I am going to tell you a bit about what is like to intern with Finland Center Foundation. This is for interested applicants and upcoming interns, who can get  a little insight into what to expect, and for whoever wants to know what we are actually doing here. So, if you are interested in knowing about the internship period with FCF, please keep on reading. In short, I can tell you - it is awesome!

Days at the office are varied for sure. To put it briefly, the job consists of managing social media and newsletters, event planning and organization, networking, website management, marketing, e-mail correspondence, membership administration and attending events. Social media plays a big role. You can be as creative and inventive as you want! Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Linkedin will become familiar if not already. Basically, the goal is to promote Finnish-related happenings and bring Finnish-minded people and topics together in New York City.

Organizing events is exciting! Before the event there is the planning part and promoting part. What are we actually doing? Where? When? Who to invite? What does the program look like? Maybe you need to design promotion material on the Canva platform or send invitations via Mailchimp. On the day of the event the intern might be taking care of the enrollment, catering, seating, photographing, and social media postings for example. Not to mention, the intern also has the opportunity to listen to very interesting speakers. This Fall, Finland Center Foundation co-organized events such as a music concert, a fashion collection launch and a technology related panel.

It is easy to learn how to use the different platforms and programs we use. You learn by doing! As an intern you have responsibility but also your contribution is trusted and valued. This job definitely gives you a confidence boost! Help is always gladly offered by our founder and other staff. Working hours are quite flexible. Mainly regular office hours, but maybe you are needed some evenings or weekends -  but usually because of an interesting event!

Having initiative is expected but the work can be as independent or social as you want it to be. It is fun and insightful to discuss with fellow interns and staff. Comparing differences between Finland and The United States is always interesting. Interns improve their English language skills because we get to use it on a daily basis. At the moment FCF and The Kota-Alliance have two interns from Finland and one from the Netherlands! Meeting fascinating people is guaranteed.

Last but not least, the interns get to learn how the nonprofit sector in New York operates which is very interesting - and very different compared to Finland.

Where does all this work physically take place? Finland Center Foundation is located at the coworking office space called Centre for Social Innovation, CSI, in Chelsea. The building we are in is called Starrett-Lehigh, which is one of the largest buildings in Manhattan. Most of the people working here are working, volunteering or doing an internship for a non-profit organization. As the name indicates, the work community consists of very co-minded and social doers! Connections and ideas are easily shared. Besides the people, one of the best parts of being a member of CSI is that coffee and tea are available all the time! On Tuesday mornings we have parfait and every Wednesday a salad buffet. And everything is for free! For an intern, that is a great perk. The CSI staff also organizes workshops and events for members to attend. One this Fall that was about improving social media marketing skills was very useful.

Speaking about events, the city offers an awesome opportunity to take advantage of different kinds of panels, conferences, workshops and other events on all kinds of topics all around the city. You might find yourself attending a panel about women’s role in peacemaking at the UN or watching a Finnish comedy at the Scandinavia House. 

Internship is about working and learning but there is still the rest of the day and weekends! What to do? It is New York City! In your free time you can experience...The Empire State Building, The Madison Square Garden, Central Park, Guggenheim, Brooklyn, Coney Island, Madame Tussauds, Time Square, Chrysler Building, Moma, The Botanical Garden, Top of the Rock,  Grand Central Oyster Bar, Bryant Park, Queens, Bronx Zoo, The Rangers, Century 21, Barnes & Noble, The Met, Shake Schak, Statue of Liberty, 9/11 Memorial, Whitney Museum, Soho, Public Library, Rockefeller Center, Staten Island Ferry, The Knicks, Radio City Music Hall, Barneys, Washington Square Park, Chinatown, The Vessel, The High Line, American Museum of Natural History, House of Yes, Grand Central Terminal, UN Headquarters, The Apollo Theater, Hudson River, Columbus Circle, Harlem, Roosevelt Island Tram, Lincoln Center, Battery Park, Broadway, Pier36... You name it!