It’s hard to believe that I only have two full weeks left at this internship. I feel as though I just got to the Czech Republic and Carvago. That being said, I have learned a lot in my time here. Specifically, I have had a lot of time to reflect on my leadership style.

For most of my life, I would say that my leadership style tended to be “me” oriented. If there was a task that had to be done in a group project, I would volunteer for it. I know my own capabilities and I like having control over the end product of things. The unknown of how other people work always made me uncomfortable. However, last fall semester, I took a class where I followed this pattern and ended up overworking myself. The project did not turn out well and it was because I took on way too much work and did not delegate tasks well. Ever since then, I have focused on making sure this same instance does not happen again. I did a good job of this when I was put into another group project in the spring semester and we all split work very evenly. Therefore, my leadership style has been on my mind recently. Before entering my Carvago internship, I reflected on these experiences and planned on being a better team player.

Unfortunately, my work at Carvago is an individual project so I have not had a huge opportunity to display leadership in a team. However, I have had a good opportunity to observe how all of my coworkers work together. They all have their own individual tasks that contribute to an overall project. All of my coworkers are very collaborative people who ask for help often. I plan on emulating this in my next internship experience.

Fortunately, I have learned a lot about accountability. There have been times when I have had a meeting with my supervisor before my project has been completed. In these situations, I make sure to take time to write down what works, what doesn’t, and why. This extra step shows my boss that I am working and that I am aware of any problems in my code. Writing all of this down also makes me aware of what questions to ask and where I need clarification. This internship has taught me that on top of working on a project, I should be reflecting on what I am doing and why.

Working in an office has also been an adjustment compared to working in a classroom. There is a very clear hierarchy between me and my bosses that isn’t there between students. In a way, I find this a lot easier than working with peers. I know my bosses have more experience and that my project should be created to their liking. In this way, I have learned a lot about following instructions and listening to others’ ideas. I believe this is a good quality for a leader to have. It is important to know and respect when others have more experience than you.

My internship abroad has given me a lot of confidence in my skills. Working in a large company for the first time in a whole different country was nerve-wracking at first. However, I have greatly improved my coding and communication skills here, and I know I will be prepared for any internship I have in the States.

Also, over the past weekend I went to Croatia! This was my first time there and I absolutely loved it. Me and some friends from the program had off on Friday for a Bank Holiday, so we got to have an extended vacation there. We spent the entire weekend on the beach. My favorite activity had to be on Saturday when we did an 8 hour boat tour that took us to three different beaches. They were all so beautiful and I enjoyed getting out of the city for a little bit. I know for a fact that I will be back to Croatia in the future.

Pictured above: Croatia!

I have also been spending a lot of time after work catching up on seeing touristy spots before I leave Prague. Recently, I went to Vyšehrad and I think it is my favorite place I have visited so far. It is a large fortress and everywhere you turn there are fantastic views of the city. On the inside there is also a huge park and there are always a ton of people walking around. I know I’m going to miss this spot and many others when I leave Prague in just a few weeks.

Pictured above: The end of sunset at Vyšehrad