Inspiring story
A phone call opened the door to Margarida
Inspiring story
A phone call opened the door to Margarida
About Margarida Varandas
- Nationality: Portugal
- Age: 28 years old
- Study programme: Urban, Energy and Environmental Planning at AAU in Aalborg
- Semester: 4th
- Years in Denmark: 2
- Job: Intern and Student Assistant at 2.-0 LCA consultants
The language barrier
It was important to Margarida to gain work experience in her field of studies and work on something valuable when she started her search for an internship.
She started out by applying to some companies through their job advertisements on LinkedIn but found that the language barrier was standing in the way:
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I was very interested in some openings but because of not being a Danish speaker they could not accept my application. One of the companies specified that it was connected with the platforms they use.
Unsolicited job search
She then decided to try something different than replying to job ads. One company caught her attention:
“They are experts in a particular field of my studies where I wanted to gain professional experience in. They work in an international environment, so the corporate language is English, meaning that I would have higher chances of fitting in.”
“I knew the company through my network, sending emails to professors and asking older students about job openings and ideas of possible companies."
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I then called the company to ask about a possible internship and they were very receptive to receive AAU students and to have a meeting to discuss the possible collaboration and to see my CV.
The internship was followed by a student job
Margarida went to the meeting and they came to an agreement: She did her internship in the company.
“I am doing different tasks assisting in different projects that the company is working on, which is very good to have contact with different type of tasks and products. During my internship I also developed my own semester project having their support with expertise knowledge and contacts to perform interviews.”
After the internship, Margarida had made such a good impression that the company hired her in a student job. This was mutually beneficial:
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I get a very valuable set of skills by having this student job, mainly work experience in my field of studies and learning how to approach real cases and challenges. Teamwork and problem-solving are also very important skills I have been developing in my work at the company.
Margarida’s advice for you
In her opinion, having a student job in a Danish company is great because it is possible to adapt your working hours according to your life needs.
“The hierarchy in Denmark is flat, which is very different from my home country, meaning that everyone at the company is always super willing to help and curious about getting to know you!”
She recommends other international students to have a look around their surroundings when looking for a place to work:
“Start with the closest opportunities, meaning that jobs at the university or companies connected with it can be more receptive to know new students and discuss a possible collaboration. Connecting with international environments is also very helpful and don’t take start-ups or small companies out of the possibilities, especially if they are expanding their business.”
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