Chloe Dupin – Human Resources Internship in Madrid, Spain

Chloe Dupin arrived in Madrid eager to explore whether human resources was truly the right career path for her. Through Piktalent, she was placed at a company where she was entrusted with real responsibilities from day one — screening CVs, conducting initial interviews, and participating in onboarding processes for new hires.

The experience went far beyond what a classroom could offer. Working in a Spanish-speaking environment pushed her to develop not only her HR skills but also her cross-cultural communication abilities. She learned to navigate workplace dynamics in a new cultural context, building resilience and adaptability.

By the end of her internship, Chloe had no doubt: human resources was her calling. She returned home with a clear career direction, a portfolio of real work, and memories of a city she hopes to return to one day.

Practically, the placement gave Chloe exposure to the full HR cycle in a mid-size Spanish employer: she shadowed payroll, sat in on disciplinary conversations with senior HR managers, and helped design a welcome pack used for every new hire after her departure. Piktalent's role behind the scenes covered the documentation she initially found intimidating — bilateral agreement, accident insurance, and rental contract — so she could focus entirely on the work and on adapting to a new city.

Looking back, Chloe credits the structured pre-departure briefing for the smooth start: a one-page sheet listing her supervisor's mobile, the office address, the closest health centre, and Piktalent's local emergency line. That single page, she says, removed the anxiety of the first 48 hours and let her arrive at the office on day one ready to contribute rather than ready to panic.