Abstract:
This past semester I was fortunate enough to intern with Orchidea Preziosi, an Italian gold manufacturing company just on the outskirts of Arezzo. My goals for this internship were to learn about the business culture in Italy, what it takes to run a jewelry company, and assist in marketing for Orchidea Preziosi through social media. I achieved some of these goals and found that I had to alter my expectations once I started getting familiar with the company. One of the main tasks I was responsible for was calling American jewelry companies and promoting Orchidea’s e-commerce: Precious Component. This task proved to be a little challenging due to several reasons. Throughout my internship I not only came up with several suggestions on how to better promote Precious Component but helped achieve my bosses’ goals and tasks. Situation: A typical day at my internship consisted of logging into Skype and calling American companies off an Excel list made by my two bosses. I did this task the majority of the time. The main problem I found with my internship was not with any task but finding more ways to help out around the office. Since I was the primary connection to American companies, I led the initial contact with companies through Skype calls. I was grateful to do it and assist their marketing department. In order to call American companies I arrived in the afternoons, when I was not in class or traveling, and stayed later in order to reach the west coast. It took some time to get used to; I had never been a telemarketer before and needed to contact as many companies as possible. At first, I got discouraged and frustrated since many American companies would either hang up on me or state they were not interested. After a while, this task got very monotonous and I continually asked for other tasks, even suggested reaching out to companies in the United Kingdom. After calling companies and receiving both positive and negative feedback, I would then list the responses and emails, if I obtained them. Most feedback was negative, and I would not receive emails. This did not seem very efficient to me, so I asked if they planned to expand their vision and promote to the United Kingdom. Many American companies I marketed to were either too small for international business or not interested in expanding. It also was due to the size of Orchidea. A few weeks into my internship, I was given a new Excel sheet with companies from the United Kingdom to call, which let me arrive at my internship in the mornings, also giving me more hours. Since I enjoy various tasks and communicating with coworkers I wanted to help out as best as I could. I always asked my bosses to give me other tasks, like sorting charms or locks. My boss thought it was so funny that I showed interest in what he called “practical” things. About a week later, my boss let me sort and help package different pieces of jewelry components, getting them ready for shipment. I did this a few times throughout my internship. About a month ago, after my boss and coworker went to Istanbul, I was able to assist in typing out the names and emails of companies based in Istanbul. Orchidea Preziosi’s e-commerce, Precious Component, has a fantastic website. Since I know what they produce, locks, clasps and chains, there is not a huge need an Instagram; all their products remain the same. They had wonderful brochures, they hand out at fairs, listing the best sellers and including the prices. Background: Orchidea Preziosi is a specialized Italian gold and jewelry manufacturing company. What started with an idea from my employer's father, Fabio, turned into Orchidea. In English, Orchidea means gold, locks, and idea. The first day, Fabio showed me what all they make, and to best explain it I think of it as the more "practical" jewelry items. Orchidea Preziosi produces locks, magnetic clasps, tennis bracelets and earrings, as well as ring holders. The company is roughly a forty-person company. The downstairs portion is a large factory filled with intricate machines while the upstairs consists of a few offices. The room I worked in was the biggest room where my two bosses, both named Fabio, Fabio’s wife, and my coworker Francesco worked. Since I had no prior knowledge to working in a factory, there was not a whole lot to do downstairs. I asked if Orchidea Preziosi was looking to expand their company and learned that the physical building was undergoing some construction. However, Orchidea is not looking to expand its employees. Orchidea Preziosi has northern counterparts that assist in manufacturing and deliveries. As far as regional expansion, Orchidea is covered, since their clients speak Italian, there is no reason for them to use their e-commerce, Precious Component. The company is very tight knit and still family run. Many of their business comes from surrounding towns but reaches as far north as Milan. From my experiences, Orchidea Preziosi is doing very well throughout Italy. As an intern, I noticed that Italians take very long breaks throughout the day. I now understand why because at Orchidea Preziosi they often stay late in the night preparing for shipments the next morning. I also noticed that, although they take more breaks than in America, there is not much time wasted. Everyone is super friendly but there was not much small talk that went on unless I initiated it. In my very first internship class, we discussed the importance of assertiveness. I remember being hesitant at first to ask for simple things like the wifi password or where the bathroom was. On a more serious note, it took some time to figure out what my bosses were looking for. I would suggest things I could help out with and I do not think they understood what I was trying to communicate. Google translate was my best friend, as well as using hands to depict things. Eventually I got my point across that I was there to help out with whatever task they needed. In another one of my internship classes, we discussed the brain drain and work culture in both America and Italy. I learned about the lack of jobs available in Italy for young people. I found it surprising how many of the employees at Orchidea Preziosi had been with the