Bridging the two countries in an internship
During the five previous weeks, SEEBA had the pleasure of hosting an intern from Sweden, who came to visit and work in our Branch Office in Sarajevo for her entire stay. Empowering young talents is a part of our mission, and we feel more than happy for having this opportunity to welcome Erna to our team for this period of time and provide her with an environment where she can learn and grow.
Erna Huskic is a 23-year-old born and raised in Växjö, Sweden. A couple of years ago, she has moved to Kalmar where she started studying media entrepreneurship at Linnaeus University from which she is about to graduate. Besides school, Erna works at Sweden’s national publicly funded radio broadcaster at the Digital desk and is also a football referee.
We made a short interview with Erna to showcase her experience with SEEBA, which you can read below.
How did you hear about SEEBA and what made you decide to apply for an internship in our company?
As I’ve been a member of the Swedish Youth Association BHUF (Bosnisk-Hercegovinska ungdomsförbundet), two years ago I visited Sarajevo on a charity trip, where we also got to visit SEEBA as BHUF is their client. A Swedish-Bosnian company immediately sounded like something I would like to try, but I couldn’t even imagine that today I would be sitting here in your office.
That’s how SEEBA came to my mind when I was starting to explore opportunities for my internship. It seemed like something that would give me a big experience and get me out of my comfort zone, both work-wise and privately. Getting the chance to come and work here was a dream come true and I was happy to embrace it.
How did your internship look like and what kind of tasks did you do during your stay?
I was tasked to join the development team for one of SEEBA’s clients, where my focus was to identify current obstacles and propose ways to generate leads. So during my five weeks stay, I have designed a plan for how to use their channels to generate data that will generate leads, i.e. sales.
What was your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge was to adapt to the Bosnian lifestyle. Although I am raised by Bosnians and am familiar with the Bosnian culture, it is not even close to living and working in the country. Work is something I’ve experienced before but I haven’t had to use the university knowledge at work before, especially in another country. Adapting to the concept of working and to the way this company operates took me some time but I have enjoyed the process overall.
How would you describe your overall experience and satisfaction with working in SEEBA?
Eventful.
This internship allowed me to learn many things. My assignment has made me challenge myself in many different ways. I have learned to work towards a budget, to communicate in different languages (especially Bosnian), and to challenge myself in my knowledge. It’s been a lot easier to work here due to the transparency within the company. In a short time, I got a close relationship with my supervisor and the rest of the team that I got to know. Everyone constantly tried to remind me that they are there to help and I felt included. It has become a contributing factor in me fitting in the company like I’ve known them forever.
Would you like to share some highlights of your stay in Sarajevo?
It has been quite a journey for me with so many new impressions. Because I am a newbie in the industry and in this country, I have been curious about what it offers “behind the scenes”. I had the plan to try to eat different things, visit cultural buildings, and experience Bosnian life.
The biggest highlight of this trip was sensing the charm of Bosnia. To see the city full of people hanging out regardless of the weather and time is something that I knew about before but wasn’t used to in Sweden. This way of living is something that was not hard to adapt to. I feel at home when people are so communicative and open because I am the same.
I also got the chance to be a part of BHUF’s Exchange Program where, during a period of two weeks, I posted updates on their Instagram about my life in Bosnia. Two members came to visit me here for a few days, so we combined the business and pleasure.
What are your future plans for your professional development?
Due to my final year at the university, working life is waiting around the corner. I have never known what exactly I want to do in the future but I am very interested in PR and Project Management. Because of my communicative personality, I want a job where I am constantly in contact with people and where every day is never the same. I also find it very important to have an environment in which I can constantly grow and develop.