The coronavirus pandemic has put those needing to find an internship for this year or the next in a difficult position. A lot of companies have had to close and full-time employees have either been let go, had to work from home or only work part-time hours. Therefore, hiring interns is not a high priority for a lot of businesses at the moment. However, this is frustrating for students who have to complete an internship as part of their degree and for recent graduates who wish to gain experience in their field. Many already-confirmed internships were cancelled or postponed and offers have been withdrawn which has left these young people uncertain about their futures.
From an intern’s point of view
I am a student myself and am about to finish my undergraduate degree in English and American studies. In order to officially complete my degree, I must complete an internship of 300 hours in a field related to my degree. I sent my applications for several internship programmes during the autumn semester in 2019. Even before coronavirus, it was not always easy to get an internship and the application process lasted until the beginning of 2020, which was when the first restrictions of the pandemic were implemented. Under these circumstances, a lot of companies rejected internship applications and cancelled their programmes. Whilst understandable, it was still a very frustrating situation to be in.
Luckily, I found Berlin Translate, a translation agency which offers online internships. I have a good grasp of English thanks to my degree and have always wanted to get an insight into the translation industry. This internship has given me realistic and deep insight into the role of a translator – both as a freelancer and employed in-house.
Working from home meant not only protecting the employees of a company from possible infection, but also working from my own secure environment. Furthermore, as I am studying in a small town near the Baltic Sea, where I would normally have no chance to do an internship, a digital internship meant that I did not have to go flat-hunting on a coronavirus-damaged housing market. Now, having finished my internship, I can say that it is the best thing that could have happened during these difficult times. Thanks to digital networking, I was in active contact with my internship supervisor and other interns, so the feeling of working in a team was not lost.
What Berlin Translate can offer you
Despite coronavirus, Berlin Translate offers a broad and diverse range of internship positions. Working at home means that internships are possible at any time, without having to travel to work, look for accommodation or put yourself in any vulnerable positions. Furthermore, an online internship offers a flexible work model – you yourself choose how to organise your work. This is great for improving your independence, initiative, and self-discipline. However, one of the biggest advantages is that you only have to get coffee for yourself! This also means that your internship will only consist of diverse and interesting projects, without having to do trivial tasks.
Berlin Translate relies of flat hierarchies, which means you will be involved in planning processes and target development. You decide your own workplan and can discuss with your supervisors what you want to learn and work on.
What you should have:
- Very good knowledge of at least two languages (including your mother tongue)
- Interest in working with digital content
- Pleasure in working independently
- Willingness to familiarise yourself with new IT systems
- Readiness to constantly learn new things
Internships are offered in English, French, Spanish and Italian.