company. Many have worked at Orchidea for over six years or so, indicating that Orchidea Preziosi maintains strong relationships with its employees. There is also no desire for the employees to leave and find new jobs, contrary to work life in America. My coworker Francesco has been with Orchidea for a while; it is all he has known, and he is in his thirties. Some coworkers have traveled throughout Italy, however traveling within Europe does not seem as common. Conclusion: While interning with Orchidea Preziosi, I came across a couple minor challenges. The most notable was the difficulty I initially had in finding things to help out with. My bosses had specific visions what they needed me for and I definitely achieved them. However, I wanted to do more and found that things I would suggest required a knowledge of working down in the factory. I found that it was hard for them to accept ideas and give me tasks, although I made it known that I wanted to help. It is not that they did not want my help, they just wanted to do majority of the work, at first. Once I had built a good relationship with my boss, I was able to figure out what he needed, and how I could achieve the needs for the company. I have acquired a few skills that I know will benefit me in other jobs and back home. I now know how to telemarket efficiently; I also know how to deal with rude people. Most importantly, I know how to be flexible and remain positive when things do not always go as planned. The best part about interning at Orchidea Preziosi was interacting with my fellow employees and bosses. In the beginning we did not do that much talking, we were all on the phone marketing to other companies. However, I found that when I made the first move, they were all so friendly. It seemed like they liked their jobs and knew that even when business got busy, it was still a job. They were some of the most genuine people, I remember my bosses’ wife helped me with one of my flights and I did not even ask her for help. The observations I acquired will benefit me in dealing with people over the phone or in person. I have really come to appreciate the value of timeliness and hard work. It also is really important to treat people with kindness and keep an open mind for everything; you never know when you will make a business deal work. The most valuable thing I learned in this internship is that you get what you put into things. At the start of my internship I really had no specific expectations of my job. I was really nervous if I would be able to not only understand what my bosses wanted but help out. Reflecting on this internship, I believe I have really helped out Orchidea Preziosi, even if some of my work was considered "small". Working in Italy has shown me the importance of transferable skills, like communication, cultural sensitivity and patience.
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Italy is a country filled with culture, and good food with typically everything centered around the family. In terms of the work culture, there is still a rather high unemployment rate among Italy’s youth. Many young workers tend to get temporary contracts; the steadier, long-term jobs get taken by the veteran workers in Italy. This causes problems for the young Italians seeking labor in Italy. Many young Italians will often choose to get a higher education to put off finding work. In class we learned that a lot of young Italians seek work elsewhere. They tend to go to Northern Europe, like Germany, or abroad to the United States, in search of more job opportunities.
Having worked now in both countries, I can spot several differences between the United States and Italian work cultures. A typical work day in Italy, through my experience, starts around 9 am and can last up until 8 pm. There are several breaks taken, many of which are at least five minutes or longer. Workers and employees have a close relationship, as most businesses are still family run, it just seems more apparent due to the close knit family background. At my internship, I can tell that my boss cares about his employees; they often seem to talk in casual conversation, of course with most of the conversation work-related. In America, a typical work day involves arriving at work promptly at 8 am and ending around 5 or 6 pm. Small talk is not uncommon, but many businesses stick to business related conversations. All of my previous bosses took an interest in myself and my fellow coworkers, but at times it could come across as just something to talk about or a way to gain more information and gossip about each other at work. Since I am not fluent in Italian, I obviously cannot hear or understand what my coworkers say to one another, I can guess that some talk might be gossip but it does not seem to be part of the culture as it does in the States. Both Italians and Americans have maternity leave. One thing that I found interesting was some Italian companies offer paternity leave. I have never really heard of such a thing in the States, unless you are super wealthy and can afford to have both parents take time off. In Italy, the father of course does not get as much time off as the mother, but hey at least it is some form of a break. Both countries take lunch breaks, and many have a car or friend to pick them up from work. From what I can gather at my internship, at home-work is first, not exactly possible for many of the employees working downstairs in the factory, due to not having access to all the machines. This is why many employees tend to stay later at work to finish creating and packaging products ready for shipments. Secondly, once you leave the building it appears as if family life maintains a higher importance than work. I know that Italians value their work, but something I have come to appreciate and really like is how family oriented many Italians here in Arezzo seem to be. Pop culture is a set of practices, beliefs and objects that are dominant in a society at a given point of time. It encompasses the feelings and activities produced as a result of interaction with these dominant objects. Often, heavily influenced by mass media and a collection of ideas that permeates the everyday life of a society.
