Finding the right internship

Before applying for projectoriented courses (internships) in Copenhagen, Lívia made a wish list of what experiences she hoped to get out of her internship. She dreamed of an internship where she could be part of a team, work at a company which shares her values, and being able to connect her work with her studies and thesis.  

“I hoped for a place with an international vibe, good energy, and a bit of responsibility so I could grow and figure out what I actually enjoy doing”. 

However, Lívia was aware that the search for an internship is often more difficult than expected. Luckily, she was able to quickly find an internship, but many of her friends have sent out hundreds of applications before striking gold.  

Based on her experience, Lívia encourages you to make sure that your CV is both updated, personal, and that it follows the Danish standards. She also recommends using your network and working on expanding it on LinkedIn:

"Do not be afraid to reach out to people you think have interesting jobs or values".

She also recommeds starting the process of looking for an internship as early as possible, it will make the whole process less stressful. 

Applying to internships

Lívia mainly used LinkedIn to look for internships. She checked the job advertisements, followed companies she liked and shared values with. Through using LinkedIn, she began creating a network with interesting people who might share posts about available internships.  

Lívia’s process of applying to internships was shaped by different challenges, e.g. many job ads had the Danish language as a requirement, and most had over 100 applicants. So one of the things she did to strengthen her position was to make her CV stand out and show her personality. She used her experiences to create a new and improved CV and application. 

Balancing an unpaid internship with living in an expensive city 

Because projectoriented courses (9th semester internships) are unpaid, Lívia has a second job to afford living in Copenhagen. Most days, she works from the morning to around midnight – first at her internship and then at her second job. It can be difficult to balance, but she is grateful for her coworkers and the atmosphere at her jobs – it makes everything easier to handle.  

Thankfully Lívia’s internship at Organic Basic aligns with her wish list. She is very much involved in the company, she is trusted with tasks, and her internship matters to both her and the company: 

"The team is open, helpful, and intentional and I’ve learned a lot just from being in the environment. I’m also working with things that connect nicely to my academic interests especially around communication and AI, so it feels relevant and meaningful."

Moving to a new city

Lívia explains how moving to Copenhagen felt both overwhelming and exciting. She decided that because she was taking a big step and moving to a new city, she wanted to make it work. This motivated her to give this new chapter of her life multiple chances.