Jennifer Pullicino Orlando

My internship was at the House of Commons, Westminster, London with Thomas Brake MP. The stint involved carrying out casework, social media and communication assistance, carrying out research, campaigning and working on fundraising strategies.

The internship lasted from October 2012 to March 2013. The bulk of the work was from October to January and then more sporadically from January to March. At the same time, I was reading for an MSc.

I found out about the opportunity through my University (LSE) careers service.

I opted for this form of training because I studied law and politics, focusing on equality and human rights. The MP undertook work relating to this. The opportunity to work for the deputy leader of the House was invaluable. I learnt so much from him and his wonderful team, the sort of things you can’t learn in a lecture theatre or from a book.

The training helped me by giving me further practical grounding in my area of interest

I learnt a lot about the practicalities of British politics, particularly the way social media campaigns are conducted, the sheer volume of casework to do with matters related to the MP’s constituency, and how to campaign door-to-door in a completely different political environment to the one we have in Malta – in the UK, political apathy is rife.

The training gave me practical grounding in my area of interest and made me seek out more opportunities of this kind. In terms of career, I’m sure that experience in Westminster is attractive to employers.

I definitely recommend this sort of training. Anyone can apply and internships are widely advertised in the UK and EU. If you’re not sure about how you want to apply your degree, this is the way forward and is a prerequisite for most employers.

Jenny Baez

I went to Jordan as part of my third semester programme with Sciences Po and served for six months as the Relief and Social Services (RSS) intern at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) Headquarters in Amman. During my six-month experience, I helped the director of the RSS department with the management of the humanitarian food assistance across UNRWA’s five fields of operation: Lebanon, Gaza, Jordan, West Bank and Syria. This involved donor relations and project management and reporting.

I found out about the programme through LinkedIn. I sought out a nice lady to ask her some questions and she turned out to be the head of human resources for UNRWA. She put me in contact with the person running the complementary personnel division, who was kind enough to take the time to discuss my interests. I ended up joining as an intern thanks to his support.

For my professional development, doing an internship in the Middle East was more valuable than learning about it in a classroom

I undertook this training because I though that for my professional development, doing an internship in the Middle East was more valuable than learning about it in a classroom or writing a theoretical document about the complex social, cultural or security contexts of the region. I wanted experience in the field.

The most important thing I learnt is how bureaucratic and complex the UN system is – learning how to get through the ropes of interdepartmental relations could be a degree on its own. However, it’s very interesting to get this kind of exposure so early in my career. UNRWA is the only UN agency that does direct implementation of services so with all its faults, it’s a fascinating place to work because you can see first hand how assistance improves refugees’ lives.

This training got me a job. As an intern, I was exposed to all departments and fields. This led to a job opportunity as soon as I graduated in June 2014 and I have been with UNRWA ever since. After the war in Gaza, I transferred to the Gaza field office to help UNRWA fundraise and manage all the projects for the emergency response and rehabilitation of Gaza.

I recommend such training to others. No degree can match the level of learning you can achieve by actually doing things.

Martina Portelli

I have done two internships so far, both unpaid and for a few months: one was at the European Commission Representation in Malta from July to August 2011 and another at the Maltese Embassy in Paris from May to July 2013.

At the European Commission Representation in Malta, I was an atypical trainee, a rough translation of the French stagiaire atypique. My tasks ranged from assisting in the monitoring the Maltese press for specific mention of EU issues to preparing relevant briefs and summaries. I also helped with the preparations for the European Film Festival, an annual event hosted by the Representation.

In Paris, my main responsibilities were varied and included following the latest developments on the international scene as well as France’s respective position. I also had the opportunity to lend a hand with preparations for cultural events such as CinéMalte – les possibilités d’une Ile, an event celebrating the Maltese cinematographic industry in Paris.

Internships are a great way to network and gain experience

I learnt about these internships thanks to one of my lecturers who had informed the whole class about the EC internship. At the embassy of Malta in Paris, I tried my luck and sent a spontaneous application.

I underwent this training because I always thought that getting some experience on the ground would be useful. I feel that in Malta we are still a bit green when it comes to internships. At Sciences Po Paris, where I read for my Masters, students are encouraged to do internships and the University even has its own special unit entirely dedicated to students’ professional orientation. I hope something like this catches on here.

Before my first internship, I can’t say I found the European Union particularly interesting. But once I got the opportunity to see how it worked from the inside, I completely changed my opinion. In fact, it was after this internship that I decided to read for a Masters in European Affairs. So I suppose that the main thing I learned was to pay more attention to detail – it can make all the difference.

Internships allow you to really experience what a work environment is like while giving you a glimpse into what opportunities the future might hold. All in all, both internships were very motivating and I’m lucky to have been mentored by people who have a passion for what they do and passed it on to me.

Internships are a great way to network and gain experience. In a highly competitive job market, career related job experience is invaluable. If you have the opportunity and are in a position to take it, then do so.