“You have to speak English”

Wow! Serena interned in America for five months. Read about her experiences.

I was late applying for the Marketing and Communications Assistant program. The program in Zeeland, where I lived, was already full. My father works in Helmond and has an apartment there where I could stay, so I looked for a program nearby. I found it at Summa College. This school responded within 24 hours and luckily still had room. This school felt right. I'm now in my second year and I'm really enjoying it. I really like this school and I'm really looking forward to going. I previously studied Graphic Design elsewhere. That was also very enjoyable, but I couldn't see myself doing it for the rest of my life. I didn't think I could get the most out of it there. I was hungry for homework; for real learning.

Other side of the world

From the moment I heard I could intern abroad, I knew I was going to do it. I didn't care where. At first, I wanted to go to Barcelona with a classmate. But then my uncle came to the Netherlands. He has a company in America and asked, "Why don't you come to me?" It took me about seven months to arrange my visa and everything. I was very nervous, but it was totally worth it. Suddenly I was on the other side of the world, in a completely different culture. I lived with my uncle, aunt, and two cousins in Corona, about an hour outside of Los Angeles, for five and a half months.

speaking English

"I found being there and the culture the most instructive. You absolutely have to speak English. At first, I was quite nervous about it. I was afraid of being asked questions I wouldn't be able to answer, but that wasn't so bad. After a few phone calls, I knew the standard questions. I learned a lot about how the business world works. My uncle's company includes an apartment complex and a facade construction business. Among other things, I conducted a competitive analysis for the apartments. What I did find odd: you're allowed to smear competitors there. Personally, I find that a bit lame. I think, 'Just play to your own strengths.' But everyone does it there."

Taking your checks to the bank

What also struck me about the country is that so much is still done on paper. They do everything digitally, but then print out the projects and file them away. I expected them to be a few steps ahead in that regard. Payments are also still made by check. You have to go to the bank to have the money deposited into your account. I was paid daily.

Overly cheerful and artificially nice

I spent five days in New York for a few company projects. That was fantastic. Americans live very differently. They see each other at work or at the sports club and get to know new people that way. At first, I struggled with the overly cheerful and artificial friendliness. It's a bit fake, but you get used to it. I also did some volunteer work: I coached soccer for four- to six-year-olds at the YMCA two evenings a week. I also did some typical American things like eating fast food, going to ice hockey and basketball games, and horseback riding in a medieval village.
We also had to flee forest fires bordering our enormous garden. Luckily, it was still far enough away, but we had to pack our things, and I slept poorly. A few days before I left, there was a 4.2 magnitude earthquake. That woke me up.

Challenging job

After this program, I'd like to go to a university of applied sciences (HBO) to study e-commerce. A challenging job in online marketing seems the most appealing. That world is moving and growing so quickly; I find it interesting to keep up with it. My background in graphic design is also very valuable. I enjoy the combination and want to learn a lot more.

Serena Hendriksen, Marketing and Communications Officer training