I started my internship during the last week of July so that both my supervisor and manager would still be available to help me settle in. During this first week, my supervisor showed me around the office and introduced me to some of the team members. However, it was the peak of summer vacation, and the offices were quite empty. Soon after, both my supervisor and manager went on leave, leaving even fewer people in the office.
Fortunately, other interns from ULB and some from France were present during this period, which was both a benefit and a drawback. It was nice to have young people to talk to, but it also made it harder to fully integrate with my team, as we tended to eat together rather than with other colleagues. Additionally, with a flexible policy allowing employees to come in only four days per month and five days of telework, many team members only came in on Tuesdays, leaving the office quieter on other days.
One day, while few people were in the office, I had lunch with colleagues working directly on particle accelerators. Since I hadn’t yet had the chance to see their workspaces, they kindly offered me a detailed tour of the accelerator facilities, which was a very generous gesture.
IBA also offers various sports activities during lunch hours, and I joined the weekly badminton sessions at the BLOCKRY sports center for a few weeks. This was a great way to get to know colleagues in a more relaxed setting and meet employees from other departments whom I wouldn’t normally encounter.
In addition to badminton, one of my colleagues was an avid runner, often going for runs daily and sometimes even twice a day. I asked if I could join him for a run, and although I couldn’t keep up with his level, he agreed and even shared some helpful tips with me. Since he came into the office regularly, he became one of the people I spoke to the most, which was a highlight of my time there.
I also attended two after-work events in August and September, where IBA arranged food trucks for free meals. These events were a great opportunity to socialize and meet people across different teams.
During my last week, we went out to a restaurant, which allowed me to connect with colleagues who don’t come into the office often and with whom I hadn’t yet had many opportunities to talk.
Here is a photo of me in front of the main office
