I have spent almost a week now in Lisbon, Portugal and it has been amazing! I have gotten to explore around the coast of the country and each city excites me. Arriving to the airport, I was greeted by the woman who helped coordinate me getting here. It has been very nice having someone from the area show me and my fellow interns around the city. My initial impressions have been very positive! The people have surprised me in their fluency of speaking English. The majority of the people speak English and have not been offended by my minimal Portuguese speaking. Opposed to other countries, Portugal has just recently grown in tourism, so the locals think highly of and are very friendly to all of the tourists. Another impression I have has been on how the people speak to you. Everyone here is very blunt, but they are not trying to be rude. This has been intimidating for me, but I am understanding it more.
Throughout my stay, I hope to gain work and cultural experience. At my internship, I hope to gain insight on if I like the department of Human Resources. With me graduating in December, I will be applying to full time jobs this fall. I hope that this internship helps me to decide if I want to apply for a job in the recruiting or talent development functions. As for being in Lisbon, I hope to gain a greater understanding on their culture. Speaking of culture, I have found many differences between culture in Portugal and in the U.S. In Portugal, people are very laid back and almost never on time. In the U.S., you are taught that you need to be 15 minutes early to be considered on time. This view on time has been something hard to adjust to. Coming into my office, my boss was very informal about when I need to come in and when I can work virtually. I believe that this is because they have a greater focus on their work-life balance than we do in the U.S. Another difference has been how people greet one another in the office. I was greeted with kisses on the cheek, while I am used to a firm handshake. This was also something that was intimidating and uncomfortable at first. I love getting to make friends with the people here and learn more about life and the history of Portugal. I am so excited to continue to learn and experience more!