Welcome to a short article from our families, introducing you to your next internship abroad: Denmark. Your work placement in Denmark? An internship abroad in a small European country that makes the news every year for its exceptional happiness rate. And we love that. What’s more, as with all Horizons friendly destinations, at least one member of the team visited the country: we could talk about it for hours. As well as being a happy place to live, Denmark is also renowned for its tolerance, its strict observance of rules and its concern for the environment. In fact, like other countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark has widely developed the use of bicycles: there are cycle paths that cross the country from one end to the other, and many people use bicycles on a daily basis. Denmark is one of the world’s greenest countries, and has even been voted the greenest country in the world! Incidentally, the Danes have no less than 7 different bins for sorting their rubbish… ! In short, here’s a quick overview of Denmark, to give you the essential information you need before deciding whether or not to do your work placement abroad.
Budget for your work placement in Denmark
We’re not going to lie to you, Denmark is very expensive! Just like Sweden, Finland and Norway, Denmark is a country that requires a substantial budget to cover the costs of living there. The cost of living is higher, both in terms of accommodation and general living costs. So, before you leave, we’ll discuss your budget to make sure you can have a great time during your work placement abroad. You need to budget at least €1,100 a month to be sure you’re in good conditions.
In terms of accommodation, wherever you are in the country, it’s very expensive. This is the biggest budget you’ll need to plan for, and it’s even truer if you’re in Copenhagen, the capital. Whether you’re looking for a studio apartment, a shared flat or a room with a local, you’re going to have to stick to the price. The best way to keep costs down is to share accommodation during your work placement in Denmark: there are lots of them, as many young Europeans come here to study, do a work placement or even live. Apart from the financial aspect of sharing a flat, the advantage is that you’ll be integrated into the city very quickly with a group of friends, and you’ll be able to make the most of the country as soon as you arrive: it’s best to maximise the number of people you meet when you do a work placement abroad, because that’s how you make the most rapid progress in foreign languages, and how you make some excellent memories.
Food in Denmark is also expensive, well more expensive than in France anyway. You need to budget between 15% and 20% more than usual: restaurants, supermarkets, everything is more expensive than at home. Danish gastronomy is very good: you can find out all about it in our blog article entitled “Culinary specialities in Denmark”.
Transport, on the other hand, costs about the same as in France: to link the two largest cities you’ll need to spend around fifty euros. The country has very good transport links, but be warned: in Denmark, short distances are covered by bike, so be prepared to pedal hard if you want to adopt the Danish way of life. And don’t forget that when you go to a new country, you have to adapt to the local way of life: that’s what an internship abroad is all about: adaptation and autonomy. By the way, if you’d like some ideas for travelling, or getting out and about at the weekend during your work placement in Denmark, don’t hesitate to check out our blog: I’m in Denmark, where can I travel during my work placement abroad?
What you need to know about doing an internship in Denmark
Denmark: it’s pretty and colourful. And, above all: there’s a great deal of trust between the locals. Anecdotal evidence that you can see for yourself: children are often left alone in front of the shops, but it’s not uncommon to see pushchairs with babies waiting outside while the parents shop or have a coffee at the bar. In fact, the Danes are very confident, and know that nobody is going to take the baby away. The first time I saw this, I was a bit floored ha ha. The same goes for cars: they often leave the keys in the car; in any case there’s no theft!
Denmark is also home to Tivoli Gardens, one of Europe’s oldest amusement parks, with attractions from that era! And it’s absolutely magnificent. The city of Copenhagen is really nice; my only disappointment was going to see the Little Mermaid, one of the city’s emblematic statues: it’s small, far away, and there are always lots of people on the sport, so it’s complicated to even see it. Sorry to any Danes who may come across this blog, I know how much you love her ?♀️
The Danes are kind and helpful, always ready to help. The first time I went there, there was still paid roaming in the European Union – that was in 2012! – and so I got out my best map of the city (I’m not that old!): straight away, someone came up to me and asked where I wanted to go, and offered to be my guide until I got to the drop-off point. I was really disappointed because I really wanted to go there and a worker kindly gave me a quick tour! In short, the Danes are really welcoming and I loved it.
Surprisingly, and this is true of Scandinavian countries in general, what seems individualistic to us is collectivism to them, and vice versa. In fact, the Danes value their privacy and can appear cold: it’s just that spontaneous visits aren’t their thing. They’re not interested in your political or religious views, etc. It’s a private matter for them, and they don’t want to invade your privacy: it’s a really important part of their culture, and you have to be careful not to come across as impolite or insistent, whereas for you, it would just be normal.
Your work placement in Denmark
Internships in Denmark, as elsewhere, are tailor-made with International Horizons, because we don’t have any partnerships with companies. Denmark is also impressively varied, both culturally and economically. So we can offer placements in all areas: engineering, industry, marketing, communication, tourism, etc. Anything is possible for your internship in Denmark, and of course, especially in the ecology sector! And, once again, there are a number of things to consider when planning your internship abroad.
- Your school’s educational expectations: because it’s important to respect them, this is what will enable you to defend your placement in Lithuania through an oral exam and validate your placement period abroad.
- Your desires: what skills you want to work on, in what context, through what types of assignments
- Your language level: if you already speak good English, your assignments will necessarily be more complex and richer than those of someone with a lesser command of the language. Your assignments need to be adapted to enable you to progress and have fun during your placement abroad, and above all not be depressed because you find your placement too hard.
- The country: it’s very chill, for everyone, especially LGBT people and other minorities. In Denmark, people live their own lives, trusting each other, and everything works out fine.
For an internship in Denmark, send us your CV in English. We’ll work on it during the first contact; you often forget to include skills, and we’re here to reveal them, highlight them and maximise the potential of your work placement abroad!
Do you want to do your work placement in Denmark? Or do you still have a few questions about the country? Do you want to go to a Scandinavian country, but don’t know which one to choose? We can help: all you have to do is register on the site, and someone will get back to you as soon as possible to answer your questions and help you plan your work placement in Europe.
For more general questions, visit the International Horizons Internships Abroad FAQ.