Towards the end of the first year of my Bachelor’s, I began to spitball different ideas regarding where I would like to go in the last leg of my degree to gain valuable working experience. I knew I wanted to challenge myself and possibly find a place where I would have to step out of my comfort zone. So, I began applying to numerous places, but unfortunately, none of the choices I found, could offer me a position September 2018 onwards.
Then one day, I stumbled upon an intriguing opportunity on a Facebook group aimed at Finnish people seeking for jobs in the Netherlands. The Finnish Dutch Chamber of Commerce was looking for a Marketing and Communications intern for the fall semester 2018 in Rotterdam. A few days later after applying for the position, I received a phone call asking whether I could take part in a Skype interview to assess my fit for the organization. Before I knew it, I was taking the train to Rotterdam to introduce myself in front of the board of the organization and to meet the current intern that preceded me.
As a Marketing and Communications Intern, I had several different responsibilities, ranging from developing and implementing the Finnish Dutch Chamber of Commerce’s long-term business plan, administrative tasks, writing monthly newsletters, creating content for social media and website, to representing the organization in various official events.
Some of the most memorable moments during the internship have been organizing and documenting the NordicTalks2018 Diversity Summit, Meet & Greet event with the new Ambassador of Finland to the Netherlands, H.E. Ambassador Paivi Kaukoranta, and representing the Finnish Dutch Chamber of Commerce during the Eficode opening party at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam.
During our last board meeting before the end of my internship period, we had a dinner party with Mrs. Ambassador Kaukoranta in the Hague. To my surprise, the board proposed for me to join the board as a Young Professional Coordinator. This moment, in a way, made me actualize that it hasn’t been just myself who has enjoyed working at the Finnish Dutch Chamber of Commerce, but that the temporary colleagues at the organization have appreciated my efforts and output during these last five months.
The internship has been very fruitful and enjoyable as the tasks have been versatile and there has been a great opportunity to boost your CV, and network with members from Nordic and Dutch organizations and also with entrepreneurs from a variety of domains. Furthermore, I have been able to combine the best of both worlds by getting in touch with fellow Finnish people in the Netherlands via the Embassy of Finland in the Netherlands, the Finnish Cultural Institute of the Benelux, Finnish Seamen’s Mission in Rotterdam, and Vereniging Nederland-Finland.
To conclude, the internship has given me exceptional insight behind the communication processes and strategies behind non-profit organizations and their importance in their relative fields and taught me valuable practical skills throughout the internship period.
