While in Florence, I have the opportunity to take part in a copywriting internship with Gruppo Co, a digital marketing and communication agency. My tasks include content creation, rephrasing, proofreading, SEO text optimization, SEO backlinking, SEO copywriting, and prompting for AI. I have not been completely immersed in my internship organization yet, but from what I have seen, it is significantly different than the United States work environment. The first significant difference I noticed was the clothing. The stereotype I had about Italians was that they are much more fashionable than Americans. While you definitely won’t see people wearing sweatpants and pajamas in public like we see in the United States, the business casual here leans far more casual. However, I still believe the expectation of Italians being more fashionable than Americans holds true. Another difference I have noticed within the company culture is the structure of the organization. Gruppo Co seems to value collaboration over the hierarchy common in the United States.

In addition to my internship, I am taking three classes: Italian, Writing the City, and International Marketing. These three courses are the perfect complements to my copywriting internship. They allow me to continue learning and developing the skills that I can showcase throughout my internship. In the classroom, the first thing I notice is a more interactive way of learning. For example, in my writing class, we have already taken a field trip to a cemetery to find inspiration for our piece and augment our learning. In fact, we have multiple trips planned in order to practice using real objects and experience to depict our thoughts. Similarly, my Italian class is also interactive. Typically, our professor poses questions for us to answer. In the interest of practicing a new language, she allows each student to answer the question, sometimes introducing follow up questions. These classroom dynamics are quite different than those at Pitt, as most of my classes there consist of the professor doing most of the work, with few students participating.

Throughout my internship and coursework, it will be important to remain open to feedback and to keep an open mind. Working and studying in a different country can cause many challenges, as expectations might not be as clear. As I navigate my internship and classes, I must be willing to make changes to the way I work and learn. The locals have operated in a way that fits their country, and coming into the country as an outsider, I must do what is necessary to adjust and fit in.