Overview

We caught up with Frank, an 18-year-old student from Switzerland who completed his internship at Uniformal in Dublin to ask him about his experience. Read what he had to say about his time in Dublin. 

Twin: What was it like travelling alone from Switzerland? 

Frank: It was very exciting because it was my first time flying without my parents. So, it was an entirely new experience for me. 

Twin: Who welcomed you at the airport? 

Frank: I met my host at the airport. She picked me up in her car to her house, where I was going to be staying during my internship.  

Twin: What was it like living with a host family? 

Frank: It was very nice. So basically, I would always eat with them, and then we would have chats at the dinner table and later have tea. In the evening you could be in your room, or you could go outside for a walk and stuff.  

Twin: How did you find out about the internship? 

Frank: I found out about it through my school because my school offered me a 4-week short internship in Dublin and I accepted it. 

Twin: What was your application process like? 

Frank: My application process was very easy because my school did everything for me and I only had to send in my CV.  

Twin: What were your 2 weeks in quarantine like? 

Frank: My quarantine period went by quite fast, even though I was alone here. So, what I would do would be in the evening, go for a walk or go on my laptop. I had home-schooling with Twin, so I never got bored during the day.  

Twin: What was it like working at Uniformal? 

Frank: It was a very pleasant work experience because they were a very small team of 8 people. It was very nice because they had a very friendly atmosphere in there and shared a lot of jokes between them during working time. 

Twin: What did you do during your internship? 

Frank: I was doing programming. They are working with a software I had never worked with, so I had to learn it. I also worked on their website and helped out in that area. It’s the first time I ever had real responsibility in a job. It was also a change of pace compared to being at school. 

Twin: What was your favourite thing about Dublin? 

Frank: My favourite thing about Dublin compared to my hometown is it is so big, and there are lots of things to do. I never expected that it would be so interesting because I was here for two weeks and in the two weeks, I couldn’t do everything I wanted to do here, so there is a lot to see.  

Twin: Any advice for students considering working abroad? 

Frank: I would recommend that you always accept an opportunity to work abroad. It is very interesting to see how another country works. Compared to Switzerland, Ireland is completely different. You will get to experience more of the world and learn more about other cultures and people.  

Frank has returned to Switzerland to continue his studies and has gained valuable experience through travelling during a pandemic. He has gained new skills he can add to his CV, which will help him to secure future employment opportunities.