Adél – You’ll have an amazing time if you go abroad!
One of the many places Adel visited during her internship
A story by Adél Molnár
Country of origin: Hungary
Destination: UK
My name is Adél Molnár and I’m a Hungarian student. As part of my Bachelor degree in my last semester I had to have an internship. I sent my CV to amny places at home in Hungary, and decided to try to get a placement abroad in the UK. I have been lucky to visit England many times, and always wanted to go back so this was a dream for me to spend some months there. After a while I almost stopped to look for placements in Hungary because I became so obsessed to find something in the UK. I searched for opportunities on Google. That’s how I find ESPA as well. I was looking for a free opportunity because I knew that I can’t afford if I have to pay for the help they are offering me. First when I registered and sent my CV, we arranged an interview. I was really excited. I talked to Madeline about my CV, my experiences, studies and goals. Few weeks later I also applied for one of the open placements on ESPA’s website. Then I had an interview with Colin about the tasks I have to accomplish if I get hired. We arranged that I’ll receive a note whether I’m appropriate for the company. After I few days I got a call from Colin that they would like me to join ESPA. I can’t say how happy and excited I was!
Arrival and work: I arrived to the small but beautiful Bath on the 6th July. Colin was so kind that he and the other intern, Chloé, gave me a lift from Bristol airport to Bath, which was a huge help, because I had two heavy luggages. I have to say I was a bit nervous because I haven’t done anything like this previously. I was alone in a country where I haven’t been longer than 2 weeks before. However, this was one of the adventures I was waiting in my life, so I wasn’t afraid. I’ve to say I was right. There was nothing to worry about. Colin and Madeline helped me with everything if I had a problem. They involved me in every type of work at ESPA. They gave me the chance to improve my skills. My tasks were to get in contact with different countries’ universities to inform them about the opportunity ESPA is giving. I kept in touch different students as well, who applied for an internship and sent their CVs in. I was responsible for the social media parts of ESPA. That means that I uploaded some new contents on the website (mainly blogposts) and post on the Facebook and Twitter page.
Beside s working in the office I got the opportunity to attend on the UK Trade and Investment Export Week in Exeter and in Birmingham, which I enjoyed very much, because I was able to meet with the other side of ESPA’s program, the companies. After reading so many excellent CVs and emailing with so many students I could easily tell the companies’ representatives how many advances they can get from hiring a foreign intern. Besides helping ESPA it was a fantastic opportunity to me to show myself I’m able to stop strangers and start to talk to them in English. 🙂
Colin and Madeline also took me and the other intern, which was first the French Chloé, then Jessica, who came from Germany and has Polish parents, to breakfasts where we could meet local companies’ owners talk to them about what we do and listen their experiences and everyday tasks. With Colin I also attend on Imogen Woodford’s „The Ultimate Guide to Social media” presentation, which was very interesting and useful. I received plenty of useful information which I could use in my work and later also in my thesis which I had to give in after I came back to Hungary.
Free time: Besides working I had of course free time as well. I was able to visit some nice places in England after walking around in Bath. I was in Lacock with Chloé and Hannah (an English girl with who was my flatmate at my first accommodation), I visited Oxford, Cardiff, the Stonehenge, Birmingham, Manchester, London and Bristol several times, also with my great flatmates Beatriz, Maria and Jessica. Even now that I wrote down this list of places where I have been it seems crazy that I was this lucky! With Jessica we also got involved in the life of university students because Bea and Maria introduced their friends to us and took us to some meetings.
Conclusion: So guys I could write even more and more about my experiences and what I have seen and done, but don’t want to bore you. I just want to encourage you that you should make this step as well, and go abroad and have an internship there. I met just nice and helpful people who never made me feel that I’m a stranger there. I have to say I was really lucky with my bosses Colin and Madeline as well, because they were always helpful and supported me whether I was ill or I had to write my thesis.
I can assure you that you’ll have an amazing time if you go abroad! This will give you an experience which you wouldn’t be able to get at home. I’d do it again and hopefully I’ll be able to go abroad several times later as well. I wish all of you a good luck to reach your goals and dreams!
