Exploring the Dynamics of International Development Cooperation while Working Abroad

We regularly offer internship opportunities to students, providing them with hands-on experience in the field of international cooperation. What attracts both international and Pakistani students to intern with us is our organisation's strong technical expertise and the enriching work environment we offer. Whether it's a technical internship within one of our projects or a role in our Country Office's administrative sections, our teams are dedicated to ensuring that interns not only gain new knowledge but also make a meaningful impact on their teams.

Recently, we had a conversation with one of our international interns who is part of the Communications and PR team at GIZ Pakistan. She shared her insights on the experience of being fully engaged into day-to-day operations while working remotely.

Laura, how were you integrated into the team while working from abroad?

Although I work remotely from Germany, I felt very well integrated into the team. An important factor for this was the existing Communication Focal Point (CFP) Network team with its monthly meetings, which provided me with a good basis to get to know the people I work with on a regular basis. Because I was separated from my colleagues by the time difference and remote communication, the process of building trust perhaps took a little longer than it would have in person. In the beginning, the communication barriers seem to be higher with a remote internship because you don’t see your colleagues in everyday office life and every question has to be asked virtually. However, I felt very welcomed and over time you can find your own role in the team and your individual tasks. An important factor for me was that I was able to contribute my own ideas and focus areas in our monthly networking meetings and support my colleagues in their communication activities. This made me feel integrated over time and I could develop my own network that now expands beyond team boundaries.

How did you get to know the work of GIZ Pakistan and the projects?

An important step in this was the onboarding process in the beginning of my internship to get an overview to the portfolio of GIZ Pakistan. Familiarising myself with the different projects was challenging at the beginning, especially because I didn't have the opportunity to visit project sites or participate in events. However, through my tasks in the internship, I got acquainted with the broad portfolio over time. Working on different communication products such as a portfolio presentation and hearing monthly project updates in our communication network meetings certainly helped with this process.

What made you feel connected to the projects and colleagues operating from Pakistan?

Even though I never visited the project sites in person, I felt connected with the projects and their activities over time due to the close contact I had with the respective colleagues, which provided me a good insight into their daily work. For example, revising Social Media Content that the different projects provided gave me a good overview to the different activities and their impact right from the beginning of my internship and kept me up to date to new developments. This also gave me an idea on how the different projects and thematic areas are intertwined.

How did you benefit from the flexibility of working and studying simultaneously?

The possibility to work flexibly from home was a great advantage, especially because I was in the final stages of my Master's degree when I started my internship. This allowed me to spend more time studying after my working hours, as I did not have to commute to work and could flexibly arrange my work location.

What would you say about why others should decide on an internship with GIZ Pakistan?

International students who consider an internship with GIZ Pakistan benefit from the experience in an international work environment while working from Germany. This fits especially well when you are still involved with university work during your internship. Even though a remote internship brings its own challenges, you have the chance to grow from it and even work on important soft skills like self-organisation and finding ways to contribute yourself.

It is an enriching experience because you get a better understanding of GIZ as an organisation and its values. The insight into the work of GIZ in Pakistan is particularly interesting because of the diversity of projects and topics, being it climate and energy, employment, Afghan refugee management, social protection or local governance. It is a good opportunity to broaden your horizons and gain your first experience in the field of development cooperation. Furthermore, during your internships you will learn about cross-cutting issues such as diversity and gender and what role these play in the work of GIZ.