The External Internship course is embedded within the curriculum as a learning space designed to support students’ progressive immersion into the professional environment. Through a company placement, students have the opportunity to apply the knowledge acquired during their degree and develop competences in real working situations. This experience is complemented by activities focused on reflection, analysis, and the development of students’ professional positioning, helping them understand the dynamics of the labour market. The course is structured around four key areas: self-awareness, career planning, personal branding, and labour market knowledge and networking.
Titular Professors
Professors
No prior knowledge is required.
The aim of this course is to foster students’ progressive integration into the professional environment by facilitating the application of the knowledge and competences acquired during the degree in real contexts, while also enabling them to gain practical experience in workplace settings. In addition, the course seeks to develop a broad understanding of the labour market and career management processes, while strengthening students’ ability to identify, analyse, and manage professional opportunities in an autonomous and strategic way, reinforcing key competences such as problem-solving, communication, and teamwork.
The course contents are organised into four main areas that combine professional practice with the development of competences aimed at employability.
1. Company internships
1.1. Carrying out tasks and participating in projects in real professional environments.
1.2. Applying theoretical knowledge in practical contexts.
1.3. Developing professional competences, including problem-solving and teamwork.
1.4. Understanding how organisations operate and how the sector functions.
2. Professional development (group training sessions)
2.1. Self-awareness: identifying professional skills, interests, and values.
2.2. Career planning: defining and shaping one’s professional path.
2.3. Personal branding: building a professional identity and improving communication.
2.4. Labour market and networking: strategies for entering the labour market and expanding one’s professional network.
3. Guidance (individual coaching)
3.1. Analysing the student’s professional profile and aligning it with personal goals.
3.2. Defining and refining a professional action plan.
3.3. Providing guidance in decision-making and strategic career direction.
3.4. Monitoring progress and preparing for the transition into the labour market.
4. Experiential activities
4.1. Participating in professional guidance events and activities.
4.2. Interacting with companies and professionals.
4.3. Developing competences in real contexts and expanding one’s professional network.
The course methodology is based on an active, experiential approach that combines practical application in real professional environments with theoretical training. This approach facilitates the progressive achievement of the learning outcomes and prepares students for their entry into the labour market.
Learning is structured through different types of complementary activities. First, company internships constitute the core of the course, offering students direct immersion in a real work environment where they can apply the knowledge acquired and develop professional competences. Group training sessions then provide a space to introduce and work on key concepts related to professional development, combining theoretical input with practical exercises.
At the same time, individual coaching sessions offer a space for reflection and personalised guidance, supporting students in analysing their profile, defining their goals, and adjusting their professional action plan. Finally, experiential activities such as workshops, talks, or company events help broaden students’ understanding of the labour market and foster interaction with professionals.
This integrated approach promotes active, reflective, and practice-oriented learning, combining independent work, collaborative activities, and direct experience in real contexts.
Assessment is based on a continuous assessment model, in which the final grade is built from different activities carried out throughout the course.
The grade distribution is as follows:
- Company internships (50%)
- Internship placement (40%)
- Final report (5%)
- Oral presentation (5%)
- Professional development (35%)
- Group training sessions (10%)
- Career Plan (20%)
- Oral presentation of the Career Plan (5%)
- Guidance (10%)
- Individual coaching sessions (10%)
- Other activities (5%)
- Experiential activities (5%)
To pass the course, students must obtain a minimum grade of 5/10 in the highly significant assessment activities and comply with the established requirements.
These criteria guide the assessment of the different course activities, evaluating both the application of knowledge in real contexts and the development of the student’s professional profile.
1. Company internships
The following will be assessed:
- The degree to which knowledge and competences acquired during the degree are applied in a real professional environment.
- The level of autonomy, responsibility, and initiative shown in carrying out assigned tasks.
- The ability to adapt to the work environment, as well as integration into teams and professional working dynamics.
- Professional attitude, commitment, and quality of the work carried out.
- The ability to solve problems and deal effectively with real-life situations.
2. Final Report and associated presentation
The following will be assessed:
- The ability to describe, structure, and analyse the internship experience clearly and coherently.
- The level of critical reflection on the tasks carried out and the learning achieved.
- The quality of the content, as well as clarity, organisation, and correctness in written expression.
- The ability to synthesise and select relevant information.
- In the oral presentation, communication skills, both verbal and non-verbal, the structuring of the presentation, and the ability to answer questions in a reasoned manner.
3. Group training sessions
The following will be assessed:
- Active participation, engagement, and attitude during the activities carried out in class.
- The ability to apply the contents worked on through practical exercises.
- The quality of contributions in individual and group dynamics.
- The degree to which the sessions are used effectively in relation to professional development.
4. Career Plan and associated presentation
The following will be assessed:
- The appropriateness and quality of the exercises carried out as part of the sessions (CV, LinkedIn, SWOT analysis, salary negotiation, etc.), in line with the criteria and guidance worked on in class.
- The coherence, realism, and clarity of the professional goals defined and the planning of the career plan.
- The ability to integrate self-awareness into the design of the professional pathway.
- The overall quality of the document, as well as the ability to synthesise and structure information.
- In the oral presentation, communication skills, both verbal and non-verbal, the structuring of the presentation, and the ability to answer questions effectively.
5. Individual coaching sessions
The following will be assessed:
- The level of engagement in the individual follow-up process.
- The ability to reflect on one’s own profile, completed exercises, and professional goals.
- The progress made in defining and adjusting the career plan.
- The ability to incorporate feedback received and apply it effectively to professional development.
6. Experiential activities
The following will be assessed:
- Active participation in the proposed activities.
- The extent to which students take advantage of opportunities to connect with companies and professionals.
- The ability to transfer the learning gained to their own professional pathway.
Self-awareness
- Dweck, C. S. (2016). Mindset: La actitud del éxito. Ediciones Paidós.
- Goleman, D. (1995). Inteligencia emocional. Kairós.
Personal branding
- Pérez Ortega, A. (2014). Marca personal para Dummies. Planeta.
- Collado Durán, E. (2016). Marca eres tú. Rasche.
Career planning
- Ruiz, A. (2018). El mapa de tu talento. Alienta Editorial.
- Robinson, K. (2009). Encuentra tu elemento. Grijalbo.
Labour market
- Oppenheimer, A. (2018). ¡Sálvese quien pueda! El futuro del trabajo en la era de la automatización. Debate.
- Martínez-Barea, J. (2014). El mundo que viene. Plataforma Editorial.
In addition to the core bibliography, the following resources are recommended in order to broaden and deepen the course contents:
- La Salle’s Career Center, as the main platform for searching internship and employment opportunities, as well as for accessing resources that support professional development.
- Professional platforms such as LinkedIn, for developing personal branding, networking, and professional visibility.
- Salary reports and labour market studies, especially in the animation, VFX & videogames sector.
- Resources and materials provided by La Salle’s Professional Development Center, as well as the possibility of requesting career guidance sessions to receive support in defining one’s profile and searching for internships.