Laura Capicotto

in Student's Blog, Summer 2015, Washington, DC
July 10th, 2015

Interning Abroad vs. Interning “Abroad”

Laura Capicotto
Summer 2015

I had the privilege to study in Dublin this past spring semester. It was a time I will never forget and always cherish. As cultured as my time in Europe made me, I do not believe it benefited me professionally. Similar to the DC program, students have an internship while in Dublin. However, the Dublin program places you in a position. The best you can do is cross your fingers and hope it applies to your major or interest in any way possible. I was placed in a small boutique firm that focused on lifestyle brands and products. As nice as the employees (and by employees I mean the boss and her two other interns) were, I quickly realized this was not going to be as much of a productive use of my time as I wanted. On an average day I would have about an hour of actual work to accomplish then I would be done for the day. However, it was all a learning experience: I learned that this was not the environment or type of work I would like to be involved with until the end of my days. I left Ireland on April 24^th with a more clear vision of where I wanted my life to go.

 

Fast forward a month, I am moving to DC to start my internship for the summer. I am interning at a communications firm involved with corporate companies, non-profits, and advocacy groups. I have been here for six weeks and my time has exceeded my expectations. I honestly have never felt as valued or useful as I do here—I feel as if I am contributing to the company. I write press releases, participate in meetings, draft social media for clients, etc. I am not just drafting a press release for a new lotion coming out or a Facebook post about what color to paint your nails for the summer. The clients and topics my current company works with have more substance. They deal with bigger issues like advocating for data-driven results in local government or creating a TEDx community where people can share their ideas on various topics. I feel as if I am doing something of value not only professionally, but also personally.

 

Like I said before, I would not trade my time in Ireland for anything. The friends and memories I made there are irreplaceable. Plus how many people can say they traveled all over Europe by the age of 21? However, it did open my eyes to the opportunities in the United States that just are not available in other parts of the world. For the most part the level of success that can be reached in America generally cannot be reached anywhere else. Populations are smaller, economies cannot measure up, and the social attitudes are different. From my personal experience the work force in Europe is way more relaxed and casual than in America. One does not see the drive or thirst for success in Europe that exists in the United States, especially in Washington D.C.

Now it may depend on your own personal experiences and attitude if you agree or not. And I am not saying if you live somewhere else you will not be successful. But I have to side with the tagline, United States of America – “The Land of Opportunity.”

Laura Capicotto is a public relations major going into her senior year.