Internship in Los Angeles: Meet Our New Brand Ambassador Nici

After my semester abroad at Cal State LA in 2023, I knew I really wanted to return to Los Angeles and work there for a longer period of time. For several months, I tried to find a job on my own, but without success — either I received rejections or no response at all. But I wasn’t ready to give up on my dream, because I kept thinking, “There has to be a way somehow. Others before me have managed it too.”

After a lot of intense online research, I luckily came across StudentsGoAbroad, and from that point on, everything moved very quickly.

After an initial consultation with Katharina from Germany, I had my second call on December 3 with Veronika, the person responsible in the USA. She asked me what kind of internship I wanted to do, where I wanted to go, and for how long. Only three days later, I already had my first job interview with the company she had suggested me for. The interview went really well, and just a few days later, I received the job offer. I could hardly believe it!

It then took about two months, partly due to delays around the Christmas holidays, until all the organizational steps were completed and I received my visa.

The timeline in short:

• At the end of November, I came across StudentsGoAbroad

• At the beginning of December, I had my first interview

• By mid-December, I knew for sure that I would be moving to Los Angeles

• At the end of February, I flew to Los Angeles

• At the beginning of March, I started my internship there

Veronika was a huge help throughout the entire application process, Liz supported me perfectly with everything related to applying for my visa, and Katharina was always there for me during my internship whenever I had questions. Everyone always replied super quickly and was there for me whenever I needed support.

When I arrived in Los Angeles, the first thing I had to take care of was getting a car — because you definitely need one. LA is a very spread-out city, and unfortunately, public transportation is not very well developed. On top of that, public transport doesn’t always feel very safe, especially when you are traveling alone.

It is possible to stay in LA without a car — I didn’t have one during my semester abroad either — but it creates a completely different experience. With a car, you can definitely experience more and make many things much easier. That’s why I really wanted one for my second stay in LA, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Unfortunately, renting a car in the US is very, very expensive if you are under 25, and still quite expensive even if you are over 25. So instead, I would recommend buying a cheap car and trying to sell it again toward the end of your stay.

As I already mentioned, I did an internship in marketing and worked full-time for one year at a real estate company. The company has several locations around Los Angeles, and I was placed at the office in Burbank, where I worked on-site from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Unfortunately, working from home was not possible for interns.

My everyday work life was very relaxed. All of my colleagues were super kind, I was warmly welcomed by everyone, and I always felt very comfortable. My role was to support real estate agents with all kinds of marketing tasks. I designed flyers for open houses, prepared listing presentations, and created social media pieces for them.

I even had the opportunity to attend a few open houses and got to see $18 million mansions in Westlake Village and Santa Monica from the inside, which was something really special for me.

I would say I really made the most of my time in Los Angeles and always tried to do a lot after work and on the weekends.

From sunsets at Griffith Observatory, window shopping in Beverly Hills, brunch on Melrose Avenue, dancing at Millennium Dance Complex, hikes to the Hollywood Sign, a football game at the USC Coliseum, tours at Warner Bros. and Paramount, riding the Ferris wheel at Santa Monica Pier, to skating in Venice Beach — I experienced a little bit of everything.

Through one of the other interns who worked in Manhattan Beach, I also spent a lot of time there. We already had our local go-to spots, and through countless long beach walks and shared experiences, she became one of my best friends.

I definitely spent most of my time in Venice Beach. I just love the vibe there — there are so many talented people, and everyone simply does their own thing. Despite the distance, I went there almost every week, met many people there, and eventually even started skating myself and did my first laps at the Venice Skatepark.

Many people worry about traveling alone to a foreign country without knowing anyone there, but honestly, you really don’t need to worry about that. Americans are super friendly, and you meet people very quickly if you are open to new connections and willing to approach others.

I already had a few friends in LA from previous stays in the US, but during this year I also made so many amazing new friends for life — at a concert, while dancing, at the skatepark, or through living with others.

My tip: simply do the things you enjoy by yourself — whether that’s dancing, Pilates, pottery, concerts, going to the gym, or roller skating — and then meet people there who enjoy the same things.

With only 10 vacation days, you unfortunately can’t do that many long trips, but there are many places around LA that you can explore over a weekend.

In May, I went with my group of friends to an EDM festival in Bakersfield called Lightning in a Bottle, which was an extremely cool experience. Coachella is also not too far from LA.

If it’s cloudy in LA on a weekend, you can simply drive to Palm Springs, about 1.5 hours away, and relax by the pool in the desert. If you want a bit more action, a hike in the nearby Indian Canyons is perfect.

Because San Diego is quite close, about 2.5 hours by car from LA, and because my car rental was based there, I also took many day trips to San Diego — and every single one was absolutely worth it. Ideally, you would spend several days there, but even in one day you can experience a lot by car.

My favorite spot in San Diego is definitely La Jolla, where you can watch sea lions and seals in the wild. Sunset Cliffs, the Kissing Statue, and Coronado Island are also well worth visiting.

Since I had always wanted to try snowboarding, I went to Big Bear in January with four of my girls, about 3.5 hours by car from LA. We spent the weekend in a chalet with a jacuzzi and enjoyed s’mores around the campfire. You really can have winter in California too, if you want to!

During my year abroad, I also went to Las Vegas five times, which is about 4.5 hours by car from LA. Each time, I got to experience free shows by world-famous DJs such as The Chainsmokers, Marshmello, Martin Garrix, and BUNT., and I even saw Flo Rida and G-Eazy perform live.

In the summer, I went to Hawaii with my best friend for 10 days. It was honestly the most beautiful place I have ever been to, and I would recommend this trip to everyone. Hawaii is very far from Europe, around a 21-hour flight, but from LA it is “only” a six-hour flight.

Because I was in the US for a whole year this time, I also had the chance to experience all the typical American holidays.

For Easter, one of my best friends, whom I already knew from my semester abroad, took me to her family. I was also invited to spend Christmas with them, so I never had to spend the holidays alone. On December 25, we opened presents together in our pajamas in the sunshine, exactly like you always see in the movies.

I had also always wanted to spend the 4th of July and Halloween in the US, since they are two of the biggest holidays there. This year, it finally happened, and I had my first 4th of July and “Halloweekend” party experiences.

For Thanksgiving, I was invited to join the family of an American friend and tried turkey, mashed potatoes, and cornbread for the first time. I then celebrated New Year’s with a friend I had met at a concert — very classically with red cups, beer pong, and flip cup.

ABSOLUTELY!!

My time in LA was an unforgettable experience and one of the best years of my life. I would not trade it for anything. I fulfilled a long-awaited dream and am incredibly grateful for everything I was able to experience during this year.

I met friends for life and found a second home where I soon felt even more comfortable than in my actual home. In many ways, I gained a completely new perspective on life and grew so much as a person. I became far more independent, confident, and open.

I can truly recommend this kind of experience abroad from the bottom of my heart. No one can ever take it away from you, and the only thing you will regret is not doing it.