How did you hear about the internship?

It was a complete accident. My freshman year I started thinking I wanted to try an internship. I was originally thinking about Microsoft, but then I talked to Dr. Gaura, who told me there was an opportunity to go to CERN for an internship. We talked about it on Thursday, the deadline for applications was right at 12 noon on Monday. So I gave it a try and we wrote a recommendation together on Monday morning and I sent in my application literally at the last minute. Nothing happened for a long time. Then came the so-called offline interview, where you record yourself answering questions. Then you start hearing from specific teams who select interns based on their needs. I was approached by six teams and three offered me a place. I chose the Business Computing Department.

Can you give us your first impressions of CERN?

A bit of a shock, I admit. I arrived in the evening in a strange city, the hostel on campus was full, so I looked for accommodation off campus, the meter was running, everything was new. But the very next day there was a newcomers event where we all got to know each other, and gradually it all started to make sense. What definitely surprised me was CERN itself. I was expecting a super-modern sci-fi complex, but the reality is more of a mix of modernity and history. A lot of the systems have been running there for decades and are still working. It's all very charming. I was intrigued that there are only 2,300 permanent staff, the rest are mostly students and visiting scientists.

What specifically were you in charge of?

I was part of the HR team within Business Computing. We developed software for CERN's internal systems, which includes electronic documentation, databases, HR tools and hiring systems. We had over 17,000 users a day, so just a small error could affect a huge number of people. It was a big responsibility and the team trusted me right from the start. They didn't give me any test tasks, but real tasks in live operation. They knew I was a student, but they believed I could do it. And that motivates you to be better. I was given the opportunity to test new things, get involved in team projects and present our work to the whole department.

What was a typical day like?

I was living on the French side, cycling to work across the border. The journey took about 12 minutes and when it was nice I could see Mont Blanc in the distance. At work we had standups, bags, working agile. After lunch we had coffee outside on the terrace. The life there was really nice.

Where did the people on your team come from?

We were from all over the world - Spanish, Greek, New Zealander, German, Belgian. That was the best part. The English language is moving in a whole new direction every day. I was living with an Indian guy who we became very friendly with, even though at the beginning we had communication disagreements and didn't understand each other's humour. We had to have our jokes translated by a fellow New Zealander at first and after a few weeks we were all on the same page.

What did you enjoy the most?

Probably the combination of everything. Work that made sense. A team where it worked. And an environment that allowed you to breathe. The lake, the mountains, climbing, trips to Chamonix... Plus, CERN encourages self-learning, so we had groups where we'd tackle things like AI trends or experiment with AI assistants. We had hackathons and presentations.

And which moments were the hardest?

The beginning was hard mainly because of the accommodation. You have to arrange everything yourself and cheap housing is a problem. However, after a month I got my first salary, and they also contributed to my travel, so I only invested from my own money at the beginning and later it all came back quickly. I moved three times within a year. But otherwise it was one of the best years of my life.

What was the biggest benefit of the internship?

It gave me courage. English. Peace of mind. Confidence that even when something looks big and hard, it can be done. I would advise other students not to be afraid and to take on challenges. An international placement or internship is a life-changing experience. You don't have to be top of your class to go. It's all about having the desire and a bit of courage.

You can find out more about the conditions of the internship at https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CERN/students.