Meet Margot in Amsterdam!

Margot flew to Amsterdam for a 6-months internship. We got to ask her a couple of questions on her experiences, including the arrival to a new city in times of COVID-19. Read the complete interview here:

Why did you decide to do an internship abroad?
Hello, I’m Margot and I decided to do an internship abroad because I’ve always wanted to have an international work experience that could enable me to improve my English proficiency and boost my CV at the same time.

Has Amsterdam always been your dream-destination?
Yes. Amsterdam is and always has been my favourite city of all, indeed I can truly say that since I chose to look for an internship in Europe, I have never had any doubts about the destination.

How did you hear about Stage Global?
When I started doing research for an internship, I looked into several agencies on the internet. Eventually I found Stage Global, which in my opinion was the best option for both my needs and wallet. The personal approach of their website was very appealing to me and the way they welcomed me as soon as I reached out to them convinced me to get the internship arranged through them.

How did you like your internship?
Unfortunately my internship started simultaneously with COVID-19’s restrictive measures, therefore my experience has been quite different from what I expected. Nevertheless, I feel like saying that despite the critical situation worldwide I was happy to be in Amsterdam, and overall the internship went great. The company I worked for (they operate the online travel platforms for surf holidays SurfaWhile and Errant Surf from their office in Amsterdam) I experienced as very stimulating, dynamic and inspiring and the team was composed by young and friendly people that taught me a lot and made me feel truly involved in the business. To be honest, even if it is hard to believe, I wouldn’t change a single thing of my whole experience.

What have you learned most during the internship?
Thanks to this internship I had my very first work experience, allowing me to observe closely how does a business works. Professionally speaking I believe my organizational and management skills have highly improved, as much as my English proficiency. I strongly believe that this experience provided me with lots of knowledge and useful tools for my future career. Throughout the time I have been working for the companies, I mainly focused on marketing, in particular Social Media. Quite quickly I was entrusted with the full responsibility for all posts on channels like Instagram and Facebook.

What did you like most about the company?
The team. I have been lucky enough to end up in a company composed by young and friendly people highly motivated by their job. The positive attitude of all members made the working environment pleasant and never dull. They gave me the confidence resulting in several responsibilities. I can only imagine that this could have been way different at other companies. 

How did you like Amsterdam?
As I said Amsterdam is my favourite city of all and living there did nothing but strengthen my love for the place. The silver lining of being there during COVID-19 is that I had the chance to wander around the city without tourists, admiring Amsterdam as it has never been before. Obviously I would have preferred bars and restaurants to be open – which actually was the case during part of my time – but I’m still very happy of the experiences I gained, despite of the limitations that were in place.

How is Amsterdam different from Milan?
I found Amsterdam much more cosmopolitan than Milan and most of citizens are very young, coming from different countries. Prices are slightly higher than Milan but overall the city is very suitable for students. My first experiences in the city that basically is being taken over by people on bikes was rather interesting but as soon as I got used to it, it never has been a problem. It’s a very nice and convenient way of getting around – but I have to admit that to an Italian it wasn’t self-evident to go outside while it was either raining or cold.

Could you describe a typical day of your internship?
Before Corona I woke up at 8:00 am, had breakfast and got ready to reach the office by 9:00. Since the virus occurred we started working from home; the time schedule has never changed as well as the communication between me and my colleagues, indeed we had several digital meetings during the week to coordinate our work. As a Social Media-Marketeer I used to spend most of my day planning, searching and creating contents to enhance the company’s accounts performance, take care of the community and do research on the latest digital marketing tools and trends. Besides the regular duties I had the chance to write a few articles for their blog. On average we worked 8-9 hours per day (from 9 to 18) depending on deadlines or national holidays. What I really liked is that I was given the freedom and responsibility to reach out to influencers, other SM-accounts and other interesting people that I wanted to feature on the channels of the company’s accounts.

Where did you live during your internship?
The first month I shared a nice two floors apartment with a Greek guy and a Spanish girl. Due to bureaucratic reasons I had to leave that place and moved in the city centre in a super cosy apartment next to the canals where I lived together with a Singaporean guy for the following months.

What was the effect of Covid on your internship?
Unfortunately I had to work from home for the entire length of the internship, bars and restaurants were closed and I missed the chance to socialize with new people. However, the duties I had to perform, as well as the magic of Amsterdam kept me surely entertained.

What are your plans for 2021?
In September 2021 I’ll start a master’s program in Amsterdam. I cannot wait to be back in the city.

Has this international opportunity helped you grow both personally and professionally?
Because of COVID-19 I found myself in a situation with not too many people around. Nonetheless I feel I have gained a lot of professional experience, despite of the entire situation. Living in a new city, finding my way around and experiencing a different culture to what I’m used to certainly has taught me some lessons of life.

Would you - and why - recommend others to do an internship abroad?
I highly recommend to do an internship abroad all the times to all of my friends. I think it’s something everybody should take into consideration to get out of their comfort zone and explore different realities. In this world, that’s ever turning more global, it’s essential to have an idea of what’s out there.