If you want to explore the world and try an internship in another city or country, did you know that you can do an Erasmus + or Turing Scheme mobility? Once you’ve decided on the destination, think about which type of company you want to work for.
Perhaps your first thought is that you want to work for a big company, maybe one that’s well known, and this is of course, a great opportunity to pimp up your curriculum vitae and gather valuable work experience. However, doing your internship in a small company, could also be a great and unique opportunity for you, and your personal development. You can see behind the scenes in lots of different areas, and if you are lucky, you will be able to work in a variety of departments, more than if you were working in a big company.
There are a lot of advantages of doing your Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme internship in a small company.
One important thing is that you can work in different areas of a company, as mentioned. This could be challenging but that is what takes you further and promotes your development. Another advantage is that in small companies there are easier channels of communication, the boss knows you personally, and the atmosphere in the team itself makes it pleasant working in a team. Also, your opinion could be worth much more. The company will likely be extremely interested in your theoretical knowledge. So, you might have the opportunity of doing different tasks, which means more responsibility, and this will help you develop further. By the end of your internship, you will have experienced a wide spectrum of tasks promoting your personal growth - which is a great outcome! Maybe you’ll also find new interests, through your Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme internship tasks!
My internship in Austria was at a small television company, specialising in regional television, and it was a family-run company. The internship was mandatory and part of my university education. I was studying German physiology and had no experience in the television industry before my internship. I was not used doing anything in front of a camera, but during my internship the boss gave me the responsibility to make my own television programme, which was a cool task! I created a TV programme covering the festival “Wear Faire” in the Tabak Fabrik in Linz. It is a festival, where artists show and present different types of sustainable things. I conducted an interview with a female artist, she made jewellery using old parts from computers.
To make my programme I had to drive to the festival and a camera man accompanied me. I did the interview and edited the whole thing by myself. It was a big challenge for me, because I had to teach myself the programme, which I had never used before. It took me some time, but I did it. In the end the programme was aired and to be honest, I was immensely proud of myself! It showed me that you can do anything you want to when you are interested in something and you try really hard.
For me it was an interesting and exciting internship. I learnt a lot, about myself and about how to turn tasks into something brilliant! I met new people, and I got to know a completely new industry. At the end of the internship, the boss even offered me a moderation job!
If you want to know more about this topic read this interesting blog from my colleague Jacqueline: Internship in a Large Company Vs. Internship in a Small Company.
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