Our former trainees

  • I ended up doing an internship at Blic because of my interest in the intersection of business and politics, which is also where I had been focusing my studies. I joined the team with enthusiasm and an interest in making a difference. I had previously worked both as a lobbyist in an MEP office and as a student lobbyist, so I was looking forward to the opportunity to see lobbying from a consultancy perspective.

    The best thing about my time at Brainee was the wonderful working community. For me, it is very important that you feel comfortable going to work and that you can share your everyday life together if you want to. The team is full of different and wonderful people from whom you can learn new things and form friendships. At the office, your own personality can be seen and heard. What's more, Brainee is part of the team from the start, and after the first week I felt as if I had been in the office for much longer.

    During the Brainee cycle, I encourage you to ask questions and have courageous conversations with different people. When in a dilemma, don't be left alone, because Blic has a wealth of knowledge and someone always knows the answer to every question. During the traineeship, your own attitude, interest and enthusiasm to learn will help you to get more out of the experience.

    After my traineeship, I stayed on at Blic as an analyst.

  • I applied for an internship at Blic because I wanted to learn more about social impact and the regulatory needs of businesses. I have previously worked in the world of political parties and organisations, where lobbying is driven by ambitious goals. My aim was to learn more about the business perspective, with a focus on concrete and practical realities. The expectations I had set for the internship were clearly fulfilled, and I was also able to learn a lot about client work and the substance of client relationships in different sectors.

    When applying for a Brainee, it is worth being bold about your own personality and thinking about how your personal history and experience from your hobbies and work can provide you with the skills you need to make a difference.

    The best way to benefit from a Brainee period is to actively seek out customer and development projects that interest you. I also recommend being brave enough to express your own ideas and views and to get to know your colleagues!

    Since my traineeship, I have continued to work at Blic as an analyst.

  • Throughout my internship at Blic, I felt very inspired and my professional identity was strengthened. My previous work experience was mainly in the field of organisations and communication, so I was very interested in working on different topics. In addition to learning about the content of the issues, I found it very relevant to be involved in the internal work of Blic, including the preparation of the monthly political reports. Participating in these further deepened my understanding of the political landscape, the opportunities for influence and the importance of timeliness.

    I give a big recommendation to the Blicin brainee episode. In addition to the interesting substance, the internship allows you to become an equal part of Blic's warm working community, where you are encouraged to take responsibility and share your ideas. Alongside close teamwork, Blic allows you to get to know each other more freely, get to know each other and exchange ideas through regular team meetings, strengthening the sense of community within the work team. You can influence the content of the internship by bringing out your own skills and interests.

    After my traineeship, I stayed on at Blic as an analyst.

  • Braine was particularly surprised by the breadth and variety of her work. They also gave me a nice sense of responsibility from day one. In addition, a supportive working atmosphere and colleagues with a sense of humour and knowledge ensured a very successful traineeship.

    During my time at Brainee, I learned that good communication skills in particular are useful at work, both in the office and in meetings with clients. These skills will certainly help you in your basic career. At Blic, I also discovered that you can go a long way with an upbeat attitude. Being proactive in getting involved in new projects, expressing your thoughts and ideas and offering help are both rewarding and developmental. I would definitely encourage these activities for new trainees too.

    For a brain-teaser, I would recommend putting your own personality forward. At Blic, diversity and variety are also highly valued, so feel free to showcase any special skills you may have.

    After my internship, I went on to China and Peking University to finish my Master of Laws degree.

    I give a big recommendation to the Blicin brainee episode. In addition to the interesting substance, the internship allows you to become an equal part of Blic's warm working community, where you are encouraged to take responsibility and share your ideas. Alongside close teamwork, Blic allows you to get to know each other more freely, get to know each other and exchange ideas through regular team meetings, strengthening the sense of community within the work team. You can influence the content of the internship by bringing out your own skills and interests.

    After my traineeship, I stayed on at Blic as an analyst.

  • I started my internship with an open mind, as my previous work had mainly focused on developing internal processes within companies and I thought that the tasks at Blic would be quite different. This was the case, although I was already familiar with the tasks of carrying out various surveys, meeting clients and preparing reports. The biggest difference was the approach of shaping the playing field on which companies operate, rather than the way they operate.

    In addition to the interesting tasks, during the brainee period I learned how incredibly motivating it is to work in a team and atmosphere where you feel comfortable. A significant part of your life is spent at work - so you have to have fun! I also came across people who had taken very different paths. It has been refreshing to look at things I have taken for granted in my own life in a new light and burst my own bubble!

