Three days looking toward the future

The Fcom Tour is an academic trip in which students, accompanied by several professors, visit some of the leading companies in the sector to learn firsthand how they operate internally and how they work in the real world that awaits them upon completion of the degree program. 

The funny thing is that it didn't start out as an activity planned by the administration, but rather the opposite. It began about twelve years ago thanks to the initiative of journalism students themselves, who wanted to get closer to the industry and understand it from the inside. That initial idea grew until it became an annual tradition. 

For Pablo Castrillo, Associate Dean Students at the School, the Fcom Tour serves a purpose clear purpose . It is not just a trip: it is part of an experience designed to connect campus training campus the real pace of the industry. "The training Fcom students training in the three Degrees an Education ," he explains. "And that is precisely why the Tour allows them to take a step further: to leave Pamplona and spend a few days in Madrid, where many companies, internships, and meetings with professionals are concentrated."

Castrillo sees this immersion as the culmination of the four-year degree program: "Crowning the four years... taking the campus , so to speak." It is an experience that students prepare for in advance thanks to the development Plan and staff, a work that financial aid them financial aid with clear objectives, specific questions, and a professional attitude to make the most of each visit

More than just company visits

That future, however, is not only built within companies. An essential part of the Fcom Tour is living together. Traveling with the class sharing intense days creates a subject is rarely achieved within a university routine. Castrillo insists that the first benefit is collective: "Everyone benefits for two reasons. One, because they have spent three days together outside the university, they have traveled, they have explored Madrid, they have gone out for lunch and dinner, they have missed the subway, they have become closer." The second reason lies in the relationship with the professors, which changes tone when they leave the classroom: "They have had the opportunity to interact outside the academic sphere, to get to know each other better."

The students themselves also enjoy this experience. Juan Salinas, Audiovisual Communication representative, highlights the value of the trip beyond the professional visits: "Apart from seeing these offices and this way of working with our own eyes, it's also a great class experience class several days class ; traveling and sharing an experience like this is positive because many class work colleagues work the future."

Raquel Gallego, manager area and employment area , also defends this human component. For her, the trip is special precisely because of everything that happens between visit. She talks about the atmosphere and the anecdotes that arise during those days. In her view, the Fcom Tour is not just a program for getting to know companies, but an experience of community, identity, and School.

Fcom brand

This identity comes to the fore when alumni get involved. Many of the visits are guided by professionals who studied at Fcom and now work at some of the most important companies in the sector. Gallego describes this as one of the great values of the trip: "It's incredible to see how warmly they welcome us when we visit these companies." He adds an idea that comes up in almost every meeting: "Be aware that you carry the Fcom brand, and that this is something School worked very hard on as School ."

Marta Meseguer, a fourth-year Marketing student with an accredited specialization Fashion, felt similarly, describing it as "a great opportunity to network and connect more with fellow students in the degree program." She added that she enjoyed "the experience of getting a first-hand look at the working world and seeing people who have been in our same position and now work where we want to work."

For students, this contact particularly motivating. Juan Cortés, Journalism representative, emphasizes the importance of seeing this professional path up close: "It's interesting to see how a business works, from newspapers to the leading communications consultancies and television stations we've all seen. What's more, seeing alumni these companies and hearing them talk about how they got there, starting from where you are now, is very motivating. With talent and hard work, you can get there."

Furthermore, listening to those who have already been through the same experience changes the student's perspective. Gallego emphasizes that contact financial aid better understand how a degree program is structured. "Hearing their testimonies of 'it wasn't easy' or 'this happened to me' makes the future seem less distant or idealized."

In the picture

visit Degree students to the business

But the trip also has practical and measurable value. When asked if the Fcom Tour has really helped students access job opportunities, Gallego responds clearly: "Yes, yes. There have been many cases." And he gives a specific example: David Ciáurriz, student former student , mentioned it in a recent session. He dreamed of working in a business like Mondelēz... and he achieved it.

When it comes to summarizing what the Fcom Tour means, both define it differently, but complementarily. Gallego calls it "the great opportunity." Castrillo, for his part, describes it with a phrase that sums up the entire journey: "Three days together looking to the future."

Ultimately, that future cannot be found in a single business a single visit. It is built on the sum of everything that happens during those three days: the conversations, the learning, the shared experiences, the meetings with alumni the attitude with which each student decides to live it.

The alumni experience

Students from all three Degrees had the opportunity Degrees attend table attend with alumni who shared their firsthand experiences and how they started their professional careers. 

Rodrigo Rubio (MKT '23), founder of Mabuhay; Daniela Villalobos (MKT '21), brand specialist at Amazon; and Noelia Feng (MKT '22), account manager at TikTok, participated in the Degree , moderated by Quico Pérez Latre. 

In Audiovisual Communication, students heard about the experiences of Laura Molpeceres (CAV '99), screenwriter; Unai Ruiz (CAV '06), research and development Secuoya; and Lorenzo Mastrocinque (CAV '17), Projects Strategy & Sound Supervisor at Catorce Comunicación, moderated by Efrén Cuevas.

And in Journalism, Xavi Pita (PER '21), journalist at TVE; Pablo Medina (PER '18), reporter; María Aguirre (PER '24), communications and marketing at Himba Collection; and Martina Chamón (PER '23), communications project leader at Prodigioso Volcán, moderated by Beatriz Gómez.

The Fcom Tour is not just a trip to Madrid. It is a way of understanding that the profession begins long before the first contract, right when you dare to ask questions, observe, and take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way.