Ciao tutti! Today marks one month since our landing in Florence, and so much has happened since I last posted! Since my first post, I have begun my internship as a sales and consulting intern at a widely known tax refund company, Global Blue, and I have been loving it.
In the EU, anyone who is a non-resident is eligible to get a tax refund on money they have spent on their local VAT tax, and Global Blue is one of the most trusted companies to give their clients access to an early refund. In my position as an intern, I am lucky enough to be able to be working alongside my team, rather than just observing. I sit with clients from all over the world and offer them refund services, just like my supervisor/co-workers! At Global Blue, they do not treat me like “just an intern”, I feel valued and appreciated, which goes a long way.
As a Human Resources Management major, I believe that it is crucial to immerse yourself in a culturally diverse environment to help understand as much as you can about different cultures. Through this experience, I have learned so many things about how to interact with/greet people of certain cultures, which we do not always learn at a workplace in the United States. My coworkers grew up speaking four to five different languages, which they are slowly, but surely starting to teach me so I can pick up on the standard sayings! I am so grateful that I am working with such diverse people because it is something that I have never had the chance to do while working at home! For the most part, in the United States, we stick to speaking English, but here all languages are accepted and encouraged. I know it means a lot to my team when I make the effort to speak in Italian, so they do the same for me and use English when I am around. The atmosphere in the office at GB is so welcoming and accepting, my coworkers love to teach me informal slang that I won’t learn in a standard classroom, which I have been able to use while I am out!
I have only been working for a little under a month now, however, I am already gaining professional skills and knowledge that will stick with me forever. I am proud to say that I have strong communication skills, which I advertised during my interview for this internship. I have been able to leverage this strength to show not only my team but the clients that I can be a great addition to the office. In my position, it is important to be able to communicate both verbally and nonverbally in a professional way, so my strength in communication has been a great help. Every day my coworkers thank me for my help and emphasize that they appreciate my time in the office, which I find interesting as interns are not nearly as praised in the United States.
Choosing to be an intern during my time here in Florence has been one of the best decisions I have made for myself! It gives me a much-needed routine and presents me with opportunities that I am beyond grateful for!
Until next time,
Caidyn
