What were your main duties and responsibilities during the course of your internship?

The main responsibility was to respond to customers via email and telephone to hlep them to arrange the tourist services that the company offered. Once a job had been organised via email, I would then have to ensure that I booked the correct people (guides, translators, transportation etc.) for the correct date. Sometimes I would have to plan trips and events depending on what the customers requested. I also was responsible for going out and marketing the company in hotels. This meant travelling to hotels around Paris and explaining to them what the company does and how to get in contact with them.

What would you say was your biggest achievement over the course of your internship?

My French improved a great deal since I was constantly having to communicate in French. I also overcame my fear of using French on the telephone.

What benefits did your internship bring to your employer?

Given that there were next to no employees, I was certainly a benefit to the business. There was one week in which there was only myself, the accountant and the director and often hours or half days where I was literally the soul person in the office. One month in I was given my own key because the director was away on business and the other employees did not come in until after me. For two weeks I was responsible for opening up the office and dealing with all customer business until the others arrived about an hour later.

Did you encounter any problems during the course of your internship and if so, how did you overcome them?

My main problem was arriving with a very limited knowledge of French. I took every opportunity that I could to practice speaking in French and really feel that this improved over my time there.