Three months of work in Greece are enough or not? For a third-year student of the Faculty of Service, Tourism and Food Service Management, Polina Mozgalina, the three-month paid internship in Greece was a small life that gave her a unique experience, friends from all over the world and confidence in her future. 

-          Polina, How was your trip?

-          I came back several days ago, but I’m still impressed. For me it was not three months, but “three years” of the amazing trip to a beautiful country. My internship took place on the Island Rhodes, the first week of the training -  in the city Volos at the Academy Of Tourism, which our University concluded an agreement with. I worked in a La Carte and in the main restaurant. From the very beginning, I was realistic and understood that I went to work and not to rest. It took a little bit time to get used to new working conditions in another country. However, after about the week and a half I managed to find a balance at work and get comfortable in Greece. The staff helped me a lot. They were friendly and open-minded people, who were always beside me.

-          Tell us a little bit more about them.

-          In Greece, I found a lot of friends from all over the world, with whom I still stay in touch even after my internship. My restaurant had employees from Poland, Romania and Moldova. Other participants of the educational program are also foreigners. There were four of us in a big room, which was provided by our hotel, and we were comfortable with it. Each day I received support and never felt alone in the foreign country. An opportunity to talk participants of this program from Russia did not give me time to miss my native language. Among guests, I liked British and their children. They were well-mannered and kind.

-          How was your schedule? Did you have problems with adaptation?

-          We worked 8 hours per day. In the beginning, I was not prepared to such workload and that’s why I slept a lot during my breaks. However, when I got used to my work schedule, the internship was opened for me from different perspectives. In my free time I could relax with my friends, get acquainted with the culture of different nations and just chill out. Last weeks before my departure I worked from 16:00pm to 01:0am, then my friends picked me up and we went to the sea or a club. O the schedule was very intensive but interesting.

-          What did you learn during a working process? What was the most important for you?

-          We worked on different positions. The head of the practice told at once that he would send us on different positions, as he would not consider us as trainees but professionals. I worked as a waitress, helped people in a kitchen and supervised people as an administrator. Such a variety is necessary for everyone who wants to develop in the service industry and understand its internal mechanism. You can understand many things only in practice.

-          What, for example?

-          At some point managers told us, that we needed to raise our level of communication with guests. They explained to us how important to smile and be always benevolent. As a result, I gained knowledge, experience so that I do not regret about my trip.

-          You also got a reward for gaining knowledge during the internship, right?

-          Yes, they paid to us well, but I did not save money. I spent money on both clothes and food (since I literally flew at work and did not go it took a lot of energy). The most important was for me to gain knowledge but to get money for the internship became a big plus. I felt that I could earn money and did not depend on my parents.

-          Do you have plans for your future?

-          Before my departure, my supervisor told me that I could go further at the reception. According to his words, I have a talent for this work. But I understand that it is too early to talk about it. My first priority now is to get a visa and go to study in Croatia, which our university organizes for KIU students. I also hope to “squeeze everything out” of this trip.

Thank you KIU for these opportunities.