An internship at the north pole
By Nadja Joensen
I was an intern in the UArctic Secretariat, where I was working with a focus on the Danish, Greenlandic and Faroese member sites. I remember applying for the internship a Saturday in my Dutch flat in the Hague, as I at that time was an intern at the embassy of Denmark in the Netherlands. I am from the Faroe Islands and have lived most of my life in Denmark. I was a communication student at Aalborg University at the time.
Much time has passed. The year was 2014. I have a lot of great memories from my short three-month internship in Rovaniemi. Memories that I am so grateful I had the chance to experience. E.g. I arrived on a sunny day with 20+ degrees in a winter jacket, which I was happy I had as the end of my stay would be with lots of snow and -18 degrees.
My internship entailed various communication tasks including website editing and updating, interviewing and journaling news stories from grant receivers from the members from Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. I have fond memories with friends that I still have contact with. An internship, in my opinion, is even better if you combine it with networking, which is one of my passions the past decade. I learned a lot about the Finnish culture and dining, because I met with Finnish colleagues and friends for Pikkujoulu, other exchange students from e.g. Germany, US and Canada. Some of which I have met with both during travels through Europe by car, or when they have visited Denmark. We actually still meet once in a while, even after kids have come into the picture.
Many years have passed, and I have actually had many work experiences since my internship in Rovaniemi. However, the pattern shows that I have worked within visual communication, sales and marketing. Three years ago, I started my own digital magazine about networking and later on careers, and have published 17 magazines including over 170 stories. In my current position I work with marketing and communication, including strategy planning, managing social media channels, website maintenance, editing, updating, interviewing and writing stories.
It is clear to see that the work experience from my internship at the UArctic has had an effect on what type of work I have been doing during the years afterwards. Especially deciding to make my own magazine, publishing it and gathering over 1000+ subscribers for it.
My recommendation to others is always to network locally, meet the locals, go see some place that a local recommended, learn the culture and taste the food. That is something that you can take back home as great unforgettable memories.