From Doubts to Making Amazing Friends: Pierre’s experience in Slovakia

One common concern that people have when going abroad is whether they like the country and people in it, as it is always difficult to go to a foreign country without knowing anyone there.

The same worry had Pierre Braillon from France, a student at EM Lyon Business School, who secured a position as a Data Analyst Intern. However, this fear was soon proven wrong. He shared his experience with us:

“My only concern was that I won't like the country and people there, but I found amazing people and lived the best 6 months of my life”

As a Data Analyst, Pierre had the following main responsibilities: analyzing data, eg sales results and forecasts; assisting the Business Intelligence Mgr and Finance Mgr on Data Analytics Operations eg raw data administration; supporting the Global & GEO SSG Channel team in data & pricing analytics; and supporting business management data consolidation. 

Additionally, Pierre had a supportive team which made the experience enjoyable: 

“The support was really good, even if my team is only made from Managers and they are usually really busy”, and “The pleasant part is the people in the company that are so nice!”

When it comes to the life in Slovakia, there are certain advantages and peculiarities. Pierre highlighted some of the experiences about the location, culture and cuisine when living in this beautiful country:

“The most interesting is the geographical position of the country that allows to travel easily in Central/ Eastern Europe. The cultural differences are more related to the people, that are a bit colder than in my country. Also, the gastronomy is so different as main dishes here are less worked.”

He made the most of his time off, spending weekdays with friends and using weekends to explore neighbouring countries. 

"I'm just travelling on weekends and spending time with friends during the weekdays," Pierre says. 

His accommodation added to the experience too — a good location and friendly roommates were the best part of it, as Pierre stated. 

Advice for future interns:
Pierre's advice for future trainees ties directly back to what he loved most about his own experience:

"To enjoy the geographical position for travelling." and "Don’t be scared to go to other interns or Erasmus people because everyone is really kind and open and the only risk is to miss the oppotunity to make amazing friendships."

Thank you, Pierre, for taking part in our programme and bringing in such warm and valuable insights. Best of luck to you in your next steps!