As part of my study time in Prague I wanted to do an internship at an organization where I could combine my current skills with practical experience. The Institute for Politics and Society seemed like a good choice as it focuses on a broad area of contemporary topics. The initial interview was pleasant and made me feel welcome. When I started a few months later, I was firstly given a task which challenged me in my research and Excel skills, the latter of which I had not used in a long time. This initial task thus immediately set me to work and gave me the opportunity to work on my own competences. It also showed me that it is alright to find your own way in the beginning and explore how things work, I am now very confident in my Excel skills!
I also appreciated the fact that the institute was open to our own interests and ideas. For my second project I wrote a policy paper with one of my colleagues on a topic that interested us both, namely the parliamentary elections in Sweden and the current issue of immigration. We got quite a lot of freedom in writing the paper and were both very pleased with the end result which is now published on the website.
Besides these bigger projects, I worked on regular administrative tasks such as sending emails or looking up information for certain projects, I also wrote a few analyses as part of a bigger project on European defense cooperation in which I could put my own input and knowledge about my own country. Apart from working in the office I got the chance to go to some interesting events organized by the institute, such as the business breakfast on Brexit.
As points of constructive feedback I think the task communication towards the interns could be more clear. For me personally, my tasks were not put on the online platform on which the interns can find their tasks and indicate that they are finished. For this reason, it was not always clear to me whether there was a new task for me. Additionally there was not always work to do, though this is something that can happen in every organization.
Overall, the office working environment was pleasant, the office is located in the city centre of Prague and comfortable. Additionally, I much appreciated working with my internship colleagues as I got to know some great people along the way that made my time at the institute very enjoyable. The people working permanently in the office were very friendly and appreciated the work that we were doing. All in all, I look back on a positive and valuable internship experience at the Institute of Politics and Society.