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International Students Testimonies

Online marketing internship in sunny Portugal

An internship abroad is not only a wonderful opportunity to gain exciting practical experience, it's also a perfect way to get to know another country and its culture. Cologne journalism student Julia Flamm decided to look beyond the horizon and completed an internship in online marketing in the picturesque metropolis of Lisbon. Here she tells us about her experiences.

Julia Flamm really enjoyed her internship abroad and would recommend it to any student.

Julia Flamm really enjoyed her internship abroad and would recommend it to any student.

Where did you do your internship and in which department?

I did my internship in online marketing, at the hotel and travel guide Secretplaces Lda. on the beautiful Lisbon coast.

How did you like it? Would you recommend it to other HMKW students?

It was an incredibly great experience and I'm very glad I chose it despite the circumstances (Corona, etc.). I can recommend it to anyone who wants to get a taste of foreign air and get to know everyday working life in foreign countries.

What was the biggest challenge during your internship abroad?

I think the biggest challenge is making your own decision to get involved in an internship abroad. Once you're on the ground, you adapt to the new circumstances and also deal with potential problems and language barriers. Since I'm an open-minded person who really enjoys new challenges and foreign cultures and languages, I actually perceived the entire time as an opportunity rather than a challenge.

 

Please tell us more about your areas of work: What were your main tasks during your internship? Which contents from your studies were reflected in your work or were particularly helpful to you?

I was asked to do a lot of writing, which of course suited me very well thanks to my journalism studies. My main tasks included maintaining the social media channels as well as writing hotel descriptions, community management and supporting the entire team with customer communication. In some cases, I was also able to handle independent projects, such as writing blog posts and newsletters, as well as editing smaller video sequences. I think it was a good combination of applied knowledge and learning by doing. Especially communicating and writing in different languages was a new challenge that made me gain confidence and self-esteem.

Has the internship helped you with regard to your career goals and plans for the future?

Indirectly, I think so, because I realized how versatile the career field of marketing and corporate communications is and that you shouldn't limit your job search to just one location or one country. I could definitely imagine studying or working abroad in the future, which I wouldn't have thought possible in the past.

What’s your advice for students who decide to go abroad for an internship? 

Just do it! The worst thing that can happen is that you will know exactly which job you don't want to do later.

Thanks for the insights and all the best to you!