AIFS Abroad Internships in Dublin, Ireland

Why did you decide to intern abroad with Global Experiences in Dublin?

Mackenzie: I've always known that I wanted to study abroad, but I decided that interning abroad would be more to my benefit. For media production, I felt it was better to have real world experience when it comes to getting jobs. My older sister had interned abroad in Sydney, so that influenced my decision to intern abroad instead of study abroad. I found Global Experiences after doing some research and just decided on Dublin. Why not, right? I am very Irish, but that's not what made me choose Dublin. There was just something about Dublin that seemed different and more unique than all the other cities. It wasn't the typical 'big city.' Paris has always been the city I've wanted to visit, but, against all odds, I still chose Dublin. After spending a weekend in Paris while I was interning, I realized that I made the right choice. Dublin is a great city; it is a big city, but has a small city charm. When I left for my summer in Dublin, I didn't know what to expect. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, by I don't regret a second of it.

What made this experience unique and special?

Mackenzie: The main thing that made this experience unique and special for me was the fact that I was in a different country. I was immersed into the Dublin culture by living and working there. After the first week, I felt like I had been living in Dublin for months; I was no longer a tourist. Having a routine of going to work every day, taking the Luas, and meeting my roommates for dinner made it feel like this was just my typical, everyday life.

How has this experience impacted your future?

Mackenzie: I've always been a big believer in the saying, 'life begins at the end of your comfort zone', and going to Dublin was definitely a big step out of my comfort zone. After coming home from Dublin, I really noticed a change in myself, both professionally and personally. Professionally, it gave me the experience of working in an office with businesses professionals and making videos for clients. I was able to learn about what I really want in a career and how I see my future in the media production field. Coming to Dublin and not knowing anyone helped my grow personally. I'm not the type of person to put myself out there when it comes to meeting people. So Dublin was a way to force myself to do that in many different situations. I had to find a way to deal with being in different situations and figuring out how to get around and meet new people.

What was the highlight of your experience?

Mackenzie: I don't think I could pinpoint a single highlight of my entire experience. If I had to pick, it would be all the opportunities we had to travel: Gelndalough, Kilkenny, Cliffs of Moher, Connemara, Kylemore Abbey, and the Ring of Kerry, just to name a few. There were a few organized trips with Global Experiences, but I took every weekend opportunity I had to travel both in and out of Ireland. Dublin was an amazing city, but having the opportunity to get out and explore the rest of the country, as well as other countries, was an amazing experience.

What is one piece of advice you would offer someone considering interning abroad in Dublin?

Mackenzie: My advice would be to go for it! It's going to be a great experience no matter what your internship placement ends up being. It's going to make you grow personally and professionally. Take every opportunity you have to travel even it it's just around Ireland. Dublin is an amazing city, but there are very different parts of Ireland outside of Dublin.

What makes interning in Dublin a unique experience for interns?

Peter: Dublin is a special place to do an internship. It is a compact and welcoming city, a place where newcomers often comment on how quickly they feel “at home”. Dublin has a rich, varied heritage and culture and, like the rest of Ireland, has undergone enormous transformation in recent years. You will encounter a society which is diverse and open to change and new ideas. There are strong links with the US and Canada and also with the rest of Europe and beyond. Dublin has the intimacy of a large, open community within a global one.

What can you tell us about the workplace culture in Dublin?

Peter: With the seventh highest rate of productivity in the world (OECD, 2012), Ireland and, its capital city, Dublin have a reputation for being hard working. That said, you are likely to encounter a workplace culture which is relaxed and which puts an emphasis on collegiality, a project-focused work environment involving management, employees and interns alike. Global Experiences sources host companies who value the benefits of establishing meaningful, career-structured assignments for interns. Your supervisor and employer will be approachable and will be conscious of the very positive – even transforming – effect that a successful internship relationship can have on their organisation.

In any new work culture, there is likely to be a period of adjustment as you and the organisation get to know each other. We explore the general and specific challenges relating to your internship during our orientation and at our mid-point meetings.

Some helpful tips:

1. Follow the dress code and work practices for your organisation
2. Communicate with your supervisor on the nature of your assignments and keep in mind that these might change during the course of your internship
3. Show initiative and enthusiasm
4. Go for coffee and lunch with colleagues.

Do interns need prior work experience in order to apply for this internship?

Peter: No. It is not necessary to have prior work experience to apply for an internship. However, as an important step in your chosen career, it is expected that you will have completed relevant college assignments and/or demonstrated an understanding of your internship field through extra-curricular school or community-based activities.

How does Global Experiences ensure a rich professional experience during this internship?

Peter: Global Experiences ensures a rich professional experience for interns through carefully matching candidates with their first choice internship areas. As an intern, your mentors will be people who have expertise and an in-depth understanding of what makes their organisation work. Whether you are writing blogs and press releases, using social media, producing and editing video material, planning an arts event/exhibition/conference, working on law cases, offering referral services to clients, researching markets and social and organisational policy – whatever your tasked responsibility might be, you will be making a meaningful contribution to your organisation. Your enthusiasm, initiative and willingness to apply yourself are key to the success of your internship. To have demonstrated flexibility and an ability to work and deliver on a team-based project in an overseas organisation can only impress any future employer and stand to you in life.

Career development is central to what makes an internship with Global Experiences of value. Through our Strengths training, our mid-point meetings and debriefing, you will have the supportive environment and tools to explore and reflect on the next stages of your career.

What are some extra-curricular activities participants enjoy while interning in Dublin?

Peter: We devise a fun program of social and cultural events which complements the schedule of your internship and which makes the most out of what Dublin and Ireland has to offer. These include tours and walks of the city, a day trip to the monastic site of Glendalough in the Wicklow mountains and the medieval city of Kilkenny and also to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren in County Clare. We also attend the theatre, a traditional music performance and have the opportunity to develop our skills of Irish dancing at a Ceili. Dublin’s pub and cafe culture is renowned and we visit some excellent Dublin restaurants.

Dublin is a vibrant festival city and in addition to its many museums, galleries and places of striking historic interest, the cities of Belfast, Cork and Galway are all within a day-trip reach and well served by public transport. London is just an hour’s flight away, Paris and Amsterdam 90 minutes and we are approximately two hours from Berlin, Barcelona and Milan. Flights can work out cheap and can make weekend visits very possible.

What is one piece of advice you would offer someone considering interning abroad in Dublin?

Peter: As one intern recently said about her time in Dublin with Global Experiences: “They (GE) make it comfortable for you. They don’t molly-coddle you; they make you feel comfortable so that you can move out of your comfort zone and really explore who you are and your career possibilities.”