    To the applicant and to those starting out as a brunette, I would give the same advice - think about what you have to offer to the work community. Bringing a new perspective or expertise to the team is highly valued and new recruits are listened to carefully.

    After my internship, I continued working at Blic as an analyst.

  • For someone interested in politics, the Blic internship was the perfect place to grow and develop their thinking in a diverse environment. There are few places where you can follow the business world and companies' strategic goals so closely, and in four months I learned as much about social impact as I normally would in a few years.

    I recommend the brainee episode to anyone who wants to broaden their perspective on the social debate and their passion for changing the world. In addition, Blic effectively teaches you how the consulting world works, which is a valuable lesson for your future career. If you plan to one day sit on the other side of the table making decisions or dream of a career in the corporate world, Blic is definitely a worthwhile choice.

    After my internship, I continued working at Blic as an analyst.

  • I ended up at Blic by accident. I had never really given any thought to a career in lobbying, but something in the brainee advert intrigued me and I decided to apply. My enthusiasm only grew as the recruitment process progressed and the brainee period began. From behind the smokescreen of lobbying, an interesting and varied job description emerged, covering social issues, policy, analysis and consultancy. The people I worked with were hard experts and great guys, and quickly made the brainee part of the work community.

    Braineena learned a lot from the fast-paced life of a consultancy. At Blic, vision is key and different perspectives and everyone's input are valued. So feel free to bring your own views and expertise to the table! I was impressed by the high quality of everything done, the warm and electric atmosphere in the office and the constant encouragement and sparring from colleagues, which helped me to learn new things. Embracing the Bliccan working culture will definitely be beneficial for your studies and any job!

    I encourage openness and courage among applicants and new graduates. It's worth bringing out your strengths and interests - one of Blic's strengths is that not everyone is cut from the same cloth. It's worth jumping into new projects with an open mind. Of course, it's also good to be active and proactive, asking, suggesting and offering whenever the opportunity arises. You can take responsibility when you want to, and that's what's so instructive!

    I work at Blic as a manager with a wide range of tasks and I still enjoy going to work every day.

  • The traineeship and exposure to business advocacy greatly improved my understanding of EU decision-making and my information-seeking skills. I also liked the way in which Brainee was naturally integrated into the work community and the emphasis on substantive tasks.

    The Brainee episode helped me to see what kind of worker I am - an independent worker who, after spending time on a task, brings as much polish as possible to the table. I instinctively try to avoid wasting other people's time.

    If you are applying to Blic, I recommend that you take plenty of time to polish your application text and any preliminary assignment. If you are accepted, remember to be active and proactive: projects don't always fly off the shelf.

  • When I started my Brainee period at Blic, I didn't know exactly what the work would be like. After a short orientation period, I was quite quickly given a variety of tasks to take on and my job description and my place in a great working community began to take shape.

    The Brainee period taught me how to work with different people, gave me the opportunity to learn about a wide range of issues and taught me how to organise my own time. It also had an impact on everyday life: the exposure to big picture issues contributed to a better understanding of one's own world view and contributed to a broader understanding of the world around us.

    If I were to give advice to someone looking to become a brunette, I would say: take a leap into the unknown and challenge yourself. This is a workplace where everyone is respected as an individual and where every day you learn new things and develop yourself.

    After my internship, I continued working at Blic as an analyst.

  • I dare admit that when I started at Blic, I didn't know exactly what my everyday life would consist of. However, my time at Brainee exceeded my highest expectations and from the first days I was involved in some of the most interesting tasks.

    So if you are applying to become a Brainex, I encourage you to do so! Here, different people, experiences and backgrounds come together to form a collection of amazing talent.

    I urge anyone starting out as a bride to get involved in as many activities as possible and break the boundaries of their own comfort zone.

    After my Brainee period, I continued as an analyst in Blic's Brussels office.

  • What was really nice about my Brainee period was that I was given quite a lot of responsibility right from the beginning of my internship - it's part of the Blic culture to trust people and give them the opportunity to show their skills. The internship taught me a lot about the practical work of a consultant. I kept learning new things about the operating logic and potential challenges of different markets and players, and how to overcome these challenges.

    If you are thinking of applying to Blic, you should send a personalised application, emphasising the strengths you feel you have. Blic is a diverse organisation with a permissive and open working atmosphere, so there is demand and room for many different types of thinking, skills and experience. And when you get to be a Blice, be bold in expressing your ideas and embrace a culture of constructively critical feedback; in addition to its networks, a consultancy rarely has any other assets than the methods, ideas, knowledge and skills of its employees - these can always be challenged and developed.