Yesterday, I learned that many Italians still watch American movies. Back during World War II, Italy was the fourth largest film industry, while the United States was the tenth largest film industry. Now I feel like the United States is one of the leading countries producing movies. I think America is “known” for its movie industry and Hollywood-centered culture. Some of the highest grossing Italian movies are: La Vita e Bella, Ultimo tango a Parigi, and Il Positano. I have never heard of these movies, since I cannot speak Italian, but I know that they must be of great quality. Some of the United States’ highest grossing movies have been: Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Avatar. I found it interesting how many Italians watch American television shows. Some genres that are popular are: cartoons, comedies, drama, talk show, reality show and award shows. I personally do not watch that many cartoons nowadays, but I learned that Italians love The Simpsons as well as South Park, Family Guy and the Muppets. As for comedies, Italians enjoy watching Happy Days, Friends, the Cosby Show and Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. These genres really surprised me because the majority of these shows originally came out during the 90s. Some popular American television shows that I enjoy watching are: The Office, Gossip Girl, New Girl and Gilmore Girls. I am not sure how popular these shows are here in Italy, but I did discover that Netflix does not provide The Office. As for music, I believe it truly is universal. I have noticed so many young Italians walking the streets of Arezzo with headphones in their ears, just like me. However, what we listen to is slightly different. Popular American artists in Italy consist of Drake, Sean Paul and Sia. Drake is definitely popular in America, as well as Sia. I honestly do not know that many Sean Paul songs, besides Temperature and No Lie, so I cannot really speak to his popularity here in Italy. Broadly speaking, I think Americans enjoy a wider range of music, like Alterntive, Rock, Techno and Country. I personally listen to Alternative, Pop, Hip-Hop and a little bit of Country. It is really cool sharing our love for movies, television shows and music with people across the world. I think that many people coming to Europe have a pre-conceived idea that Europeans are extremely different than Americans, but in reality, many of us “young” people enjoy hanging out with friends, shopping, playing sports and listening to music. I do not think that my friends and I are that different compared to Italians. Different yes, but definitely sharing common interests with one another. Interning here in Italy has been such an interesting opportunity that I have enjoyed. Like I mentioned in my previous reflection, I think visiting Italy is one thing but actually working in Italy is a whole different subject. I have been fortunate enough to have learned so much about Italian business, figuring out transportation to my internship and dealing with not only Italians but English and Americans. Since I am halfway through my internship, I cannot wait to see what else I will learn over the next few weeks.
Since I started interning with Orchidea Preziosi I have become accustomed to several things. First, and probably most notably, maneuvering the buses. Prior to interning here in Italy, I really had no knowledge of public transportation back home. I did know that buses run on specific schedules and stop at specified places. When I found out I would be busing to my internship, I was initially a little nervous. Not only would I be taking public transportation alone, I barely knew Italian and came to Italy with minimal phone data in case I got lost. Luckily, I conquered my nerves and show up about ten minutes prior to when my bus leaves. I triple check the departure time, so I can build in enough time for me to walk to my bus stop. Coming back at night, I know to stand super close to the road and attempt to make eye contact with the bus driver, hopefully with the sun being up later they will be able to see me better! Speaking as someone who has been fortunate enough to work in America and now works in Italy, I have definitely noticed differences between the two countries. In America, timeliness is a must. It is often frowned upon to be late and/or not show up to work. Here in Italy, it seems as if the sense of time can be overlooked. People here seem a lot more relaxed about showing up on time. This has been very helpful and greatly appreciated when the bus I take runs late, my boss is very understanding and for that I am thankful. My coworkers are all very nice, one of them even offers to drive me home since one of my returning buses stops running at an earlier time. It is obvious, when I do talk to my coworkers that they care about their jobs and care about each other. I am not sure if this is evident all across companies in Italy, but I have a feeling it is a common theme with businesses in Arezzo. The last thing I have noticed and have gotten used to are the work hours. I remember asking my boss on one of my first days at Orchidea Preziosi, “how long do you all work?’