Daniel Catalan

While about 67% of students who register internships with The American University of Paris choose to stay local and complete their internships in Paris, some return to their hometowns, and others travel somewhere new in order to absorb a different culture. AUP students are global explorers and AUP alumni live and work in 142 countries, covering just about every corner of the globe, so it’s no surprise that our students use their internships to travel and explore.

Daniel Catalan gives us an insight into his experience interning at the OECD in Paris, France.

Tell us a little bit about your background.

I am originally from Sleepy Hollow, New York, a small and allegedly haunted town in the outskirts of NYC. After I completed my undergraduate studies in literature, I moved to Madrid, Spain where I taught English for 4 years. Many of my observations and lived experiences during that chapter of my life have been extremely relevant to my coursework at AUP in Place Branding & Food, Culture and Communication.  Paris has grown on me a lot since I moved here 10 months ago and I am looking forward to continuing my many misadventures as a long-term expatriate.

Which company/organization are you currently interning with?

I am currently an intern in the Editorial and Corporate Content team in the PAC [Public Affairs & Communications] directorate of the OECD.

Where is your internship taking place?

My internship is in Boulogne-Billancourt in the western outskirts of Paris, accessible via the line 10 of the metro.

When is your internship taking place?

My internship is for 6 months, I started in the middle of May and I will finish in the middle November.

What is your job title?

Editorial Intern

What types of responsibilities and/or tasks do you have in your internship? What's a typical day for you?

I began my position a few weeks before the OECD Forum, a major conference held at the organization that this year focused on the theme of “Bridging Divides.” My earliest tasks were all in anticipation of the Forum, supporting my supervisor as she prepared for the lectures that she was responsible for organizing. During the Forum I was tasked with recording and subsequently transcribing several enthralling lectures and discussions by policymakers on the subjects of climate change, inclusive growth and globalization, and responsible business conduct. On a normal day I attend meetings and edit manuscripts and documents for grammar, formatting, and spelling in addition to seeing to it that they adhere to the rules mandated by the OECD style guide.

What language(s) are you speaking/using in your internship?

Our department operates mostly in English. I am exposed to French and have also found many opportunities to utilize my Spanish. I hear a broad spectrum of languages and accents because of the diverse nature of the organization.

Tell us about your future goals/aspirations. Is this internship relevant? Do you think it will help you along the way?

This internship has provided me with an informative window into how large intergovernmental organizations, such as the OECD, operate. By editing the documents put forth by the various directorates of the organization, I have been able to interact with their work and better understand their ongoing projects and the stakeholders involved in them. I am confident that the skills that I've acquired and the relationships that I've cultivated here will propel me into the next chapter of my career in the communications field.