    After my internship, I continued working at Blic as an analyst.

  • When I started my training, I didn't really know what to expect! Although I had been working in the EU world for a year, Brussels and business lobbying was a completely foreign subject to me. The fact that I was Blic's first EU intern added to the excitement.

    My time at Brainee taught me how valuable networking and effective communication are in working life. It's OK to make small mistakes, or even slightly bigger ones, if you're prepared to work hard to correct them and are brave enough to admit you've made a mistake.

    In Brussels, initiative and creativity are key: you don't need to be a hard-core EU policy expert to get a traineeship, but show a genuine interest in the subject and an understanding of business. So feel free to speak up in different situations where you think you have something to contribute (NB! Including where you think your idea or suggestion is "wrong" or just plain silly).

    After my Brainee period, I joined the Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU as a Competitiveness Sector Assistant during the Finnish Presidency.

  • When I started at Blic, my expectations were somewhat mixed: I was familiar with the field because of my background in youth policy, but I lacked a clear understanding of the day-to-day life of a consultancy. In retrospect, working at Blic is so unique that you cannot fully understand it until you experience it for yourself. In the end, however, all my expectations were exceeded by leaps and bounds!

    The learning curve during the Brainee period was absolutely huge, as I got to work with many different clients and sectors. The best lesson was to realise the importance of working together - there was always help available to achieve a common goal. Blic genuinely cared about employee well-being and emphasised to me that there can and should be more to life than work.

    I highly recommend the Brainee application for people at the beginning of their career. You can learn new and difficult things by doing, as long as you believe in yourself and your potential. From the very beginning, you should be brave enough to bring your own views and visions to the table; at Blic, new ideas are valued and listened to, regardless of whether they are presented by a trainee or an experienced consultant.

    After my Brainee period, I moved to work for the Helsinki Coalition as a political secretary.

  • I expected the brainee to dive into the deep end of politics and learn about corporate lobbying. This is what I got. Blic has real experts in politics and administration, from whom it was possible to learn more about the political process and the relationship of business to it. I was able to be involved in influencer and sales meetings, different client teams and do political analysis. Each case was different, and this required extensive and rapid familiarisation with the different contexts. I was surprised how much my views were sought and how much I was able to use my own expertise.

    The Brainee period taught me to trust my own skills and to take strong control of my own work. Although the consultants do a lot of independent work, they all help and support each other in tricky situations.

    My advice to a starting brunette would be to be brave and take on different opportunities and jobs, as a traineeship at Blic can give you a really varied experience of different tasks. Responsibility is given if you ask for it. It's also worth taking a look at how experienced professionals get on.

    After my Brainee period, I moved to work at the University of Tampere, in the evaluation project of the management system and business model of the City of Helsinki.

  • I didn't know the field of social impact very well before coming to Blic. I wanted experience of working in a consultancy on topics of interest such as social issues and policy-making. This expectation was fulfilled by the brainee period with a variety of projects and tasks. The most positive surprise at Blic was not only the good working team but also the quick integration of the trainee.

    The Brainee period taught me the importance of teamwork and of having different views and opinions: we have many employees from different educational backgrounds, which allows us to have a broad perspective and the ability to solve different problems. Many times I find that I am never thinking about an issue from that perspective.

    If someone looking for a career in politics were to ask me for advice, I would encourage courage: not many people have thought of political lobbying as their own field, and it is not the most typical career path. I am very pleased that I dared to apply for an internship outside my comfort zone. It's also worth not overthinking whether you can do this job without a previous political background or activity. Of course a political background is useful, but it is not a prerequisite - I don't have one, for example.

    I currently work for Blic as a consultant.

  • The Brainee episode exceeded my expectations in many ways! Too often you hear stories of internships where the tasks are focused only on making coffee or other tasks that are irrelevant from a skills and professional growth perspective. The Blic internship provided a rich perspective on the world of influencer communications consultancy, where you could really put yourself out there. At Blic, interns are fully involved in client teams and internal development projects from the very beginning. Of course, this also means that interns work on real consulting tasks and are expected to take active responsibility and ownership of their own work and its high quality.

    The trainee's job description is shaped by each person's strengths and interests. The traineeship was full of meaningful and varied tasks, and they were supported by their employer and colleagues in their development and in planning their own career path. These things, in my opinion, are certainly not self-evident in all traineeships in all agencies!

    I am currently working at Blic as a director.