That was eight weeks already?! It’s hard to believe my time in Europe, and my summer abroad has come to an end. The past months have been filled with a lifetime of memories, experiences, and learning experiences I am more than grateful to have had. While two months might not seem like that long in the bigger picture, this time I spent calling Prague a home has made me more connected to another part of the world I never thought I would develop. If I wanted to show someone around Prague, I feel I could do so with the same confidence I can in California. I am excited to finally be home, spend time with my loved ones, and share all of my new experiences, but I can’t help but reminisce on the indescribable summer I’ve just had.
The last week of work was different from what I expected. I was able to work under a different supervisor who was more marketing-focused and complete tasks for her, as she wanted to give me exposure to the marketing world. I enjoyed these tasks as they allowed me to be more creative and gave me experience in the areas I would be more interested in working with. Overall, my internships had many ups and downs (except, unfortunately, more downs than ups). Because they were so busy and not prepared for the little amount of time they’d have on their hands for me, it was slightly unprofessional, and most of the time, I was working on my own, figuring things out by myself. While my coworkers themselves were pleasant to be around, it wasn’t my ideal work environment. I had to overcome a lot of unforeseen or unpredictable boundaries that I had not anticipated. I wish my internship experience had been more professional and involved, but I do not regret doing this program at all. I still learned a lot despite the circumstances.
From my internship, I picked up the idea that success simply means getting the job done while caring about the work you do. It is easy to do mindless work or do the bare minimum, but real success can be seen when an employee truly cares about what they are doing. When an employee does this, it is easy to note the extra mile they took to perfect their work. I saw this come into play in the feedback I got. My supervisors said they could tell I took a lot of time to make sure my work was accurate and thorough, and they also commented on my creativity and eye for being able to market goods and their brand. They respected when I gave my input as well, as it showed them I took the time to actually think about the concepts behind the task I was working on, and they appreciated my insight. I picked up that an employee can be successful if they combine their inner passions and opinions with the work they do, as it shows authenticity and uniqueness. Both of these are important in the marketing and business industry, as you are trying to appeal to the people. Generally, these traits are valued in both the Czech Republic and the United States (while I can only speak for companies I have been exposed to). The only thing I would comment on is that my home country might not value authenticity as much, as the corporate workplace in the United States sometimes values conformity to social norms over being unique.
My last week in Prague felt very bittersweet. I spent time with and said goodbye to my new friends, whom I will not see until who knows when, but I will always cherish all of the memories we made and the trips we went on together. We explored parts of the city we hadn’t gotten to before and made sure to revisit our favorite areas or venues. Prague is such a rich city with so much to offer, and I definitely didn’t get to fit in everything I wanted to do. Oh no! I guess that means I have to go back sometime! Once I had my last day of work, it finally settled in that I was leaving this lifestyle behind. While I’m sad my time in Prague is over, I got everything and more out of this program. I have a new place I can (somewhat) call home. I explored five different countries, made amazing friendships, and expanded my cultural horizons. So long, Prague, hopefully see you soon.
