Once you have decided to participate in an Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme project and the destination chosen, the next big question is what company should I choose for my Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme internship? Would you prefer a big well-known company or a smaller company?
First of all, it all depends on what your intention of the Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme internship is. Do you want to receive an introduction to a specific industry in order to find out if this is the right field for you? Or do you want to improve and extend skills, meaning that you want to participate in key tasks?
If you have never worked in an office, even small tasks such as sorting files or preparing mail for your supervisor can encourage learning. Generally, it can be said that every task is beneficial for your future employment, and this is the major advantage between applicants with internship experience and those with no work experience at all. As you learn many things, later on, in your future job, you might be able to contribute to the success of the company by improving and optimising processes. Your future employer will be thankful for the input, because sometimes you get stuck in a rut and need someone with fresh ideas.
Let’s talk about the differences working in a large company compared to a small company!
Obviously, there is the renowned name of a big company that has great success and therefore makes your CV very attractive when you show that you have completed work experience there. Furthermore, they know how to take care of interns, meaning that you usually receive a well thought out programme, including an initiation plan as well as a mentor. The mentor takes care of you during your whole internship and it’s most important during the first days, because he or she will introduce you to everyone and teach you the values of the company. They will also deliver all the necessary information for your Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme internship.
Big companies have experience with interns and know exactly what tasks are appropriate for the trainee and also adjust the deadlines accordingly. The tasks may be smaller and are often mainly assisting a colleague with their workload. In a large company, it is difficult to assert oneself and you won’t be able to see the outcome of your tasks because it usually takes a lot of steps until there’s a tangible result. The advantage is that you have fixed working hours and working overtime is uncommon. Therefore, you can enjoy your free time in your temporary hometown to the fullest.
The disadvantage is that the responsibility that is given, as well as the responsibilities, are kept within limits. Also, in large companies, there are naturally many interns, this makes you easily replaceable. The application process as a whole is more complicated and takes longer than at a small company, meaning that you need to consider this in your time plan. In large companies there is a greater hierarchy, more superiors and it can take time to get information, or a question answered.
Short communication channels and team cohesion characterise the working atmosphere in small companies, also the boss of the company knows all their employees including the interns. An Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme internship in a small company usually means taking over responsibility and really being part of the success story. Your opinion and ideas are highly appreciated. It is often a learning experience from each other, because some companies are very interested in your theoretical knowledge too. You not only finish your assigned tasks but you may be asked to take one step further, which is mentally challenging. Your workload will definitely be more diverse as you will be responsible for different things and therefore the learning outcome will be greater. You are familiar with all the projects that are currently being worked on. This gives you a good overview not only of how the company works and its structure, but also seeing and understanding every single process. You can gain a lot more experience this way, learn more, build on the skills you already have, learn several new skills at once, and grow as a person. At the same time, you also learn a lot about yourself. You find out your hidden skills and where exactly your interests lie and can then specifically promote them.
If you've done an internship at a small company and you mention it on your CV, you can expect questions like, "What’s the company? What do they do?". It is also possible that the induction process is not as structured and can sometimes be a little chaotic, because smaller companies are sometimes not practiced in dealing with interns. The biggest drawback is probably the blurring of boundaries, especially in terms of one's scope of work. You are asked to do tasks that are not in the job description.
As you can see there are pro’s and con’s on both sides, therefore the decision depends on your personality, your intention and also your expectation. In the end it’s the experience that counts, and from our experience we can say that it doesn’t matter if you do your Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme internship in a large or small company. You can make the best out of every internship placement and take home beneficial skills.
If you want to read more about the possible tasks at your Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme internship see our blog “Which Tasks can Erasmus+ or Turing Scheme Interns Complete”. Also read our upcoming blog from our colleague Laura who did an internship in a small company.