Internship at London West End : From Aladdin, Wicked, to The Great Gatsby!

After I finished my bachelor's degree in business administration and engineering, I wanted to try something new. My master's program started six months after I graduated, so I had some time to make new experiences.

First, I wanted to earn some money, that's why I started working for two months, afterward, I decided to do an internship abroad to broaden my horizon, particular in the area of sales.

Everything came faster than expected: I handed in my application documents, had a telephone-interview with my company and shortly after I received a confirmation for the internship. Not even two weeks after I received the contract, I found myself standing at the Liverpool Street Station, staring at hundreds of businessmen passing by. At this moment I didn't even realize what was happening, but I put myself together and looked for my hostel. I booked a hostel because I thought it wouldn’t be easy to find a long term accommodation in London.

Small hint: Don't book a hostel! Due to the fact that young people don't have much money (like me), they often book dorms with seven other people in one room. I made the experience that it is very uncomfortable to stay in a hostel, if you have to work the next day. It is a lot better to book an apartment on Airbnb. You pay nearly the same price but you have your own room.

After gaining all these new impressions, I went to Tesco for buying food, afterward, I went for a walk in Regents Park.

What would you do if you first came to a new city? Exactly, a sightseeing tour. Please, follow the colorful umbrellas!

The sightseeing tour I participated in, was completely in vain. We started at Green Park, passed the 10th Downing Street and arrived at the Buckingham Palace, we also walked by the Elizabeth Tower (aka. Big Ben) and the Westminster Abbey. That was it.

Therefore, I decided to explore the city on my own. I went over the Westminster Bridge right to the London Eye. Afterward, I visited the Borough Market and last but not least the Tower Bridge. Thanks to my mobile phone, I could check the distance, which I covered during the day. Since there are so many things to visit in this city, I didn't even notice that I walked approximately 17 kilometers.

Another small hint: You have to visit some of the museums! There are a lot of interesting ones, which you can visit for free if you don't want to see a specific kind of exhibition.

Moreover, there are various museums in which you have a fantastic view of the city. For example, I took some beautiful pictures of St. Paul's Cathedral and the Millennium Bridge during my visit to the Tate Gallery of Modern Art.

I was an intern at a large event agency, which was really great. The internship didn't have anything to do with my bachelor study program. Nevertheless, I took advantage of my work in the marketing and sales sector, on which I want to focus during my master's program.

Even though the work at the agency distinguished from the work as an engineer, I had fun accomplishing my tasks. This was perhaps down to the fact that my colleges were very friendly and helpful. They understood, that it is hard for a foreigner to communicate in a different language. Despite some communication problems, they always knew what I was trying to say in the end.

The job was full of variety, I had a great insight into different sectors of the company, not only sales but also e-commerce and marketing. From day one, I had the responsibility for small projects, for example, I scheduled and coordinated Trade Nights. These Trade Nights are organized by the company and enable customers (and sometimes employees) to visit different musicals. This is just one example of a task, which interns have to cope with.

One very good musical, which I can recommend, was Wicked, but there are lots of other great musicals like The Great Gatsby, Wind in the Willows, Aladdin, Tape Face, Bat out of Hell and The Mentor.

Last but not least, I prepared a list of my favorite places and attractions in London, which are affordable or free:

Notting Hill or Portobello Market: live music, good, exotic food and all different kind of things

Camden Market: more food and second-hand clothes

Borough Market: food with the best value for money (it's on the way from the London Eye to the Tower Bridge)

Greenwich: This is a nice district of London. There you can find the zeroth longitude! You have to pay if you want to go to the museum but the park and the view are worth the visit.

Pubs: The Lord Moon of the Wall is located directly at Trafalgar Square and not that expensive.

Bars: Everybody knows the Walkie Talkie Tower in London, but not everybody has discovered the cool bar on the top floor of the building. Definitely worth a visit!

Clubs: There are loads of clubs in London, that's why I can't recommend just one. It doesn't matter which kind of taste in music you have, you will find something! Hint: Buy your tickets online because it's much cheaper.

The time I spent in London was awesome and I would definitely do everything the same way again. The reason for my great stay was not only because of my employer, but also because of the unique city of London.

Certainly, London is beautiful but don't forget, it's also one of the most expensive cities in Europe. I saved a lot of money to be able to live in London for three months, but after my stay, nothing was left.

Spending time abroad changes you and I definitely took benefit out of my stay in London. I am more independent now and additionally, I improved my English skills. This time was also a great opportunity to get to know new people from all over the world.

I've had the best time of my life!