It’s All About The Bags (Erasmus+ Internship In Istanbul)

During my last year in university I heard how my classmates were talking about internship for graduates. But it truly hit me after graduation. Call it coincidence, but last day available for applying to this program my friend insisted on me to do it. And this is how I found myself in Istanbul.

I chose Istanbul for one simple reason: my boyfriend lives there. But first things first. I got the job in exotic handbags company Cashhimi so easy I couldn’t believe my luck. But other things weren’t so easy. Maybe some of you know that without visa you can stay only 3 months in Turkey as a tourist. I was prepared for this. I had all my documents with me when I went to police station to apply for residence permit. But one thing I did not have – turkish health insurance which is quite expensive. So, after a lot of paper work I bought it and finally submitted all documents. Other things that weren’t so easy for me was language barrier. It is common in Lithuania that most of the people speaks English, especially, young ones, but Turkey is a land of wonders – sometimes it was hard to find a way because people don’t speak English and couldn’t direct me. What else you should know about Turkey which shocked me the most is: 18 million people living in Istanbul. People are everywhere they are ‘fighting’ for their place under the sun, so be ready to live a hectic life, even if you don’t want to.

Besides that there were a lot of nice things that Istanbul can offer: rich culture and historic places, good weather (my internship was during Oct. – Feb.), delicious food and loads of opportunities if you are willing to learn the language and continue your career there.

As for me, everything I experienced from good to bad, I think, was worth it when I felt I found my dream job. Did I mentioned I was doing my internship for brand which produces exotic handbags? Yes, it’s every girls dream. And you know what? I tried them, wear them and took photos of them. That time I understood that the job I was doing was the right one. I had to do everything: from assisting in interviews with magazines, scouting for bloggers to taking care of company’s website and e-commerce page. If you ask me, if I felt tired and bored at work, I will say „no“. Everyday was different, everyday was a challenge. And I am very happy I accepted this challenge. There were people who pushed me out of my comfort zone and there were people who comforted me. I feel, during this stay in Istanbul, I grew as a person. I am no longer afraid of going to job interviews, making a wrong move or even standing for myself. Finally, I can offer my experience to employers and feel secure about my contribution in the company. If someone would ask me if I’d like to do it again, I’d definitely says ‘Yes’!

By Justina Brazdžiūnaitė (VGTU graduate)