6 Months, Netherlands
Alicja, Architecture
My experiences with… searching for an internship placement and applyingThe search for an internship took longer than I had expected (over two months). I sent out a lot of applications, but many companies did not respond at all. In the end, I had two interviews—one at a Danish office and one at a Dutch one. I decided to accept the Dutch offer. The language barrier seemed smaller (since Dutch is quite similar to German and English), and I also wanted to learn Dutch. It was also important that the people who interviewed me seemed friendlier and were a better fit for me.
My experiences with… searching for accommodation and traveling thereFinding accommodation was the most difficult part. There is a major housing crisis in the Netherlands. Rents are very high compared to the standard offered. There are also an incredible number of scams, so you have to be careful and never transfer money in advance. Finding a place online is also not an easy task. You have to constantly check the new listings and respond as quickly as possible. I was very lucky and found my apartment through a Facebook group. If you do an internship here for more than four months, you need to find accommodation where you can register your address—and that is the most difficult part and something you should take into account during your search.
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My conclusion:
Almost everyone speaks very good English, so knowledge of Dutch is not absolutely necessary in advance.
My experiences… during the internship
During my internship, I learned a lot about software that I will also use in my studies and future work. I was able to work on various projects and see exactly what it’s like to manage an architecture office and what requirements are associated with it. There were times when the supervision of my work could have been better and feedback could have been more frequent, but since it is a very small company, I understood that my work couldn’t be constantly monitored. I also had the opportunity not only to work in the office, but also to take part in meetings with clients, observe consultations at their homes, and prepare presentations for them. So, the tasks were very varied, and I was able to try out different areas.
My experiences with… everyday life and leisure time on site
There was a lot to do in The Hague. There are numerous restaurants, bars, and cafés where you can go with friends after work. There are also many parks where you can go for a walk or jog. Since the city is right on the North Sea, I spent a lot of time at the beach. On weekends, I took trips to nearby cities like Amsterdam or Rotterdam. Since the Netherlands is relatively small and very well connected (with good train connections between the cities), I was able to travel without any problems. For shorter distances, the bicycle is also ideal, as the infrastructure is excellently developed and you can rent bikes
cheaply in many places.
My conclusion & tips
Overall, I had very good experiences with the country itself. I especially liked the cycling culture, the beautiful landscape, and the many friendly people who were always open and helpful. There was always something to do in the city. There are many museums, city festivals, parks, restaurants, and of course the beach. Almost everyone speaks very good English, so knowledge of Dutch is not absolutely necessary in advance. However, searching for accommodation and some problems with my lodging during the internship were quite stressful. I’m not sure I would have chosen the Netherlands again if I had known beforehand how difficult and expensive it would be to find a place to live.