Working with the EU: my best experience
From October 2015 to February 2016, I did an internship at the Delegation of the European Union to Azerbaijan in the Department of Politics, Economics, Press and Information. I would like to share the experience I gained at this EU institution and the story of my journey getting there, which has proven to be one of the best experiences of my life.
As an undergraduate student, I became aware that the general public in Azerbaijan had a lack of awareness about the European Union. Being a student of EU studies at Qafqaz University, I decided to provide free courses for people wishing to obtain comprehensive information about the EU institutions, the EU’s external relations, the European Neighbourhood Policy, the Eastern Partnership, Erasmus+ as well as other policies and programmes. I developed a simple curriculum explaining the structures and principles of the EU and contacted the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan to seek logistical support to implement this project. After exchanging a few phone calls, I was informed that the Delegation couldn’t consider my application. Instead, they asked me whether I’d be interested in doing a traineeship and invited me for an interview.
I was very excited on the day of the interview. I used to behave awkwardly in new environments and this time was no exception. The Head of the Department of Politics, Economics, Press and Information was interviewing me together with a public relations manager. They asked me several questions to check my general knowledge of the EU. Contrary to my assessment of how the interview went, I was surprised to hear that I passed the selection process.
My first day at the Delegation was full of adventures. The office looked like a labyrinth, but thanks to the friendly staff, it didn’t take me a long time to adapt to the new environment. It was the first time that I experienced such a multicultural environment, working with people from different parts of Europe. Being unaccustomed at first, I was worried what interaction with different cultural backgrounds would be like. But, a week into my work at the Delegation, I quickly understood there were no grounds to worry as all of the staff members shared the same values and were always ready to give a helping hand on any kind of issue regardless of their background. This realization motivated me to become deeply involved in the activities of the EU Delegation and feel part of an important community.
I gained a lot of new skills as a result of my traineeship at the EU Delegation. I quickly improved my writing skills by drafting reports, learned how to find accurate information on different economic, social and political issues and understood statistical issues. Alongside this, I had the chance to actively participate in the organization of the European Film Festival in November 2015, which helped me to develop my communication skills. Our weekly discussions on current affairs allowed me to boost my self-confidence. I came to realize that the knowledge I had acquired through my studies was valued by professionals, which gave me the confidence to pursue this professional path. We became close friends and together visited to Shakhdag region in the northern region of Azerbaijan to ski. We were united in diversity.
Overall, I gained a lot of friends and had the best experience of my life over these three months at the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan. I assure everyone that if you want to gain invaluable experience in a multicultural environment, don’t miss out on the opportunity to do a traineeship at the EU institutions. I consider myself lucky because I was part of that brilliant community.
