Hello, my name is Chiara, I am 23 years old and I am currently studying Marketing & Sales at CAMPUS 02. City of Graz I had the privilege of acquiring new skills for three months. In this article, I share my experiences and explain why I can recommend an internship at the City of Graz to anyone.

How did you find your internship?

My internship at the City of Graz was an incredibly enriching and varied experience that I would highly recommend to anyone. It was exactly the internship I had always dreamed of. From the very beginning, I felt welcome in the team and was immediately integrated, which allowed me to take on a lot of responsibility - something I particularly enjoyed. I took advantage of every opportunity that arose, such as taking part in the Innovation Games organised by the City of Graz. This allowed me to get the most out of my internship for my personal and professional future. The teamwork was outstanding - I have never experienced such a strong team spirit and cohesion before. We had lunch together almost every day and regularly discussed personal and professional topics.

The managers were extremely inspiring and the tasks were very varied. I also had the opportunity to carry out various field activities, including video productions and photo shoots for different campaigns and projects, recording podcasts and moderations, as well as invitations to memorable events that gave me the opportunity to expand my network. This internship has significantly expanded my know-how and helped me realise what I want in life - and what I don't want. In short, it was an absolute showcase internship!

What is the daily business of the City of Graz?

The Department of Communication pursues the goal of communicating the offers of the municipal administration to the people of Graz and making them accessible. The timely, high-quality and transparent information work includes products, services and services of all departments of the City of Graz.

Describe a typical day in your internship:

My typical internship day often started between 8:00 and 8:30 am with a kick-off meeting, either with the entire department or within the team, which took place weekly. These meetings were used to give updates on current projects and individual activities and to plan the next steps.

My working day was always dynamic and varied, characterised by a mixture of field work and office work. At the time, we were busy implementing two major campaigns: the two-phase "Besser Miteinander" campaign and the campaign to promote mental health. At the same time, we were working on innovative ideas for the Green Capital Award, in which Graz was among the top three finalists for the final in Tallinn, Estonia. We also tested various applications of artificial intelligence for explanatory videos and developed new corporate designs in collaboration with an agency. Regular coordination meetings with the in-house marketing agency were also an integral part of our day-to-day work. In addition, we were involved in the promotion and production of the City of Graz podcast "Grazgeflüster" and the submission for the Podcast Award. We also ran a special campaign called "Study.Love.Stay." for students and we prepared the annual "Aufsteirern" event as well as a recruitment campaign for child carers.

Our tasks also included organising gifts, for example for the mayor, and producing creative content for our social media channels (this included video productions, moderations, photo shoots, events, collaborations with influencers, meta ads, creating posts, research and developing templates/manuals). My area of responsibility also included media planning, campaign management and various editorial activities, whereby close cooperation and regular coordination meetings with colleagues and the project partners involved were essential. Lunch together in the holding canteen was of course a must!

My working day usually ended between 16:00 and 17:00, although the times could vary due to events and the day could sometimes be longer.

What were your absolute highlights?

My internship at the City of Graz was full of highlights that I would like to share. One outstanding experience was undoubtedly my participation in the Innovation Games organised by the City of Graz in collaboration with CAMPUS 02 UAS, where employees from various municipal departments had the opportunity to develop innovative solutions and I was able to present our idea to an expert jury.

Other unforgettable moments include Hubert von Goisern's golden book inscription, the anniversary ceremony at Congress Graz, my participation in the press conference and opening of the autumn fair, as well as the presentation of RockFM radio and the COPE advertising agency. Other highlights were the podcast recordings, including in the Schlossbergstollen clock tower and on topics such as the security company GPS and the social support provided by the city of Graz. In addition to these events, taking part in workshops, training courses and company outings also enriched my experience during the internship. And not to forget: the final presentation of my work placement to the managers of the City of Graz and Ms Klampfl from CAMPUS 02 University of Applied Sciences.

What challenged you?

Anyone who knows me knows that I love challenges and enjoy leaving my comfort zone, even in everyday life. I am therefore extremely grateful that my boss gave me a lot of responsibility and trust right at the start of my internship. However, I felt a little overwhelmed at first when I was given the main responsibility for a campaign with a considerable budget after just two weeks. Intensive teamwork and support was essential for successful implementation, as many steps required authorisations. This meant that I had to show a lot of initiative and personal responsibility, which ultimately led to valuable learning experiences for my future career. This initial challenge proved to be extremely rewarding for my personal and professional development. In addition, efficient time management and good scheduling were required, as I travelled a lot in the field and was not allowed to neglect my office work.

What did you find particularly useful during your internship?

During my internship, I was able to utilise a variety of teaching content to great effect. In particular, this included my knowledge of project management and the basics of marketing, as well as a deeper understanding of management with a focus on strategic and operational marketing in relation to strategies and corporate design. In addition, skills in areas such as influencer relations, communication, presentation and rhetoric, sustainable and responsible management, time management and self-organisation, argumentation and discussion skills were a great advantage.

My business English, understanding of buyer behaviour and the content from my semester abroad in Finland - such as English Pronunciation, Managing Brands and Customer Experience, Business Intelligence and Controlling, International Business Simulation, Writing for Digital Media - also proved to be extremely helpful in practice. I was also able to benefit from my expertise in conducting sales meetings, organising and analysing events and the effective use of social media. This extensive range of course content enabled me to take on a variety of tasks during my internship and successfully contribute to various projects.

Tips and tricks for your colleagues after you:

I have a few tips for everyone who comes after me: be brave and seize every opportunity that comes your way. Be open to new experiences and learn from every mistake. And above all: savour every moment, because an internship is a unique opportunity that you should take full advantage of.

Summarise your internship in three words:

• Responsibility
• Teamwork
• Diversity