Meet Some of ASF’s Interns and Trainees

I knew I wanted to work with one of the top architecture firms in the world so I applied for an internship at BIG, the Bjarke Ingels Group. BIG is a Danish architecture firm that in only ten years has established itself as one of the top firms in the field. It works with the kind of innovative design that fascinates me. I knew I would grow as an architect if I had the chance to work at BIG.

My internship has been a great experience so far and I’ve learned a lot. At BIG there’s a very international environment and I’ve been able to network with colleagues that all come from different cultures and countries. I’ve had the opportunity to work with many of the firm’s ongoing projects and I’ve expanded my knowledge of American architectural standards as well as developed my presentation skills.

In January 2016 I travelled to Washington D.C. The trip coincided with snow storm Jonas and we weren’t able to get home again. Just seeing how people and the media reacted to the snow was an experience in itself. It was a great trip but I was surprised by how everything seemed to get blown out of proportion. Maybe it’s because I’m Scandinavian, but I remember looking out of the window in D.C. and thinking: “That’s not really a snowstorm”.

After my internship I’m going back home to Denmark to finish my master’s degree in architecture. I’m looking forward to going home. Over the last few years I’ve travelled and worked abroad a lot and when I finish my internship at BIG I feel like I’ll be ready to go home again. At least for a while.

It’s important to have a main goal – and some intermediate goals along the way. You can’t expect to be able to organize everything at once and it might take some time to get all of the necessary visa papers in order. But it is worth it and doing an internship in the U.S. is a great way to combine travelling and education. The United States is where it’s all happening. If you’re curious, you should go!

My host firm actually happened to find me online when I was searching for an internship last year. They had seen my portfolio, so they sent me a tweet. I’d only heard good things about Hello Monday and I knew I could learn a lot from them, so I was very excited to get a chance to do an internship there. They have great knowledge about the digital world and make very inspiring work pushing the boundaries in the industry.

In the U.S. there are a lot of big international clients and I’ve learned so much just from being a part of the projects that we do here. As a bonus I’ve expanded my English vocabulary and brand-specific terminology. I’ve met so many interesting people and by living abroad I’ve also learned a lot about myself and my own culture.

Living in New York and being a part of the culture here in the U.S. has inspired me a lot, and inspiration is such an important part of working with creativity and design. By getting out of my comfort zone I’ve managed to develop as a person. For me, the most memorable experience is the state of mind that I have experienced here. It has changed me. I’ve also gotten a chance to travel a bit with my colleagues. In the fall I went to Boston, MA, and Beacon, NY.

At this moment everything is open and I haven’t decided exactly what I’m going to do. But after my internship I’ll go home to Scandinavia and with my new experience and knowledge I’ll figure it out. This internship has opened a lot of doors for me back home.

The more scared you are, the more you should do it! I promise you won’t regret it. Doing an internship abroad is like an investment in your future, the best kind of investment since you can only win. But remember to take your time. Everything doesn’t have to happen immediately, just take one thing at a time. And try not to worry, because you can’t plan everything anyway. I would also suggest that you contact other interns and do some research. Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions.

I first considered doing an internship in United States started when I met an American student from Michigan in Germany. I have always wanted to do my internship abroad, so I decided to try my luck in United States. I sent a lot of cover letters and resumes – A LOT. At that time my current manager was trying to help me find a position and offered me a marketing internship at their location in Michigan. Of course I accepted, because I knew the company already I trusted that everything would go smoothly and I wanted to work for them.

The most important thing that I was after and have been able to practice was the language. I spoke English in school a little bit and when I studied in Germany, but now I have been able to speak and write in English every day. My Coworkers have been really helpful and now I don’t feel shy at all to speak or to write in English.

I wanted this exact internship because I plan to continue working in marketing. So far what I’ve done and created is what I want to do in the future. I also understand more about the insurance world, website management, and customer service. This has helped me realize what I don’t and do want to do in the future.

I love travelling and I am happy to have had an opportunity to travel a bit while I am doing my internship here. So far I have been in Washington D.C., Charleston SC, Savannah, GA, Nashville, TN, and all around the state of Michigan. Next month I will be going to Florida for a business trip and New York for a small vacation.

I have to return to Finland to complete my Bachelor’s degree.. After that I would love to travel a bit and see what the future holds. I know now that I want to work on marketing in the future.

Research. Research. Research. If you really want this to happen you have to know what steps you need to take to make this happen. I personally researched a lot about the J-1 visa and sponsors. I wrote all of the information down so I wouldn’t forget and went step by step to accomplish everything on that list. After I found my internship and ASF, the hard part was over and the paperwork started. It was easier to gather all the documents when you already knew what you needed to do. All of this requires patience, it is not easy but at the end it is totally worth it.

Last advice: Practice in front of the mirror to answer “Good, how are you?”, because trust me Americans like to ask “Hey, how are you?” a lot.

I found my host firm through the USA Summer Internship Program at Chalmers University of Technology. The host firm, Avalex Inc., offers civil engineering and environmental services and I saw a great opportunity to develop my engineering skills with them. The fact that the office is located in sunny California was just a bonus.

To work in the United States has for sure developed my language skills. I have also been introduced to professional engineering work by performing different tasks such as AutoCAD drafting, statistical calculations, report writing and environmental studies.

To perform my first triathlon ever in the scenic environment of Lake Tahoe. I have spent most of my time at different places around beautiful Lake Tahoe. I’ve also made small trips to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Santa Cruz and the majestic national park of Yosemite.

To travel to South America before finishing my Masters degree at Chalmers University of Technology.

Just do it! It’s a big process to find an internship, get all your papers together and leave your home behind; but it will all be worth it!