share many good moments, and of course, a good beer in the Bavarian capital.
My objectives before coming were focused on learning the language, improving my knowledge in the business field, knowing how to form a company in the legal field, and above all, networking for my professional future. I believe that after these months I can say that I have achieved my goals, as I have improved my German and I have made a network of contacts that I am sure will help me in the future professional and business.
Now I know what I need to create a company and I feel better prepared to develop it in the future thanks to this program. I just hope that from my experience, whoever reads this is encouraged to be part of a program that can teach you a lot and help you to channel your work and/or business path.
Concluding remarks by María Dolores Arroyo Masero (HE):
“The fact that Arroyo & Asociados is part of the Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs programme has helped us to get to know small entrepreneurs from different countries and to exchange knowledge in order to improve the functioning of the office. Claudia has been with us since February and we couldn’t be happier. Her knowledge of law has improved, she is learning German and she helps us in our day-to-day work with a lot of professionalism. Being part of this program gives us a more international vision and gives us dynamics in our work. I recommend everyone to be open to participate in this program, as it helps among other things, to create an international network.“