Mobility specification

Country:France

Institution:Ville de Rennes

City:Rennes

Program:Erasmus+ traineeship

Activity type:Traineeship

Academic year:2024/2025

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Economics and Administration / Department of Public Economics

Study level abroad:Master

✅Check the boxes

How would you categorize your internship?Economics and Administration

💼How-to: Interning abroad

How did you discover this internship opportunity?Field coordinator

Can you describe the role you held during your internship?Rennes City Hall International and European Affairs Department - Twin Cities Agenda (Europe) and Pupil Mobility.

What specific responsibilities and tasks did you do during your internship?I took minutes of meetings (within the department, but also with external stakeholders - region, department, contributory organisations) and events organised by the department. I accompanied the delegation during the 60th anniversary celebrations with a german twin city. I took part in the preparations for the forthcoming anniversary with another twin city. I created documents for the promotion of the Czech Republic in primary schools.

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?I knew how the competences of the individual local self-government units were divided. I had an overview of the various financial instruments at EU level.

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

Did the institution have any special requirements?Specific language skills

Do you have tips on how to make a great impression on the institution?Tailor your CV to the position. If the person has had multiple jobs or internships, try to highlight those that are more related to the field of the internship (e.g. similar skills and abilities).

Why would you recommend students do an internship?The traineeship gives you an insight into the working environment and gives you your first work experience. It will give you an insight into how to deal with colleagues, supervisors and people outside your organisation. And it will complement your theoretical knowledge with practical experience. You will see that theory is/is not applicable in real life. In addition, it will allow you to create a network of contacts in the Czech Republic or abroad, which you can eventually rely on once you leave school. At the same time, if it is a foreign internship you will improve your skills in a foreign language.

💰And how to fund it?

What were your average monthly expenses during the internship?25000 CZK/month

Did the institution provide accommodation?no

If not, how did you find it?I had accommodation arranged through the partner university. It was a CROUS dormitory.

Did you have any unexpected expenses during the internship?yes

If yes, what were they?The doctor's visit, but it was reimbursed by the insurance company I had travel insurance with.

Do you have any tips on how to save money during the internship?Don't buy branded products, focus on low cost brands. Calculate your subscriptions to see if it's worth arranging or setting up cards with different retailers. Alternatively, switch country on mobile apps (e.g. Lidl).
It's usually cheapest to cook, but canteens are great too, for example, where you can get a student discount.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How difficult was it for you to adjust to life abroad?no problem at all

How well did you manage to communicate in English?perfectly

How does public transport work in the city?neutral

And what about transport outside the city?mostly fine

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?Most often each city has its own public transport app (can be found on the internet).
As for trains in France, there is the SNCF app. I haven't found the equivalent of our IDOS.
For buses between cities, Flixbus is great and BlaBlaCar works well too.

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?yes

How do you rate the availability of healthcare?I've seen better

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?For me, it's the markets at the Marché des Lices, which are every Saturday. Parc du Thabor, Prairie Saint Martin or Jardin Chinois are also great places.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?For me, I'm off to Brittany. It's beautiful, but if you don't drive along the coast it's harder to get to by public transport. Anyway, the coast is worth it too.
CMI organises trips and for me the most beautiful was to Josselin and Rochefort en terre.
Saint Malo is beautiful. Must see is Mont Saint Michel.

Share your best experience:There were a lot of them, but I have to single out the TGV travel. I've been all over France on it, and I've looked all the way to Nice.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Bus

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?There is no direct connection to Rennes, so you have to make up your mind how you want to go. Either way, a change in either Paris or Nantes is necessary.

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?Definitely bring an umbrella or raincoat to Rennes, whether you are going in autumn or spring.
Bring things that can be layered, the weather in Rennes is very moody so you are always dressing and undressing.

🥳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?TGV, cider and an umbrella are my best buddies!