Be curious, explore and enjoy - Mr. Alexis Plaa from France

Finally, we are back on track with a bunch of interesting stories from our interns who came to Slovakia. Let´s read about Alexis from France, who graduated from Civil Engineering School. Right after graduation, to get more practical experience he came to Bratislava in order to work for an Architecture Company.

Here we can learn from his experience in Slovakia.

Why did you decide to take Erasmus+ traineeship opportunity? And why did you choose Slovakia?

I have tried to apply for lots of internships but had no luck. Once, while I was searching, one of my assistants in the recruiting organization told me about an open recruitment for interns, so I immediately agreed. Then, I´ve managed to conduct my pre-interview , during which I was asked a preferable country to go to. For sure, the eastern and northern countries attracted me more, not to mention, a friend of mine went to an Eastern country and had an amazing experience. I wanted the same. When Karol contacted me for the first time with the great offer in Slovakia, I was like “Yes, sure, let´s go”. At that time I knew little about Bratislava, and Slovakia, but I was eager to discover something new.

What were your main responsibilities and tasks while you were on the traineeship?

I helped my boss, Peter, the company's chief architect, draw most of the plans and add technical expertise to the work, since he has an architectural view and I have a more technical perspective. Thanks to this combination, we were able to create something that would be attractive to customers from the outside and actually build. Talking about my work tasks, I added my technical expertise in order to make some changes in the project, so it would be constructible. Moreover, I was creating drawings to the plan on the software autocrat and 3D models for some projects on the software arcade.

Did you learn anything new in your field? Tell us bit more about your acquired skills and competences.

This was mainly related to architectural plans, because I had never worked in an office. And that was also all other competence in arcade software. Since I have not tried this before, when I first arrived in the first month, I trained on it e.g. I drew my own house and tested all the different options on it. I've tried software that looks like I did before, called Rivets software, which can be used for building information modeling. There you can manage 3D building models as well as all construction information. So it was very helpful for me to learn about the new software that I am going to use in the future.

What was the most beneficial part at your work?

I´d never worked for a real architect company before this internship. However, I did try myself in all the phase of constructions what really helped me add my own expertise as well as knowledge, I´ve gained earlier. I could apply and understand how I can use my experience. In addition, the most crucial opportunity was for me not only to learn something new, but also to teach Peter a few things. It was great to be on the side of the teacher at least once, and it was an indescribable feeling when I felt like an expert, a master. As a result, it helped me gain confidence.

What would you say about Slovakia? Have you noticed any cultural differences between Slovakia and your country?

At first I didn't notice much of a difference, other than the language, it sounds complicated. Besides, the atmosphere of Bratislava reminds me very much of the city of Bordeaux in France, as it looks very similar, and I felt at home. However, after talking with the Slovak people we met during the first month, I realized that Slovaks may be less concerned with what you wear, what you eat, who your partner is, and so on. I didn't expect to see this level of respect and freedom. Unfortunately, in France we care enough about these things. Moreover, in Slovakia, about 80% of the population are Christians, who would seem to be a little strict, but they turned out to be much more progressive, considering that their liberalism impressed me.

How Covid influenced your life during the internship? Pros and cons?

Covid did impact my internship a lot, as when I arrived in Bratislava, the lockdown restrictions were still on. This meant that I had to go through all the arrival procedures: undergo PCR, register on the website, be in quarantine for 14 days. But I was lucky because the quarantine restrictions were lifted during those two weeks, so the isolation didn't make much difference for me. And the fact that the office was closed at first, I was able to work from home. On the one hand, it gave me a chance to train myself in software architect. I definitely improved my way of working with computers. As for me, it was a bad situation that turned into good opportunity. On the other hand, of course, it was still hard, while we were waiting for the coworking office to reopen, to communicate all the time online. In addition, I sometimes felt a bit bored at the time of waiting for an answer, had nothing to do. The good thing is that it didn´t last longer than one month. Finally, in one month, I enjoyed the first sunset in Bratislava on the construction we were building. I must say right now I appreciate being out without restrictions.

What was the most pleasant part of your Erasmus+ internship experience in Slovakia?

I would say that I just don't have one nice part, as I was learning something new almost every day, exploring new places, communicating with people all over Europe. And together with other Erasmus students whom I met during my internship, we exchange cultural differences, experience, and have fun at parties. It was great to share this moment with them.

Would you like to recommend anything to the newcomers?

I would like to recommend attracting and exchanging with people who are already in Bratislava, because this is the best way to learn some tips about the place, for example, ask locals, interns and Erasmus students who already know the city and its life (there are usually groups in Facebook or WhatsApp). You will get even more pleasure after discovering this information.