Teresa Oscar
Interns Like Me Blog
Hi, my name is Teresa and during my final year of studying Film and Media here in London I got to do a part-time placement in the Library and Communications Department of the Goethe-Institut London.
What intrigued me about a placement at the Goethe-Institut?
Since learning about it, I have been looking forward to the placement module at my university because my studies of film and media have – besides gaining theoretical background knowledge – a very practical end goal. For this reason, I was very excited to gain some hands-on experience of working in the cultural sector in an organisation that has links across London as well as internationally. As a German South African with bilingual and bi-cultural upbringing, the mission of the Goethe-Institut to foster cultural exchange and German culture outreach, was the perfect opportunity for me to combine my background, my studies and my personal interests. Specifically working in the library and communications department tied those interests together perfectly.
What did my days and tasks look like?
Communication might very well be ‘der rote Faden’ that coloured my experience here: Coming to the Goethe-Institut quickly made me realise that the different departments collaborate and interlink very frequently and I got to experience and participate in the work of the culture and educational services departments as well.
Internal communication: Check!
Of the various roles I played throughout my time here, most consistently I supported the social media presence by creating slides and captions of posts for upcoming events or advertising the library offers and inventory. Monthly library spotlights for the newsletter were another task of mine, which sometimes included researching these topics and oftentimes allowed me to flex my creative muscle in text and image creation.
Communicating what the Goethe-Institut London has to offer: Check!
My other responsibility was general research. Upon starting my placement, I learned more about the sector of media monitoring. Next to finding and contacting firms providing this service, I experienced the procedures that go into selecting the final provider and into press work as a whole. In general, the communication with external organisations collaborating with the Goethe-Institut was also a part of my errands.
External communication: Check!
Concerning my position in the library, it also included very practical responsibilities, like covering the help desk. As a social and outgoing person, I enjoyed the interaction with the visitors to the library and helping them in their quest for finding, borrowing or returning a book was a gratifying experience. The interactive nature of my placement also shows itself in my participation in the organisation or execution of different events hosted by the Goethe-Institut London: I got to work with young school classes visiting the institute for one of the German Days or represented German cultural outreach on the Great Exhibition Road Festival to young (first-time) visitors.
Face-to-face communication: Check!
Obviously, being part of planning meetings for the upcoming KinoTage (a German Film Week) was particularly stimulating for me as a Film student because I got to view some of the potential films for the week and give my input as well. Naturally, a placement in the communications and library department lets you not only come into contact with various people and departments but in consequence of that it also gave me a lot of insight into the work these people do and, from the perspective of a graduating student, that is valuable information regarding my own future plans.
To my placement takeaways: Take it away!
Communicating – not very subtly – some of my experiences during my time here, helps me reflect upon the learnings I had – some of them upon facing personal challenges – as well as the highlights I take from this experience. The combination of my tasks here has equipped me with more confidence in communicating professionally with a variety of people and service providers and also navigating the procedures within the local branch of a global organisation such as the Goethe-Institut. This being said, there was also the learning curve for me to not be too reserved or hesitant to ask questions as well as to proactively offer my contribution, ideas and opinions, which were always appreciated.
Especially specific conventions regarding the design of, for example, online content, that have been a theoretical part of my studies could now be practically implemented, and I have gained a more acute awareness of the importance of consistent company branding.
Besides gaining work experience, becoming part of the Goethe-Institut London team comes with a lot of cultural opportunities: while I didn’t have to make use of the free German courses you can take as an intern here, I did get the chance to participate in some of the various cultural events that are offered here. One highlight was the opportunity to go to the screening of a German film at Raindance Film Festival – which the Goethe-Institut supported – and personally meeting the director of the film while she stayed in London.
If you’re considering doing a placement here…
Do it.
I really enjoyed and appreciate the experiences I had and people I got to work with. I would encourage future interns to make use of as many opportunities at the Goethe-Institut as possible and to proactively involve yourself in the shaping of its outreach.
If some or all of the above descriptions fit your interests or studies, I think it’s a good idea to do a placement here and once you do, you might recognise a few places in the collage at the top…
