An inspiring story about the power of internships in shaping your career path. “The opportunities of internships go beyond first career steps, they can change people’s lives and, depending on the career they choose, even the world...It truly is an investment in yourself. Every meeting, email, and event will help you grow towards the professional you will become 1 year, 5 years, or even 15 years later.” Thank you Sietze, we couldn’t have said it any better!
The power of internships. 14 years ago I landed in New York as an intern at Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations. One of the first projects was the General Assembly High Level Week. As a history student I suddenly worked between diplomats and heads of state, in a city that was turned upside down due to all the security measures. The Dutch Prime Minister took this picture with all the interns and trainees, to thank us for our hard work. Now back in New York, working for Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in New York, I found myself surrounded by the same UNGA craziness this week, seeing a new generation of interns and trainees supporting my colleagues in an all-hands-on-deck kind of week. It was the first time I was back at the UN and enthusiastically shared pictures of familiar meeting rooms and sites with my old fellow interns in our WhatsApp group “PVVN 2010”. All of them now have great careers all over the world. At a networking event I told a New York based artist how the trip down memory lane had made me smile. “Usually people compare themselves to others, but this week you compared yourself to the you of 14 years ago. That’s powerful.“ That comparison was definitely worth a smile. This internship changed my perspectives on work, the world, and myself. Eventually I would switch from journalism to government and move to the US. Just like other interns can be impacted profoundly by immersing themselves in a company, museum or government agency for a few months. The opportunities of internships go beyond first career steps, they can change people’s lives and, depending on the career they choose, even the world. I’ve managed many interns over the years and I love seeing how they grow, finding out if this career path is something they want to continue, or not. Thus, I couldn’t be more proud that my successor at Netherlands Consulate in San Francisco is also a former intern of mine: Kimberly Beijersbergen, who worked with me 5 years ago. A big shout out to all interns and trainees: you’re doing all the hard work, every day but without the pay ;) It truly is an investment in yourself. Every meeting, email, and event will help you grow towards the professional you will become 1 year, 5 years, or even 15 years later.
