From studying in Milan to working in Bratislava, Tahmina Mumtaz Memon who is originally from Pakistan is now ready to move on after 6 months of a worthwhile traineeship in Slovakia. We caught up with her at the Placement Slovakia head office to film a video interview which you can see below. We wanted to find out a little more about the work life and the social life she encountered here in Bratislava.

Watch our video interview with Tahmina

1, How did your story first begin and why did you decide to take an Erasmus+ internship in Slovakia?  

It began when I started searching online for positions related to my field of interest. Over some time spent researching, I then found myself on the Placement Slovakia website. I chose to do the internship in Slovakia because I knew that the position being offered would give a good boost to my CV.
 
2, Can you tell what responsibilities the company gave you at work?

I spent a few months attending trainings sessions to learn new skills such as SAP. Before the training I wasn't familiarised with it even a little.  The rest of the time was spent assisting Senior Consultants and having direct communication with supervisors in projects. I also made many user guides via the SAP WPB software too.

3, What skills did you improve the most during your traineeship?

I improved my communication and presentation skills the most.

4, What were your expectations and were they met?

I was expecting to gain knowledge in SAP and I found that in the end this expectation was definitely met by having the experience.
 
5, Were there any tasks given to you that you had no idea how to complete? If so, how did you solve it?

In the beginning, I had to do lots of tasks that I hadn't done before as I had never worked with SAP. To overcome this, I started using the internal learning hub at work and at different intervals resorted to Senior Consultants for any queries or assistance.
 
6, How did you find out about our program and how would you evaluate our assistance provided during your period here?

I found it through Google. I would rate it 5/5. Not for one moment did I ever feel as if I would not be answered by anyone from the Placement Slovakia team no matter what the issue was.
 
7, Do you have any suggestions or improvements to our placement programme?

Not really to be honest. The program is already performing very well. Just keep up the same friendly-environment that makes us feel like being at home.
 
8, What do you think of the life-style in Slovakia?  

It is good. I like the fact that Bratislava is small and cosy.
 
9, What did you find as the most different from your usual environment, country? Was there any culture shock?

Not really. I have lived in Milan for almost 4 years. So, I am well acquainted with the European lifestyle.
 
10, What did you like the best here in Slovakia (food, place, cultural aspect, work…whatever you can think of)?

I liked walking around the old town a lot and relaxing at Rusovce.
 
11, Did you have any work or social difficulties during your stay in Slovakia? If so, how did you solve them?

I had none.
 
12, Did you have enough time to travel and explore Slovakia and neighbouring countries? Which places did you visit and what left the biggest impact on you?

Yes, I travelled to some countries, such as Austria and the Czech Republic. Within Slovakia, I went to High Tatras and Nitra. Out of all these, I loved being in the High Tatras the most.
 
13, Which moment of your stay in Slovakia has been the most memorable for you?

All 6 months.
 
14, What are your future plans after finishing the internship?

I have a couple of offers in hand now, I am just assessing them and will decide which one to pursue in the near future.
 
15, Is there anything you would like to say to students still deciding whether or not to do an internship in Slovakia?

I would say to them “go for it” because it is a life-changing experience. You will meet many people and create your own small family.

Good luck Tahmina!