Over the past six weeks, I have been an intern at Simbiotik, a partnership marketing agency in London. The office is located Farringdon neighborhood of the city, which has given me the chance to take the Tube and commute to the office four days each week. The working environment is small and very personal, with only eight employees in total. This is a different type of setting than I am used to and has been an integral part of the adjustment process. I have enjoyed working in London so far and I am looking forward to seeing how the remainder of my internship plays out. I have developed a great connection with my supervisor and my coworkers, but it did not come right away. The transition into my first international internship definitely took some time, but I have been able to grow and reflect on the experience. 

I am the sole intern in the office, which has given me the ability to take on multiple projects. I have the ability to work alongside every employee, which has given me different perspectives surrounding the clients. It took some time to adjust to working with my new team, but I have been able to grow closer each day I am in the office. The more projects that we work on together, the better the relationship between us becomes.

I experienced many challenges at the beginning of my internship. When I first arrived, I had difficulty in knowing the appropriate time to ask questions while completing my work. I did not want to look as though I was incapable of completing the required tasks and felt I would be bothering my coworkers with constant questions. Another challenge for me was my difficulty to voice my opinion during the creative process. Arriving as the only intern, I felt pressure in how to contribute to the agency. I would sit in meetings quietly, afraid to provide input and feedback to my coworkers. I was afraid that since I was not at the same level as my coworkers, my thoughts would not be considered seriously. However, that was not the case. I was able to overcome these challenges by sitting down with supervisor for weekly recap meetings. She would ask me about how I was doing with the work and allow me to be honest about how I wanted to contribute. I was able to ask her specific questions about my projects. In addition, it was a weekly recap where she encouraged me to voice my creative input into the brainstorming sessions. I now take part in the meetings, providing my own personal input. Overall, we were able to work together to make sure I was getting the best experience possible and helped me to adjust to the new climate. 

My advice to anyone transitioning to an international internship is don’t be afraid to be yourself. Even though you are in a new environment with new people, it is important to remain true to your values and make the most of this amazing opportunity. Even when it gets tough, always put your best foot forward and show a desire to improve every day. By doing this, you will gain the respect of those around you who will help you have the best possible internship experience while abroad.