María Jiménez Montes (ISSA '17), an alumna of ISSA - School of Management Assistants, always knew that she wanted to practice her profession in a foreign country: "I think it is an opportunity to grow professionally and live a different experience. It is also a way to perfect a language and to enrich oneself at staff".

The opportunity came her way when, last September, shortly after graduating, she was selected to work as an intern at the Consulate General of Spain in Washington D.C. Two months later, in November, she signed a contract with work as a Management Assistant to the Consul General. "I am mainly in charge of his diary and some personal issues. I also coordinate and prepare the Powers of Attorney and the Diplomatic Pouch. Often, I deal at the counter with issues related to consular discharge applications, civil registrations, passport renewals, visa applications, attestation of documents, etc.", she explains.

Although she sometimes misses "the affable nature of the Spanish people, the little moments of conversation or the shared coffees", she says that she is living this stage with great enthusiasm: "I enjoy doing my work, so professionally I feel satisfied. What's more, I have colleagues who have welcomed me very well from the start, making me feel integrated and the working atmosphere is very pleasant. On the other hand, the fact that I work in a Spanish Consulate makes me feel at home, financial aid , despite the distance".

When it comes to her professional tasks, she says that her training at the Management AssistantDegree has been very important: "I would highlight everything related to speech, because the knowledge acquired has been fundamental for me to express myself correctly. What I have learnt in IT has also made my tasks much easier. On the other hand, the training staff and the human resources I received play an essential role, because attention towards others, with respect and empathy, together with professionalism, are key in my day-to-day work to successfully develop my work. Finally, I must also say that English has undoubtedly helped me a lot, as I am constantly receipt calls, emails, clients... who only speak English and it is important that language is not an inconvenience".

When he looks back, he remembers his years at the University of Navarra "with affection and as a period in which both the atmosphere and the people who surrounded me made me feel very much at home: from the professors to the Chaplain of the School, or the Mother and the Sisters at the high school Mayor where I had the good fortune to live". For all these reasons, she does not hesitate to recommend to the new students that they "enjoy every day at campus, because time goes by very quickly; that they take advantage of the varied and enriching resources offered by our University; and that they participate in everything they can, to grow both staff and academically". To those who will finish their programs of study next June, he encourages them to "apply all the knowledge they have acquired and to keep in mind that we work with people, to make a great effort, to fight and persist until they achieve their goals".