By sdemetry
Liebe GW Studenten-
I hope you are all enjoying the winter months in DC. Take full advantage of the snow that you appear to be experiencing- it is a slush-fest in Berlin, and no one is enjoying it.
I can't believe I'm even saying this, but it is finals week here- that means that the semester is ENDING. I cannot believe that I've already been in Berlin for half of a year, it's flown by... luckily, I'm staying here through the end of next semester. I am definitely not ready to give up the my newfound wonders and all of the small joys of European life in exchange for America just yet.
So far my internship with The Nature Conservancy has been great. As I mentioned last time, I'm getting a lot of experience that I wasn't able to get in DC, and that has been a major plus for me. Being trusted with concrete and legitimate tasks is the most gratifying thing about being an intern, because you actually matter. Now that I've come to realize that, I definitely do not want to return to the days of coffee-grabbing and staple-removing any time soon.
But, even though my internship has been amazing, there have also been some rough spots along the way. The German office is run much differently than the American- I mean that as generally as possible, not simply in terms of TNC. The start and end time of the work day is much more lenient, there are wine tastings mid-day and the employees all seem to be friends with each other. This is awesome, and I actually like it a lot more than the American mentality, but it can be very detrimental to one's work ethic. I have had multiple experiences where, since I am the intern inhabiting the once empty "party" desk, I have been asked to shut my laptop, stop working for the day and enjoy the party. They're using my table anyway, so there is no "need" for me to be working. I generally laugh and shrug it off, shift to the very edge of the desk and attempt to continue my work while they set up the cheese and crackers- but when there is a party happening on your desk, it is near impossible to get work done. However, I am happy to say that it isn't a challenge that I haven't overcome. For every minute I allow myself to slack off and enjoy the party, I either stay late, or if that isn't possible, work from home on my assignments. Using this ingenious technique, I've managed to keep my output at the same level, party or not. Not too complicated of a concept, but it really does take motivation to do intern-work from home with a full course load.
Other than that the only other challenges I have experienced are due to the international nature of the company. It isn't uncommon for my boss to be out of the office for weeks at a time, and when he isn't there, it's difficult to get work done. Things need to constantly be edited and proofed, and when there is no one around to instruct me, the days can be pretty unproductive. But that's to be expected. The office doesn't regularly have interns, so they sometimes flounder around in the overseeing of my work and assigning of new projects, and the projects are much more involved than the average intern, as I previously mentioned.
I have definitely made a small difference in the Nature Conservancy Europe, and of that I am very proud. The assignments I have completed have been put into direct use, from budget planning to powerpoint presentations, and I have been able to see the result of my work clearly. I am also excited that I've been able to talk in German in a professional setting without much difficulty.
As I continue my research into the coming semester, I hope to become even more adept at conversing "auf Deutsch" in a professional setting. There are many facets of this internship that I can work on and improve over the next few months in order to make it as beneficial as possible. So far, it has been absolutely worth it. I've had an amazing experience and I don't think it's comparable to anything I could do in the United States.
With that, there isn't much left to say! I am now preparing to take some time off of my research to take a much needed Christmas vacation in Salzburg. The holiday season is upon us, and I cannot wait to experience it through a European lens.
SO: Happy Holiday Season everyone, I hope you're all ready to take a little break from your internships as well.
Until Next Time,
SD