Zuzana at Erasmus+ placements
Zuzana Chudá went on two practical placements thanks to the Erasmus+ programme. You can find out how she got the placement positions, where she went and what her experience was in the article she wrote for our blog.
Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Stockholm
During my Master’s degree in Sociology at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University, I completed two practical placements abroad. The first foreign professional experience was a 5-month placement in Sweden at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Stockholm. I approached the institution myself via email, where I sent them my CV and cover letter. Then I had a short interview and after a few weeks of waiting for the confirmation of the placement, I could start applying for the Erasmus+ scholarship. As I had already done an Erasmus+ study stay before, I didn’t find the administrative process complicated. Thanks to the detailed description of the necessary application requirements and the great support from the university, the process went smoothly and quickly.
I didn’t need anything to get a practical placement at the embassy other than a bachelor’s degree and self-motivation. Although at first glance this placement was not very relevant to my field, thanks to my background in sociology and social policy, I had developed strong analytical skills and an interest in understanding social and political processes.
My internship involved monitoring the media and reporting on important events as well as taking minutes of government briefings. Selected issues were further elaborated together with another intern into comprehensive reports, such as hybrid threats in the world and in Sweden. In addition to political and economic topics, we also dealt with cultural diplomacy, which included the representation of Slovakia and Slovak culture in Sweden and, conversely, the popularisation of Swedish customs for Slovaks. In this area, we had room for creativity as interns as well as the opportunity to actively participate in social media or in various events. It was an interesting experience for me to get to know Slovaks working in Sweden and to process their stories.
Apart from the internship at the embassy, I had the opportunity to get to know Stockholm, the Swedish language and culture during these 5 months, even though I spent most of my time “on Slovak land”. I arrived in Sweden at the beginning of the year during the winter, when the whole city looked gloomy. Even though it was the capital, the streets were empty. As spring gradually arrived, the city changed and my affection for it grew. Stockholm is, compared to our cities, a city built for the people and with respect for nature. The infrastructure is suited to the active lifestyle of Swedes and as a pedestrian, one really has to watch out for frantic cyclists. My favourite aspect of the city was that it spans an archipelago and ferries are commonly used as a means of transport. As part of their social life, Stockholmers are fond of various games. Whether in bars or on the street. For example, such petanque is a common activity to make the days and clear summer nights more pleasant.
An unpleasant aspect of my internship was the financial expenses, either for daily needs or accommodation. Embassy internships are unpaid and therefore the Erasmus+ scholarship was crucial for me. Stockholm is one of the most expensive cities in Europe and housing availability is low, especially for foreigners. Even though it is still the EU, in many cases a foreigner was at a big disadvantage. A Swedish ID number was needed for many tasks, even for trivialities like registering for a supermarket customer programme. In the case of looking for a tenancy, one also had to go through a complicated process, such as providing proof of finances, a CV, a work contract or internship agreement, and references from previous landlords. Each tenant has to be approved by the housing board and in some cases the fact that the person is not from Sweden will weigh in. For these reasons, I had to go through the process of looking for a new apartment and moving once. The rental market is also full of scammers, which was also my experience, unfortunately. Despite some inconveniences, my internship was a valuable experience that opened the door to other opportunities.
OECD Istanbul Centre
A year later, thanks to this experience, I got an internship at the OECD, specifically at the regional centre in Istanbul, which connects OECD countries with the surrounding regions. Getting an internship in an international and prestigious organisation is a lengthy and uncertain process. A person’s skills and experience are important but factors of chance also weigh heavily, as hundreds, if not thousands, of motivated students and graduates apply for open positions. The OECD internship application process works on the principle of selecting a potential candidate for a given team from the talent pool. Thus, a student cannot apply for a specific position; there is only one general application form. Some teams also occasionally post adverts on LinkedIn, but the reach of these posts is small. After I was approached from Istanbul to see if I would be interested in an internship in Turkey as well, and not just at the headquarters in Paris, two rounds of interviews with policy analysts as well as with the head of the department followed. During the interview we discussed my skills, previous experience as well as specific assignments related to communication of selected topics and analytical work.
The internship consisted of searching and processing secondary data on selected topics and collaborating on the production of research reports. Daily activities mainly involved searching, summarising and analysing. The OECD Istanbul Centre is also very active in creating space for inter-regional dialogue as well as in training local and regional actors. On several occasions I have had the opportunity to participate in the organisation of similar events and not only to gain insight into the processes but also to come into personal contact with people in prominent positions with an active influence on certain issues. The internship at the OECD also includes a financial contribution.
This experience allowed me to understand the functioning of international organisations and their role not only internationally but also regionally. The fact that this OECD centre is based in Istanbul contributes to linking and creating space for different perspectives, thus allowing for a more local and effective approach. It has deepened my understanding of the importance and complexity of this type of work.
Life in Istanbul had an equally strong impact on me. It is the kind of experience you can talk about for hours. On a professional and personal level, the experience has really opened my eyes. Especially because I came out of our “European bubble”. Every foreign experience is a broadening of horizons, but even more so when it really is a step outside of our “comfort zone”, i.e. what is close to us and what we are familiar with. Although one could easily perceive Istanbul as too chaotic, dirty or dangerous, it is in fact a friendly, welcoming city with endless possibilities.
My favourite aspect of the city, and the one I like to return to most in my memories, is once again being able to get on a ferry and take a ride to the other shore or the nearest island. The experience is all the more exciting when you know that you are actually moving between two geographical entities – Europe and Asia. At the same time, Istanbul is a city full of history, the understanding of which reveals many connections. Furthermore, living in such a city, one has to accept the fact that some things work without much organisation or functioning rules as we are used to. In many cases, I had to rely on locals I knew or not so well known. However, as a foreigner with a rudimentary knowledge of Turkish, I never felt unwelcome or threatened.
Although it was only a 4-month internship and stay in Istanbul, I found it a very enriching experience both professionally and personally. I am currently still finishing my Master’s degree and so I am just starting to build my career path. I believe that completing this internship will once again open another door to a new opportunity that I might not have otherwise been able to access so easily.
