Internship in New York: My Story in Solar Industry

The mediation was very uncomplicated. One phone call, some emails and three Skype calls later I had my longed-for internship in New York City in my pocket and it turned out to be a real stroke of luck.

Not only is my 4-month internship paid in an unusual way, but the team is also great. Company lunches and also private dinners with work colleagues were not uncommon and a very nice experience.

My tasks during the internship semester included looking after key accounts in the B2B sector, preparing and submitting all permits and applications for subsidies, the complete marketing department and the preparation of internal training documents for our employees.

My room, like my workplace, was a real stroke of luck. Via Spareroom.com I was able to move into a room in the apartment of a prospective lawyer and his family. The direct location at the J-Train, which brings you to Manhattan in 15 minutes, the size of about 20m 2, excellent equipment, and a large window front relativized the for German conditions very high rent of 640€.

The cultural exchange was given at any time. My roommates are from the Dominican Republic, my colleague in the company is of Chinese origin and my boss is Irish by birth. In the course of time, I got to know not only the American culture but also these cultures. But as I've discovered over the months, it's precisely this mixture of all the different origins that makes up New York culture - a true melting pot.

But this melting pot also has its pitfalls. Especially as a young, white woman, you should not set off alone in the evening (late). Even if I haven't noticed anything about shootings and gang wars, I still don't have the security I'm used to from home. This became especially clear to me after the incidents in Ferguson and Staten Island, where two black young men each were killed by policemen for disproportionate reasons and were not held accountable. The resentment, mainly of the colored population, was reflected in numerous demonstrations.

Maybe about the flight, visa, and the total duration: I would personally, as I like to plan everything in advance, start the mediation early enough (at least 6 months before the planned departure). Because even the application for the visa, which is made very easy by the agency, but includes an appointment at the American embassy, it takes time. And without visa no entry - therefore it is also very risky to book your flight in advance. Of course, the earlier they are booked, the cheaper they are, which brings me back to my first point with the time planning.

In conclusion, I can say that my internship in the USA was a very beautiful, instructive and interesting experience that has taken me personally much further than I expected. Especially New York is definitely worth a trip - especially around Christmas - and I was heavily involved in exploring and discovering the whole city within 17 weekends and wouldn't want to miss a single second of it. I would advise anyone who has the opportunity to do an internship abroad during their studies or otherwise to take advantage of this opportunity.