Project manager intern at Adria Congrex (Italy)
Hello! I’m Antonella from Italy and I attended the 27th edition of the IMES Day programme.
My interest in European affairs sparked during my university years, as I ended up studying International Relations. I also had the opportunity to get a first-hand experience within the EU doing a traineeship in a lobby group in Brussels. After being part of this challenging adventure in Belgium, I decided to go further and the IMES was the occasion to do so.
Through this intensive course I acquired new skills, especially focused on EU funds, allowing me to discover a “small universe”. Working groups were the most exciting moments of the programme, as I both knew better some of my colleagues and perceived how a cohesive team could do the difference in achieving goals.
Brussels is the best place in the world for studying European affairs and gaining insights into what happens day by day in politics and economy worldwide. Once I got my certificate I decided to seek an internship across Europe, in order to start a career as a junior Project Manager.
Two months after the end of the Belgian experience, I was engaged by an SME in Italy for an internship and I am still collaborating with this team of project managers.
Since the first day, I have been carrying out tasks related to European tenders, helping the Project Coordinator in every phase of the project cycle management.
It is exciting to put in practice those skills learnt in class and see how a project on a paper becomes real. Thanks to my experience with the Belgian-Italian Chamber, I understood that I have to do my best to hit the ground running in the European Project management field and to become a successful Project Manager.