Fast forward

Yes, I should probably have put up a blog post neatly every week of my internship, to update you on my progress and all that, but time flies and I procrastinate, and here we are, on Christmas Eve, on my second-to-last day of work at the opera house. So I'll need to do a retrospect post instead.

Did it go well? I think it all went fairly well, even though it was probably not the best time to do an internship here (a lot of stressed people, the passing away of a superior of our service, this is not a place to go into great detail but it was not the easiest time for sure). We had our good and our bad times, the opera house and I, but that's how it goes I guess.

Did you learn a lot? Yes. I would say I learned a lot about the working world, life as a full-time employee, the way a big company and a cultural institution is organised, and what it takes to keep it running. I've seen a lot of good things, I've seen quite a few things I don't agree with, and I've seen many different reactions to all those things. I mainly gained a lot of insights through working here, and that is the most important thing I've learned. When it comes to practical skills, the actual job content, I can't say I've learned such a great deal there. I did get to improve my French and my organisational skills - but I could already write, use social media, and answer a phone before I came here. Overall, I think the insights I gained and the experience I've built are the most valuable things I will take away from La Monnaie.

Was it worth it? Yes, I think it was worth it. I am glad I got to work at La Monnaie, I got to know the opera house from the inside, I got to know Brussels, I got to know a lot of people.

Would I do it again? I would do it again with what I know now, only maybe a little shorter.

So have you found your dream job? No. I love communication, but I've found out I hate promotion. That thin line between trying to help people by offering them information, or trying to make them buy your product by throwing information at them, is one I've found I do not like to cross. Promotion gives me headaches.

And so the journey continues. Expect an update about my next job search soon!

PS. Sorry for staying vague about this whole chunk of time that's just passed. I promise I'll do better on my next job!