. He replied and said something along the lines of, “oh maybe seven or eight at night”. I remember being kind of shocked since a typical American work day is around eight to five. But I had to use my context clues since it is a manufacturing site that distributes its own products; shipments must be demanding at many times. Building in ten hours a week has proved difficult, especially when it is preferred for me to come in around the afternoon, and when half your clients are six to seven hours behind you. However, I am continually working and coming up with things for me to do and help out at my internship. There is only one major thing that I would find appealing in a competitor’s field, that my internship does not necessarily have, but do. I would really enjoy advertising/marketing tasks, whether it be sending out emails or creating online advertisements. The main task I have is to promote Precious Component, Orchidea Preziosi’s e-commerce company, to clients in America and the United Kingdom. I was initially very excited. Once I found out that I would be Skyping clients, I was nervous at first, but have mastered it down. However, this is the only task I do. Finding various tasks for me to do has been a process. Until about a month ago, my boss could not understand why I wanted to switch things up. Telemarketing can only be done for so long. I think it has partly to do with my personality, but because I prefer to have more hands-on activities and interaction with my boss and coworkers. Unless I have a question or lead in small talk, I do not really communicate that much with the people I work with. This is something that I struggle with and want to continue to improve. It is partly because of the language barrier, but also because we all are busy calling different clients. Throughout the next few weeks I am going to work and continue to try to help out with several different tasks. Since I work in primarily a factory setting, with only about one big room upstairs, and four desks, I have no prior knowledge to how a “proper” factory should work. Upstairs, there are four desks; I work at the one in the corner. My main task is to call United States and United Kingdom jewelry companies and promote Orchidea Preiozi’s e-commerce company: Precious Compenet. I would say that I have a very routine job, my time spent at my internship is not that diverse. Only twice I have done “practical” work as my boss says. By practical I mean sorting little charm letters and the backs of some jewelry pieces. Personally, I enjoy sorting things since I am an organized person. I want to help out and I think one of the biggest challenges is that my boss is often either very busy with orders or wants me to come in and immediately Skype clients. Orchidea Preziosi’s website is very professional and aesthetic, and their Precious Component website mimics that. I have suggested assisting with creating and sending out mass emails to clients who have responded positively to my phone calls. Moving forward I am going to continue to suggest various tasks for me to complete and help out with. Visiting Italy is one thing. But working in Italy is a whole other topic. Today in my internship class we discussed several similarities and differences between the workplace in America and the workplace in Italy, specifically speaking Arezzo.
There are a few problems that many business people in Italy face. The first is due to a lack of professional paths available. This starts with college courses; many colleges in Italy lean towards the theoretical side versus a practical application. When students graduate they do not have as much experience in the work place. This brings up another challenge: growth in the work place. Italian attitude in the work place often focuses on individualism rather than solidarity. Instead of finding common interests between individuals, and essentially creating mutual support from within a group, Italians are more oriented individually. Another cause of lack of growth in the work place is due to nepotism and cunning behavior. These often take place instead of meritocracy, where the government or authority select members based on good merit. Lastly, there tends to be a lack of proactivity and lack of a teamwork-like environment. In my own experience, I have noticed a few differences in the work place by the employees at Orhidea Preziosi. One of the most noticeable things I have found unique is that if you are sick and employed in Italy, you still get paid! From my understanding, this means that through depending on your employee contract, and depending on the days that you take an absence due to injury or sickness, your employer still pays you. When I first started at Orchidea Preziosi, my other boss was out of office due to surgery on his knee. He had been gone for a while, so I just assumed he would catch up on his work at home. I had no clue until I came to class that many Italians get compensated for their injuries and sick days after a certain period. Luckily, he is back at work and feeling better! I can say that my fellow employees and bosses often work together. Today when I went to work, I noticed that Francesco and Torro were tag-teaming a small project. One of them would say a description and the other would reply with an amount and write it down. Downstairs in the factory area many of the employees have to work together. There are so many details that go into making just one small jewelry lock, that it takes a team. I am not sure whether this was an instinctive choice to work together or just an obvious fact. The work needs to be done, so many employees know they need to collaborate. The work culture in Italy is definitely different compared to the United States. A lot of Italian businesses perceive that political and business sectors are the most affected by corrupt practices and that government attempts to combat this corruption are not that effective. At my internship there is no evidence of nepotism, even though it is still a family business. My boss and his wife are very warm and friendly, it has been fun helping them in their business! Since I have been in Arezzo for a little over a month, I think that my initial surprise and excitement has not necessarily gone down, but things do not shock me as much as they might have when I first arrived. For example, the driving here really surprised me, at least in Arezzo, cars speed down these narrow streets right past pedestrians. Now I have become acclimated to it and do not even turn around when I hear a car coming from behind me, just move to the side a bit and keep walking.
