Mobility specification

Country:Germany

Institution:EU-LAC Foundation

City:Hamburg

Program:Freemover long-term mobility

Activity type:Traineeship

Academic year:2024/2025

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Social Studies / Department of International Relations and European Studies

Study level abroad:Bachelor

✅Check the boxes

How would you categorize your internship?Social sciences

💼How-to: Interning abroad

How did you discover this internship opportunity?External website

External website - which one?https://eulacfoundation.org/en/opportunities/internships

Can you describe the role you held during your internship?Assisting the Programme Manager for Inter-Institutional Relations.

What specific responsibilities and tasks did you do during your internship?- Conceptualisation and implementation of projects within the strategic areas of the organisation
- Organisation of events and meetings
- Cooperation with Membership and relevant partners

Did your tasks align with the pre-defined conditions?yes

Did the internship meet your expectations?yes

Did you apply any theory you learned at university during the internship?yes

If yes, can you provide a specific example?The knowledge I gained while writing my term papers helped me a lot.

How well did you manage to communicate in a foreign language?perfectly

Did the institution have any special requirements?Technical knowledge (e.g., specific software skills)
Specific language skills
Level of study

Do you have tips on how to make a great impression on the institution?1. Cover letter
: I recommend you to look at the strategic areas in which the organisation works and choose one or two that are most close to you and adapt your cover letter accordingly.
: the letter should also clearly highlight what motivates you to apply for the internship
2. Language proficiency
: there are 2 official languages in the organisation (English and Spanish, but Spanish is the native language of most employees and is preferred in daily communication)
personal advice - I do not recommend doing this internship without knowing Spanish
3. Clear structured CV without unnecessary details
: volunteer activities on the CV are a big plus

How competitive was the selection process? Did you have to go through an application procedure?There were many parts to the application form, I would recommend making sure you work on every single one, especially the cover letter (as mentioned above). There is quite a lot of competition, with over 100 individuals applying in our cycle.

Why would you recommend students do an internship?It's the best possible way to gain practical skills and knowledge in the field, as well as a way to make new contacts for your future career.

💰And how to fund it?

What were your average monthly expenses during the internship?20000 CZK/month

Did the institution provide accommodation?no

If not, how did you find it?- I recommend posting an ad in the Facebook groups
- Watch out for scams
- Links to some groups:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1228577888308039
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1010422772722690
https://www.facebook.com/groups/263034937908954
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wohnungmietenhamburg
https://www.facebook.com/groups/mietwohnungenhamburg
https://www.facebook.com/groups/101468463893435
https://www.facebook.com/groups/855969351966381
https://www.facebook.com/groups/403294746911198
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2363186960417757
https://www.facebook.com/groups/440842746766722

Did you have any unexpected expenses during the internship?no

Do you have any tips on how to save money during the internship?- Making a budget for each week
- I recommend Aldi and Lidl
- For public transport - I recommend buying a Deutschland Ticket (58 EUR/month) - with this monthly ticket you can use public transport in every German city and also travel on regional trains throughout Germany

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How difficult was it for you to adjust to life abroad?absolutely flawless!

How well did you manage to communicate in English?perfectly

How does public transport work in the city?runs like clockwork

And what about transport outside the city?neutral

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?Public transport connections in Hamburg - HVV app https://www.hvv.de/de/app
Train connections - Deutsche Bahn app/ https://www.bahn.de

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?- The whole city is one big museum :) - with all the nice and not so nice
- I recommend to visit districts like Neustadt, Hafencity, Schanzenviertel (evening), Dammtor, Winterhude
- Don't miss a walk around the Alster lakes and also a visit to the Stadtpark
- Don't miss the concert at the Elbphilharmonie- even if you don't like classical music, just being there is an experience!
- There are also a number of galleries in the city that are worth a visit - the choice depends on your taste

What are the must-visit trip destinations?- In addition to Berlin, be sure to visit nearby towns such as Schwerin, Lübeck, Lüneburg or Bremen

Share your best experience:Every single day I spent in this city was a special experience in its own way, so it's really hard for me to pick just one. However, if I had to choose, it would definitely be the days when there was an event that I was involved in organising from the very beginning of my internship. It was a wonderful feeling to see the result of my three months of work, which many times was not easy. I was even more pleased when everything went smoothly and the participants were satisfied. The feeling was really priceless.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Train

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?It's important to have cash - many places in Germany don't allow you to pay by card.

Can you pay by card?neutral

What not to forget when packing?Nothing special, you can get everything in Germany.

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?An amazing experience, where I made a lot of friends and contacts in addition to the experience!