Margit Kikkas is a former Europian Management student, originally from Estonia. She did her internship of six months in Berlin, Germany, in the Estonian Embassy. We got to sit down and talk and interview her about her placement. Here is what she said:

“I have completed my internship at the Estonian Embassy in Berlin. As any other governmental organization the Estonian Embassy represents the political, economic, financial and cultural relationships between Estonia and Germany. Also, it provides support to private individuals and companies about different documentation matters.

My tasks at the embassy concluded news scan, administrative and supportive roles, such as writing emails and answering letters. The Embassy received a great amount of post on a daily basis and my duty amongst others was to solve selected matters. Also, I carried a representative role at political and cultural events. When needed I assisted the ambassador and other employees in their daily work.”

How did you find out about the job?

“To apply for an internship at an embassy was my intention since starting the studies at Metropolia University. The application procedure is not complicated, as embassies around the world welcome students for short- and medium term internships. Depending on the country and the amount of work the number of positions varies greatly – larger countries offer also internships in different departments. As the Estonian Embassy in Berlin is rather small, only 12 employees, then I had the chance to work in all departments.”

What were the most challenging and what rewards did you get from this job?

“The most challenging task was to deal with independent workload yet it gave me the experience how to organize global political criteria. At the beginning I had to do the same tasks over and over again, to practice the right ways of preparing documents and speeches. One of my tasks for the 6 month period was to translate a very long legal text from German to Estonian and it was truly ready on the last day of my internship.

Some tasks that I really enjoyed was to introduce the Embassy building and Estonian culture to student groups that visited us. That was an assignment which gave me 100% control of choice. I had the chance to organise such events two times. Also, I had the chance to meet important politicians and participate in a large number of political events at the European Commission, German National Bank, other embassies and ministries. A couple of times I visited the German Bundestag and Jewish Museum for seminars.”

Has this Internship played any role in your future career or do you want to take a different path?

“I really liked the time at the embassy and would like to have a career at some NGO (non-governmental organisation). As the work is not directly related to business, it shares a broader view of international relations, economics and finance. Also making the internship at an embassy gives much more insight to world matters and possibilities to expand your network.”

Do you have a message for the current Metropolia Business School students (especially in terms of placement search and working life)?

“While choosing a placement, do not limit yourself with local businesses. Try to take a global viewpoint and apply to multinational or international companies. Also government institutions are a good choice for the ones that are interested in world politics and macroeconomics.”

Grace Ndiritu (with Margit Kikkas)