Intern Abroad

• BA Teacher Training for Secondary and Comprehensive Schools (English and History)
• Dublin, Ireland
• UNICEF Ireland
• 10/23 – 12/23

Internship Search / Application

I started looking for possible internships more than half a year before my planned stay abroad. Since I had completed my undergraduate degree, I thought I’d look for an internship at a school in Dublin, as it would be valuable experience as an aspiring teacher. Unfortunately, I received little to no response from the schools I contacted. So, I started looking for internship opportunities with well-known companies and organizations. I stumbled upon an unrelated job posting at UNICEF Ireland and got the idea to reach out and ask for an internship opportunity since there weren’t any current internships listed on their website. The UNICEF Head of Advocacy, who would later become my supervisor, responded to my inquiry and made it possible for me to intern at the UNICEF Ireland office in Dublin. While it did take long to find an internship, I’m glad I stayed consistent with my search and found an opportunity I knew I’d enjoy.

Accommodation & Living

Since I was interning at an office, I had to look for a place by myself. Finding accommodation in Ireland, and specifically in its capital, was a struggle. I wasn’t able to find anything suitable prior to my stay, as Ireland is currently dealing with a housing crisis, as well as due to my personal preferences. However, I did get a reply on the main property offerings website of Ireland and ended up arranging a video chat with a landlady. While the accommodation wasn’t a perfect fit due to time circumstances, the possibility to contact the landlady by phone was what ultimately helped me find a place in Dublin. I flew to Dublin a week before the scheduled stay with a parent, looked around, and viewed a couple of one-bedroom flats. I decided to call the landlady I had video chatted with and ask if there were any flats available. Thankfully, I received a positive answer and viewed the place within the same day. I rented a one-bedroom flat in a safe and quiet neighborhood south of Dublin. The rent in Ireland is extremely high and at times as high as 1600 Euros per month for my small room.

Everyday life / The internship

Some weeks during my stay abroad were monotonous, others were quite different and spontaneous. I got to attend different events and meetings for my internship, like the annual UNICEF charity lunch, which was a fancy lunch with many people from respectable companies who donate large amounts to causes through UNICEF. This was a different environment for me to be in and I was grateful for being invited despite being new to the office. Moreover, I spontaneously had to attend a conference by myself where I met lovely people with whom I got to spend time with at other charity events.

My main task during my internship was to help organize a workshop for teens on activism. I helped organize three workshops, two online and one in person. The online workshops lasted a week each, while the in-person workshops lasted just one day. I enjoyed being a part of something active and doing the work behind the scenes. This experience was highly beneficial for my degree as well because I got to speak in front of groups of teens and lead some of the activities from the workshop, something I will have to do on a daily basis in a few years.

Getting around and riding the bus was easy and cheap in comparison to Germany. The UNICEF office was a pleasant 20-minunte bus ride from the bus stop in front of my apartment building. In the office I was confronted with a yet very present work-from-home culture. Every day there were different group of people present. The space itself would not be able to handle the presence of all employees as it was relatively small with limited workspace, which was not what I expected from an office for an important organization like UNICEF. Nevertheless, it seemed to be just quite right for the staff. I was happy to be accompanied by another intern, with whom I occasionally spent my free time as well. In general, the people in the office are welcoming and interesting. It was definitely a pleasure to work alongside them.

My supervisor worked from home, so when I got to the office, I mostly worked on my own. I tried to be consistently in office everyday but later came to realize that there was no actual need to be at the office since everything was done on a computer anyway. Still, three days of the week I was at the office, the other two days I worked at the library. However, I participated in the online workshops from home.

Aside from helping to create the workshop, I was also involved in the Child Rights Schools project, an initiative that encourages schools to receive a banner from UNICEF that identifies their school as child rights recognizing schools. I attended a couple of meetings where I got to make a few small decisions and got to visit a Child Rights School in Dublin as well. It was fascinating to see and learn about other school systems, which helped me evaluate and compare the Irish school to German schools, seeing where the respective negatives and positive aspects are and to possibly apply the positive in a correct given situation.

Free time / Tips

Since I had a flexible daily schedule, I took advantage of it and explored Dublin bit by bit. Ireland’s capital is separated by the river Liffey. North Dublin is considered to be the poorer part, while the south is visually different and is home to Ireland’s most important government buildings. Dublin is also a very walkable city as well and has many beautiful parks. I especially enjoyed going for a stroll at sunset at the park that was just two minutes from my flat. Moreover, I found it fascinating to be so close to the sea. I enjoyed going on day trips to Howth, Bray and Greystones. The train ride is just half an hour, and the view is just terrific as the train passes by the sea. I recommend getting a Youth bus / train card, which allows you to travel around at a cheap price compared to the visitor’s card.

Moreover, I enjoyed exploring the city at my own pace, especially during the holiday spirit, and planning spontaneous outings. In terms of getting to know new people, got to know some interesting people at the charity events I attended and definitely made same life-long friends.

Conclusion

All in all, my three months spent abroad haven been unforgettable experience for me. Ireland is a great country to take your first independent steps in, as it is familiar enough like any other EU country but, of course, a new place to make great new memories. I was filled with a new energy from the friendly Irish people, which made my stay even more enjoyable than I had hoped. Despite the high rent, I can definitely see myself returning for work or further study or even just for a nice little summer stay, just to enjoy the sea with a bit more sun and less wind.