All my friends who have experienced Erasmus internship abroad told me not to miss this unique opportunity. I was a bit sceptical as I didn’t think I was the right type for this. I went to the school administration office to ask about internships abroad and was given the opportunity to go to sunny Malta.
I didn’t think too long and flew from Venice to Malta on 24 March 2019. It was the first time I went somewhere alone for two months, far from home and all the friends. I shared the apartment with five students from Finland who welcomed me very nicely and we went to the beach together on the first day. When I changed my coat for a swimsuit, I realised that I made the right decision. Their knowledge of English is at a very high level, and this is an additional plus for me as I was constantly improving my knowledge of English.
I had a meeting at UPS Malta the next day where I did two-month internship. I was told to work in another company as of the third week, that is in ST Microelectronics Malta, which is the largest company in Malta. The workday was from Monday to Friday, from 7.30 to 14.30. I worked in the UPS warehouse for the first three weeks, where we received shipments directly from the plane every morning. Once we sorted them correctly, we loaded them in the vans, and every time I went along to deliver the packages. I learned a lot about the company’s logistics. When the courier and I delivered all the packages, I continued my work in the office where I initially performed simple office work.
Together with my colleagues from Finland, we visited many attractions such as Poppeye Village, Blue Grotto and the Mdina medieval town, where they filmed the last part of the popular Game of Thrones series, and huge cliffs. Night life in Malta is very lively and we were very lucky to live a kilometre and a half from St. Julians, where there was always something happening at night.
I got more demanding work tasks by the week and I liked it a lot. The days were passing by very fast and I could hardly wait to start work in the largest company in Malta; that is ST Microelectronics Malta.
In short – it is a company with over 1,600 employees which produces electronic chips for all kinds of different kitchen utensils, television, computers and automotive industry. I worked at the logistics department and I have to say I was a little nervous on the first day. I was welcomed very nicely again, and I met a Slovenian girl who moved to Malta and was employed there.
I was entering the orders into the database at the beginning. I had to be very precise since there were quite a few details that shouldn’t be entered the wrong way. I have also observed the work of my colleagues, who were constantly teaching me. I really liked the fact that they cared about me and they always tried their best to help me improve my knowledge. I went to the airport with them several times when there were complications with the order.
I have been working in ST for 5 weeks and I have to say that this was an internship in the true sense of the word. All I’ve learned is impossible to learn in school and it didn’t cross my mind even for a second that going to Malta was a wrong decision.
The standard of living in Malta itself is very similar to Slovenia. Prices are the same as at home, whether of food or public transport. One also gains independence as there is no one here to cook for you, and you have to organise everything yourself. I was pleased that I was never late for work, although I have to say I wasn’t very pleased with public transport in Malta. The weather was summery, while it was raining in Slovenia. Malta also has a very rich cuisine and culture and weekends were perfect for getting to know this great country. Internship abroad is a great opportunity to improve your English and meet new friends, so I would recommend this awesome experience to everyone who gets the chance. It is an experience you will remember your whole life.
