Recapping this trip almost seems impossible, but I can easily say it was one of the best experiences of my entire life. In terms of my internship, I had a vague understanding that I would be helping a renewable energy developer, but my internship included so much more than I thought it would.

At Lucent, I was a Corporate Development Intern, sitting inside the team that originates, structures, and eventually sells battery storage assets across Central and Eastern Europe. My work included building financial models from live deal documents, working through cross-border tax structuring, and also owning my own revenue strategy project. It was a challenging couple of months, and easily one of the best learning experiences I’ve had.

Personal growth is probably the easiest for me to point to in terms of what I gained from the IIP in Prague. Moving to a country where I didn’t know the language, working my first internship, the everyday commutes on public transportation, was all new to me. I also got to travel more than I thought I would and ever have. This added another element of seeing a ton of new perspectives and also needing to adapt to new environments. I think that traveling frequently was one of the most beneficial aspects of my experience.

Academically, this internship helped me in ways that I don’t think classes back home could. Although I’m majoring in Accounting and Business Analytics, I have had some finance coursework that has taught me a little bit about the core concepts. This summer was an information dump though, as I was able to apply the concepts on a live deal. Building IRR models, valuation and comparable work, and transfer pricing rules under certain tax treaties. I was admittedly biting off more than I could chew the first couple of weeks, but I got through it and learned so much about finance in the renewables industry, which was a great perspective to gain. I do plan to pursue my CPA and work in accounting, but overall I am grateful to have worked this summer with Lucent, as it has given me a whole new level of industry knowledge that I may cross paths with in the future.

I would say the biggest shift professionally is how I think about responsibility and ownership. I kind of expected to be handed tasks in the beginning, and instead I was kind of just handed problems and expected to figure it out myself before asking for further direction. I think this actually helped me a ton though, as I learned how to work independently across a ton of different work streams at once and manage my time a lot better. I also got better at accepting feedback and understanding how to revise what was being asked of me. In turn this also made it a lot easier for me to catch my own mistakes when they would happen again, which just made work a lot more efficient.

The main takeaway I’m bringing back to Pitt would be the work-life balance differences and the ways people are treated in the office. I would say that the skills I brought to Lucent were very valued by my coworkers, and they were constantly appreciative. There was never really any competition between coworkers, and everyone was able to work collaboratively, but very efficiently at the same time. There was a lot less downtime when my coworkers were on the clock, but when they went out to lunch or were at the coffee machine, they always had a good laugh and genuinely friendly conversations. There was never hassle when someone had to leave early one day, or if someone wasn’t feeling well and had to work from home. Overall, the atmosphere at the office was unlike anything I’ve seen at home, and I would like to carry that perspective back to any future employment opportunities.

Overall, this experience was everything I wanted it to be, both personally and professionally. Having the opportunity to experience a ton of different cultures, see a ton of new places, and just experience life in an entirely different way was invaluable. I am not sure there is any other way I would’ve wanted to spend those two months, and I am counting down the days until I will get to go back and see it again.

Thanks for reading!