At the beginning of this semester, I had a lot of reasons to worry. I still had to go to interviews for an internship position, straighten all details regarding a possible relocation and face my fear that I won’t be able to make it into the real world.
One Sunday afternoon, I got a call. It was someone from a company I vaguely remembered to have applied for, Upgrade Academy. They were asking me if I had some time to talk about my application. Puzzled, but also happy with the unexpectedness of the situation (it didn’t allow me to stress about the interview), I agreed and postponed my other plans.
I was asked about my interests and hobbies, why I chose to study Communication Science and why I chose to do it abroad (the company was based in my home country), and what I saw for myself in the future. I answered honestly and was relieved to see how an interview can turn into a thought-provoking conversation about feminism and the need for environmental measures.
I was told that I will be informed on whether I had passed to the next stage and what the next steps would be.
A few impatient days later, an email announced me that I had, in fact, aced my interview and that I was expected to comprise a report on the current communication efforts of the company and my advice for them.
After this step, I was scheduled to be interviewed by everyone on the team, giving me the opportunity to meet my potential teammates and to ask any questions about the company, while they assessed whether I would be a good cultural fit.
It all went well, and in a week, after packing endless boxes, I was moving to Bucharest.
The internship as a whole had a few ups and downs. The ups – I got to implement most of my ideas from my initial report and see the fruit of my labour; and the downs – just after half of my internship I had to continue it remotely, due to the pandemic.
Now, at the end of my Upgrade Academy experience, I can say that a lot of my fears of not fitting in the workforce have vanished and quite a few opinions regarding what work should feel and look like have changed severely.
Firstly, I feel more confident than ever that I can adapt and rise to the expectations of any working position in the field of marketing and communication.
Secondly, I was shown how an ever-changing work environment looks like and I feel better equipped to handle any changes regarding my future career or meeting the demands of the future job market.
Thirdly, I got to expand my knowledge in many areas by doing mistakes and learning from them and by taking initiative in new endeavours that were foreign to me until that moment.
I wholeheartedly recommend an internship at Upgrade Academy, not only for the valuable work experience but for the ability to adapt to change that becomes more poignant in this environment.