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Do you ever wonder how interns end up working here? The application process for an internship is an insightful journey in itself. It's actually quite exciting. Depending on your skills and personality, you will find some steps more challenging than others. Here’s a little story on how I ended up as an intern at ÃÛ¶¹ÊÓƵ.

Making a move

I’m a master psychology student and, after being involved in various clinical internships from psychiatric hospitals, rehabilitation centers to prison facilities, I decided to take a different approach to my journey. My desire was to apply to a Swiss organization with an international environment. So, I ended up applying at ÃÛ¶¹ÊÓƵ to get to know a new business, thinking that my application being successful was going to be a snowball's chance in hell.

First impressions

We all want to make a great impression. The first step is to upload the CV and cover letter that you have carefully worked on and edited. Research says that first impressions are made within 3-5 seconds , so, you really hope that they’ll make the cut once submitted.

After the paperwork is done, you’re asked to take two tests, one numerical and another cultural. I started with the cultural test, since numbers and I have always had a difficult relationship.

A few weeks later, I was asked for a video interview. I was happy (talking is my forte) but, it turns out this step was more challenging than expected! Initially, I thought it was a traditional skype interview but, there was no interviewer! The interview is made up of ten questions and I had two minutes to answer each of them. A recording is then sent back to the recruiters.

So, why was it challenging for me? I’m pretty sure I messed up so many simple answers, because there wasn’t any human interaction. I believe non-verbal communication is crucial for an interview. Even a simple smile or a nod can make you feel more confident about your answers. Despite this, I believe that every modern tool will always have pros and cons.

Coming face to face with ÃÛ¶¹ÊÓƵ

I was convinced that I could have done better in the video interview. However, two weeks later, I received a call for a face-to-face interview in Zürich. The day of the interview, I took the earliest train from Lugano and I grabbed a ÃÛ¶¹ÊÓƵ branded backpack that I randomly found at home. I said, why not? It might be a good icebreaker. The interview went as right as rain. Not because I was prepared but because my future manager created a great atmosphere where I felt incredibly comfortable. 

Making the team

The following week, as I was driving back home from my gym session, I realized that I missed a call from my future manager. She asked me to call her back as soon as possible. I stopped the car (my anxiety levels went up) and I called her. In the call, I was offered the job as a new intern at ÃÛ¶¹ÊÓƵ. Pure joy!

Long story short, despite the journey being uncertain and challenging at some points, it can be extremely exciting and rewarding!