4/10/2022 0 Comments InternshipHi everyone!
I figured I would use this week to talk about my internship here in Sorrento. Having an internship while abroad can be such a valuable experience and I have loved every minute of mine. I work in a local art gallery called SyArt where my job is to help the Gallery Coordinator plan and market the annual SyArt Festival, as well as other events throughout the semester. Throughout my work I have had the opportunity to broaden my skill set within the areas of marketing, social media, and event planning. These are all extremely important skills for me to have as someone who wants to be an event planner, but they could also be beneficial to almost any job out there. Another hugely important skill I have been able to work on during my internship here is intercultural communication and competence. This is so important because while communicating with someone who speaks your same first language can often be challenging enough on its own, communicating with someone who speaks a different first language is even harder. Communication in general is so important in professional areas and working so closely with Rossella, my supervisor at the gallery, has allowed me to really hone in on this skill. While she speaks some English and I speak some Italian, it is still common for us to misunderstand each other. Because of this I have learned to ask clarifying questions in a more effective and efficient manner. Instead of asking Rossella to explain her desired outcome of a project to me I have learned that it is often more beneficial to ask for a visual example of similar work done in the past. In this way there is less room for misunderstanding because you can point out the visual aspects instead of simply describing things in theory. If there are no previous examples it is often more effective to make a first draft and then ask her what she would like to change instead of asking about every detail of the project before you begin. That being said, it is still important to ask clarifying questions before beginning a project. There is just more room for misunderstanding in this case, so you must be prepared to correct that misunderstanding later down the line if need be. One of my favorite aspects of my internship at SyArt has been the amazing people I have gotten to meet and work with. Rossella, my direct supervisor, has been an amazing help throughout this entire journey. She is helpful and understanding while also being serious about the work she so clearly loves. Leone, the owner of the gallery, is also encouraging and kind. He comes into the gallery often and although he does not speak English we talk in Italian every time we see each other. This not only allows us to communicate, but it also helps me grow my understanding of the Italian language. Finally, my internship advisor, Olga, is one of the kindest and most encouraging people I have ever met. We do weekly check-ins to see how my internship is going and she is a large advocate for me getting just as much out of the experience as my supervisors do. Not only has she been a big help in the internship process, but she is always there if I need someone to talk to. While doing an internship abroad can, of course, be somewhat stressful at times, it is an experience I absolutely recommend. I will be sad to leave Italy in three weeks, and even more sad to leave the amazing people I have met through my work at SyArt Gallery. Thanks for reading! ~Meg
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