Rosie Fairbrass
Interns Like Me Blog

Hallo! My name is Rosie, I am a British graphic design student and have been on a six-month, full-time placement at the Goethe-Institut in London.

Why did you do your placement at the Goethe-Institut?

I was looking for a placement where I could learn from and work alongside people who shared similar values to me. I was keen to gain insight into how an organisation like the Goethe-Institut operates behind the scenes, whilst having the chance to apply the skills I had developed during my studies. With an appreciation for languages and art, as well as a curiosity about history, I was drawn to the Goethe-Institut and interested in learning more about its role in promoting Germany, its language and cultural exchange.

What have you been up to at the Goethe-Institut?

Spending most of my time in the Digital Comms team, I assisted with many creative and administrative tasks. From Social Media to working on the Library Spotlight, it was super varied. I really enjoyed learning about each Library Spotlight that we highlighted. My favourite being 'The Book Cover in The Weimar Republic' by Jurgen Holstein. Whilst on my placement I always had the opportunity to learn and was encouraged to be as creative as I wanted. I had a lot of fun helping the Social Media manager with creating content, editing and scheduling posts, as well as creating visuals for many other different things. I spent Thursdays with the Culture team, having assisted with the Goethe Annual Lecture 2025, learning how to input entries for events and Open Calls. From time to time, I was able to help assist in the library, where I took the opportunity to admire many of the amazing book covers on the shelves, often taking pictures for design inspiration.

What has been the biggest challenge and what have you learned?

Starting something new is always a challenge, particularly as I don’t speak German. So, initially I found this difficult, but it was a nice challenge to have! Although still currently “monolingual", being around a different language has inspired me to start learning. It is fascinating how much I have absorbed without realising within just 6 months! Below is a collection of words, mainly office lingo, that I have picked up, as well as a sketch of me, getting used to the new way of greeting my colleagues in the morning! Please share some highlights with us?

I enjoyed many different creative tasks, but in particular, I really enjoyed helping organise and participating in a Social Media workshop for our Digital Comms teams in both London, Ireland and Glasgow. It was really great to meet and collaborate with our colleagues from other instituts. Coming together to learn, brainstorm and produce new creative content. Also having the opportunity to work with different people, learning from them and observing what they do. From the library staff, the Digital Comms team to the Culture department. I was able to learn from many people with different interests and ways of working. Taking the time to teach me bits about translation, film, contemporary art and history. I saw the strategy behind decisions and visual communication in the digital comms team, the effort and the thinking that go into improving services, building engagement and facilitating social events that contribute to positive change. It was also really great to see the commitment to young people and education through the Exchange to Change programme, as well as both emerging and professional artists and arts projects within the digital comms and culture team. 

My placement was a chance to build confidence and work on real, creative tasks, with much shorter deadlines than university briefs! At times having to adapt to limitations and find solutions when things didn’t go to plan, it was especially valuable to see the planning behind creating content and working to schedules.

Being surrounded by knowledgeable colleagues pushed me to challenge self-doubt, try out new things, and ask questions. While it can feel uncomfortable not knowing as much as the people around you, it is in fact the best position to be in for growth, especially as an intern. I was in a supportive environment where I could ask questions, receive feedback and learn from the people around me. It was a great opportunity where I can say I grew in confidence and was able to build new skills.

Thank you and auf Wiedersehen :)