What types of responsibilities and/or tasks did you have in your internship? What was a typical day for you?
I pursued a six-month internship with the International Chamber of Commerce at its headquarters in Paris. Dividing my work between two different think-tanks, the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR and the ICC Institute of World Business Law, I was trusted with a variety of important tasks.
Collaboratively working with other ICC departments, I successfully managed to assist in the organization of one of the largest Commission meetings in Miami with 700+ participants, as well as a large-scale one in Paris during the busy but insightful Paris Arbitration Week, while still completing work for the ICC Institute of World Business Law. I managed to meet tight deadlines and work heavily under the pressure of time, finalizing registration processes, contacting Commission Members, creating proud member cards, managing logistics, keeping track of participants, helping with technical issues, and issuing invoices and visa support letters. Aside from conducting research and proof-reading working documents and draft reports, I also prepared background material, assisting the Secretary to the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR, and drafted transcripts and executive summaries of Commission working sessions and meetings, gathering and compiling comments received from delegates appointed by National Committees on reports issued by the different Commission Task Forces.
For the ICC Institute of World Business Law, I promoted different projects, conferences and trainings through social media channels, such as LinkedIn. While constantly liaising with the governing body of the Institute, the ICC Institute Council, I updated the different programs of trainings organized all over the world. Furthermore, I kept track of the elaborate membership renewal process for 2023, updating statistics and charts according to gender, region, country of residence, country of nationality, type of membership and area of work. For each Council meeting, I prepared working documents and organized folders, submitting the draft of minutes after each session to the Presidency. I also undertook market research, providing my supervisor with extensive information on key filters to include in the creation of a complex membership directory, as well as on new admission criteria to implement. A special project that I was in charge of was the €10,000 ICC Institute Prize awarded to the best-in-class legal work in international commercial law. I was in constant collaboration with networks of academicians and legal professionals across the world to promote this attractive Prize and reach wide audiences globally. I was achievement-focused in meeting the Institute’s goal to recognize and enhance legal writing excellence in the field of international commercial law, including arbitration, bringing together young students and professionals in the field. I drafted promotional material, such as flyers, posters and website texts on the ICC NC Connect SharePoint and was in constant touch with applicants to inform them about the rules of the Prize, assisting them with any inquiries they had. In addition to all of this, I also assisted in the organization of multiple large-scale events, such as the ICC Institute Annual Conference, the ICC Institute Jurisprudential Debate, the ICC Institute Annual Colloquium, and the ICC Institute Council meetings.
What were the biggest challenges and successes you've experienced during your internship?
As a result of my accomplishments at the International Chamber of Commerce, I was the only intern in the organization to be invited by the Iranian Center for International Legal Studies in The Hague to be the youngest speaker among distinguished legal professionals and academicians at the Tehran Arbitration Week. On February 10, 2023, I delivered a speech on the ICC Commission, Arbitration and ADR, as well as on my personal experiences in the field. There were numerous affirmative reactions, testifying to the fact that the audience found it extremely interesting and informative.
Regarding the €10,000 ICC Institute Prize awarded to the best-in-class legal work in international commercial law, I successfully liaised with an elaborate academic network of legal professionals and institutions to promote the project and reach wide audiences globally. I had to use innovation skills at a time when the ICC Marketing Department underwent internal changes, slowing down the initial promotion process. For this, I had to come up with ideas to target audiences and increase our pool of applicants. Thanks to my efforts to strategically engage with a variety of stakeholders in a tactful manner, the ICC Institute of World Business Law managed to gather the exceptional number of 18 doctoral dissertations eligible for the competition.
I successfully served as a back-up for the organization of one of the largest Commission Meetings which took place in Miami with 700+ participants, while still undertaking work for the ICC Institute of World Business Law. I therefore managed meet tight deadlines and work heavily under the pressure of time, finalizing registration processes, contacting Commission Members, issuing proud member cards, keeping track of participants and helping with technical issues. The meeting was a success and ran smoothly as I liaised with Commission Vice-Chairs and multiple departments of the International Chamber of Commerce, such as the Global Events Team.
A challenge that I experienced during my internship was the need to adapt to unanticipated circumstances, and to be flexible and diplomatically sensitive. As the International Chamber of Commerce is a membership-based organization, I had to communicate and engage with a variety of members coming from diverse backgrounds in a number of situations. Soft skills, specifically empathy, adaptability, respectfulness and adaptability are vital.
Another challenge was the fact that the decision-making process was at times slowed down by a stratified hierarchical structure, as it is the case with the majority of large organizations or enterprises. However, it is imperative to mention that all workers at the International Chamber of Commerce are extremely motivated, engaged with one another and efficient. Teamwork is therefore highly valued, and when such challenges arise, everyone comes together to try to adapt and find the best potential solution to overcome it.
What language(s) did you speak/use during your internship?
The main language I spoke was English. Sometimes, the knowledge of French was required. I was also pleased to make use of my native language, Romanian, on some occasions when interacting with certain Commission or Institute Members.
Tell us about your future goals/aspriations. Is this internship relevant? Do you think it will help you along the way?
My chosen field is global policy or human rights in an international organization. I do feel better equipped in this sense because the International Chamber of Commerce has offered me hands-on professional exposure within an international institution, equipping me with a broad array of skills, such as interpersonal, research, teamwork, marketing, and public speaking. I have now acquired a demonstrated ability to analyze and draw the nexus between a number of policy issues, such as sustainability, human rights and arbitration. Because of this internship, I have managed to build a powerful and complex professional network in international commercial law, banking and government. This is the case as I had to liaise with a substantial number of members working at prestigious law firms across the world, other international organizations, such as the OECD or World Bank, and different enterprises specialized in energy, taxation or climate change. These are all areas that I am very much interested in as I aspire to be a successful policymaker dealing with a number of interrelated issues, and I now therefore have the privilege to exchange and share ideas with such distinguished professionals. In addition to this, as the International Chamber of Commerce is an international organization that I have been exposed to through assiduous work and commitment, I am now ready to know what to expect from another international institution. This internship has therefore certainly contributed to my future career choice as I am now actively looking and applying for positions at international organizations in Paris.
