Anastasia Chelpanova

Hi, my name is Anastasia. I’m Russian, and now I’m here in Barcelona, in Barcelona Technology School, doing a Product Management course and I’m loving it.

What inspired you to study abroad?

First of all, I was looking to boost my career and also, at the same time, I was considering pivoting the industry where I’m working in. I’m working in the traditional industry, in the manufacturing. I worked just for one year in Tech industry and I loved it, but I was not sure if that was the right thing to do overall. And one more thing, I love Spain and I was considering for a few years to move here. So, this master’s course with BTS actually gave me a great opportunity to try living abroad in Spain, try this new industry and see if that’s what I was really looking for.

How is living in Barcelona?

Living in Barcelona is great. From a practical side, first of all, I’m a very practical person. I think it’s a quite affordable city to live in compared to other cities in Europe. Second of all, it has great transport connections. For expat people and for people from other countries, I think it’s great because it has a big international community, and you can easily make friends here. Culture wise, it’s a great city that has a lot of great museums, vibrant architecture and, professional wise, I think it’s a capital for the start-ups and it’s the capital of tech businesses overall.

How do you see yourself in future?

I definitely see myself here in Spain, either in Barcelona or Madrid, working as a product manager because while I was doing the course, I came to realize and to confirm that this is the right choice for me, and this is what I really want to do.

Are you developing new skills?

Here in Barcelona Technology School, it’s impossible not to develop a new skill. We have teachers from the industry who not only know what they’re talking about from the theory, but they do work there. They are founders of businesses, of startups, engineers, designers, consultants, lawyers…everyone you can imagine who could be related to the tech world to develop any digital product; we have them all and they share their hands-on experiences with us. It is especially important in the tech industry which is developing so fast. It’s basically impossible to write a book, create some theory and later teach somebody else. It’s all developing so fast… So, this is the only way to actually get to know what’s going on and what’s trending right now.

Why would you recommend Barcelona Technology School?

Definitely the number one for me are people, people who come and teach us. Everybody I just mentioned, great professionals, great people overall. I personally got an amazing mentor who is not only helping me to find a job, but actually helping me to become a better version of myself. And Barcelona itself, the place, it’s a great place to live in. It’s a great place to be, especially for people who are looking for a job in the tech industry. It’s the capital of tech industry in Europe to me. And because of all my classmates, I got great values not only from BTS´ course, but from meeting people here. They are all like-minded people, and I’m sure we will stay connected for many years to come.

Is this time abroad impacting your life?

I am a professional expat and I have been living abroad for many years. I lived in Asia for 14 years and coming here to Barcelona actually opened my mind a little bit, I saw a different balance between work and life. I think that Spanish people know how to work, but also how to have fun. And I definitely got inspired by many professionals that I met here. And just by local people that are so kind and nice, so I’m definitely looking forward to staying here.

How is your experience at Barcelona Technology School?

It’s been great. I’ve been choosing carefully; I’ve been thinking where I should go and what I should do. Spain was definitely a destination, I did a big research and, to me, Barcelona Technology School is a great balance between quality in education and how much you pay for it. The quality is great. We have all these amazing professionals coming here and giving us lectures and sharing their experiences. Plus, you just get to work with other like-minded people, your classmates, and you can learn from each other, not only from the teachers. And I wanted to say special thank you to everybody who works in Barcelona Technology school, to all the staff who make it happen. I really feel here like I have been taken care of. There are so many people who help you with all the daily stuff like setting in your papers in Barcelona or helping you with any technical problems or literally with anything that you can think about. So, thank you so much to everybody here who make it happen. You really make us feel taken care of and like at home. Thank you.