My time with the ponies*
Hello readers, you probably have never seen a blog by me before, so let me introduce myself. My name is Franklin and I am an intern with the ponies* from the USA. For the last semester I have been going to school at LMU and working a couple of days a week at the ponyhof. But unfortunately, a semester abroad does not last forever and it is all coming to an end. There have been many ups and downs since I’ve been here but being with the ponies* has definitely been a positive.
Initially getting this internship was stressful, since at the time I didn’t know as much German as I know now. I remember the day that I came in for the interview, I was pretty early, but I had no idea what to expect. They asked me if I wanted coffee or anything and I thought it was already off to a good start. Honestly most places I have worked and interviewed for in the US do not even ask me that during the interview. Already showing the hospitality. After that Uli came in and conducted the interview. I am sure I was all over the place because I could probably understand 50-70% of what was said but those 30-50% of words that I miss are always super important. But as Uli heard me struggle, she nodded in understanding and helped me out throughout. After that I did not know what to feel but was happy that I got a quick email back about being accepted for the internship.
Now working starts. Honestly I had no idea what to expect the first day. This was a foreign business to me, I was not so confident in my German, I had not met anyone yet, and now working in a different language! It was stressful. But once I got here everyone took it slow, there was a meeting that day, we all went out to lunch together, and I got my first assignment. My first assignment was to translate the entire blog from German to English. What a great job for the one native English speaker. I honestly think those translations took me 2 weeks because I only work 2 days of the week only for half the day. I got through the translations after a while then started moving up to some more stuff. I remember I had to make an Instagram story, reporting’s, ads for companies, slogans for companies, came up with creative ideas, and more. At the beginning somethings I had no idea how to create but the ponies* helped me along the way. Some days were hard, some days were easier but overall it was an amazing experience.
My biggest take away from the ponies* is seeing the agency set up and mindset, the family mindset, and also them helping me learn the German language. In the US I have worked at a social media marketing firm before, it was a little different from here and a lot smaller. I think its incredible here how there is a somewhat small team but they work with huge businesses and really make an impact on society just having a few people. The family feeling is also cool, everyone is a pony, part of the same family, and everyone looks out for each other. Lastly, getting help with my German has been one of the best parts. One of the biggest reasons I got an internship was to force myself to speak German more. I am happy that they helped me out, anytime I had a question it was answered. I just hope I didn’t get annoying with all my questions.
In the end I’m sad that I have to leave Germany, but I sure am happy that I was part of the ponies*.
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