Internship Insights: Bridging Academia and the Real World of Real Estate

What motivated you to do an internship?

Originally, I didn't intend to do any internship, mainly because I was quite happy during my first year of the STP program, and I had plenty of courses I wanted to attend. But then I came across this internship at Wüest Partner, which I had been wanting to do even while I was studying for my bachelor's degree in architecture. And so, having gotten comfortable in the setting of my new studies at ISTP, I decided to take a risk and explore something new. And as the STP program grants credit for the internship, it was a win-win situation as it also contributed to my master's degree. I am very glad I did, particularly as I wanted to get another perspective for the last year of my studies in order to better understand where my interests lie and in which direction I want take my further studies. And that's exactly what happened. So, I'm very happy that I did the internship.

For other students considering an internship, when would you say it is the best time to do one?

I would recommend doing it during your third or fourth semester. There are a couple of reasons. After completing your first year of studies, you're more settled and understand what you might want to do in the future and where your interests lie. Also, during the first year you want to get to know the people you are studying with, as you have the opportunity to learn with and from them during the shared core courses. After that, it feels like a good time to try something new and push yourself to get a fresh perspective. I'm really happy that I did my internship in my second year of my master's because now, after having the experience of the internship, I can use my last credits to deepen my area of expertise and my interests, which are different than before I started my internship.

What is the biggest benefit of completing an internship during your master's studies?

It shows you how to apply what we learned at university in a real-life setting and helps you deepen your understanding. At university, a lot of what we get taught is primarily on a theoretical level. And often, you don't come back to apply what you've learned, and maybe forget it altogether because you're too busy or preoccupied with other courses. An internship ideally helps you solidify your knowledge in a work environment. I was lucky that a lot of the content that we had in our master's program was also part of what I did during my internship. So, thanks to my internship, I was able to understand some theories on a deeper level.

What was something that you didn't expect to take away from the internship?

To realize that you don't know anything. Even if you're in the middle of your master's degree, you feel like you haven't even scratched the surface of what is out there, and the reality of the work environment makes this very apparent. But it's also the realization that somehow everyone feels that way sometimes, no matter how long they've been working. During their studies, most people are overwhelmed by the amount of topics and their vastness, particularly when each course tries to cover things in depth. Going into the internship, I was faced with a similar feeling. However, during my internship, I realized that a big part of working and consulting is acquiring knowledge and constantly learning and studying, and that this is as much a part of a student's life as it is of a professional's. The whole experience has made me more comfortable and confident, that you are not going to and, more importantly, you are not supposed to know everything going into the working environment, because that knowledge gets acquired as you find your area of expertise. It's a process of learning and improving. I'm aware of my lack of knowledge, but I'm also aware that the skills that I’ve acquired so far are a valuable basis. And it makes me so much more excited to go back to studying because I have a completely different attitude towards things now.

How did your internship influence your perspective on the relevance of your STP degree in the professional world?

What I have learned is that the STP degree gives me a very unique profile. At Wüest Partner, you have people working both from building related, such as architecture, as well as economic backgrounds. The combination of a bachelor's degree in architecture and a master's degree in STP came in handy because I can contribute to both fields. I found that the company was very excited to retain me because they knew I could bring a more holistic perspective. This has validated me in the choices I have made in my academic career. It proved that there is a purpose to what we are doing and that the degree is not just a title.

What advice would you give to other students who are considering doing an internship?

Well, first of all, I would say you should definitely do an internship. I didn't initially plan to do one. Particularly during my first year, I didn't think to take any extracurriculars or add on too many extras because university can be quite demanding, especially if you change disciplines as you do with the STP degree. But it was only after my first year that I realized the benefits of doing an internship. An internship gives you a fresh perspective that is different from the academic one and allows you to apply and test already acquired knowledge and while learning a lot of new things. But also, in the STP program, you get credits to do the internship, and not all programs do this, which is a big advantage. Doing an internship is a win-win situation. Even if you do it during the semester, as I did, you don't have to lose an entire semester of your studies because you get credits for it and gain valuable experiences in a new environment. So my advice is to just do it, you don’t have anything to lose.