Although I will say that I have definitely become more adjusted to life in Italy, there are still several things that I notice in contrast to life in the states. One of the more interesting things for me to get used to was how curious, yet reserved some Italians as a whole appear to be. As an American, I think Italians have a stigma for being boisterous and warm. I find that many Italians seem to show either no regard to you or stare intrusively at you when you walk to class. Either way I have gotten used to it while living here. It's interesting how perspectives change over time and experience. I also am still adjusting to the public transportation system, which is a learning process. To ensure that I make the bus stop on time, without getting horribly out of breath, I set multiple alarms and reminders that the "L15 bus" leaves at a certain time... So far it has helped a lot! I have yet to get passed by a bus driver. When I show up to my internship I do not really talk to my coworkers, since I am busy focusing on calling United States companies. However, I do overhear and pick up on different tones and words that my boss and his wife say in passing, or on the phone. One common word that I hear them say on the phone a lot is “pronto”. Pronto according to Google Translate means “soon”. I know that my boss, his wife and my other co worker do not automatically say “soon, soon” when they answer the phone; they use slang making it a little hard to fully understand what they are talking about but I can usually tell how urgent a phone call is by how fast and the tone of voice that they speak. One key phrase that I wish I would have known before coming to my internship in the beginning is: "Ha la password per la connessione wifi" and "Lo faccio subito". I say only mention these because, since I do not have unlimited data on my phone, and take the bus, it was nice in the beginning to be able to maps where I needed to go or text a friend to let them know I made it safely to work. Since I am completing projects in a timely manner, I need to be able to say the second expression more often! One idiomatic expression that my boss told me a couple weeks ago, well I’m not sure if it’s an idiomatic expression, but he noticed that I am left handed. So he told me that it is a thing amongst Italians that, “left handed people are touched by God”. I found that interesting because in America I had never heard that nor found it super interesting that I am left handed. Overall I am enjoying my internship, today I called UK companies and could totally tell a difference between American companies and how they deal with telemarketing versus in the UK. The UK so far has been a little more friendly! My first few days interning with Orchidea Preziosi have definitely been eventful and interesting; I have learned a lot about the way Italians do business with one another, as well as with American companies.
In regards to getting to my internship, I am one of about six taking the bus. I know this seems super easy and almost silly of me to say, but it has been quite stressful. Throughout my time dealing with the bus schedule and figuring out where to buy the bus tickets, I have come to realize that Italian bus times do not run like they do in America. For example, one of my bus times states 8:02 and then 8:32. Luckily, I've gotten accustomed to it though and figured it out and am able to work my schedule around the bus times! Interning with a company such as Orchidea Preziosi is very interesting. Orchidea Preziosi is a specialized Italian gold and jewelry manufacturing company. What started with an idea from my employer's, Fabio, father, turned into Orchidea. It means gold locks and idea. The first day, Fabio showed me what all they make, to better explain it I think of it as the more "practical" jewelry items. Orchidea makes locks, magnetic clasps, tennis bracelets and earrings as well as ring holders. Fabio and his family are very friendly and speak a little bit of English, which is nice to be able to converse with my co workers. At first I was hesitant because I knew that Fabio primarily wanted me to call English speaking companies, mainly American as well as a few British companies. I was glad to help out and very grateful to practice my selling tactics over the phone, but I wanted to be a little bit more hands on with Orchidea itself. Since there is a legit factory downstairs, and you need a license as well as knowledge on how to work the machines, working downstairs was not an option. The first day I asked who designs the locks and clasps, and Fabio replied that the machines of course create the designs. Then I asked if there was an Instagram that I could help run, but Orchidea does not have one nor do they necessarily need one since they make such practical jewelry items and sell to other jewelry companies, who add on their own jewels and designs. I admit I was a little uneasy about how I was going to get in ten hours a week, just by calling American companies off of an Excel spread sheet. But after my first internship class yesterday, I learned some tricks and helpful tools to use while interning. Fun fact, most Italians consider it rude if you openly yawn; I'll be honest, I yawned once and looked around, terrified that I would accidentally offend my bosses (luckily no one saw). On a more serious note, it is definitely a good idea to speak up and ask about things you aren't sure of. For example, I wanted to know the Wifi code, since I take the bus alone ( I wanted to notify people I made it to my internship safely) and yesterday I finally spoke up and received it. I also told Fabio that I did not mind doing "practical" work as he calls it, basically more hands on things like sorting jewelry pieces. To me, it is not only a nice break from calling companies, but it gives me more flexibility with my hours; I can now come in the mornings and help out! I am excited to work with Orchidea Preziosi and cannot wait to see what all I get to do during my time here in Arezzo. Ciao! |
Kristin GilesMy thoughts and experiences while interning in Arezzo, Italy Archives
April 2018
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