Print Header

International MBA Program

Robin Horn's Internship Web Journal

Robin Horn
IMBA Class of 2007
Allied Irish Bank in Dublin, Ireland
robin_horn@moore.sc.edu

3rd Journal Entry - May 5, 2006:  

 

 Sunday afternoon seaside walk in Bray.
While there's loads to do in Dublin itself, I would be remiss not to mention the many places to visit that lie just outside the Dublin city limits. The "DART" tour as it's sometimes referred to, follows the city train (called the DART) along the coast to its northern and southern ends. At the north end of the track is Malahide, a seaside village with a great farmers and flea market on the weekends, as well as a 12th century castle, occupied until 1973 by the Talbot family. The castle itself houses a gorgeous collection of antiques, but it's the surrounding grounds that really make the trip worthwhile. The weather this weekend was brilliant; so after spending Saturday in Malahide, I headed south on Sunday to the village of Greystones. There's an excellent seaside walk from Greystones to neighboring Bray. The scenery is beautiful - it's just a shame that it’s still a bit to cold to jump in the water!

As you might know, rugby is huge in Ireland, so when it came to the semifinals for the Heineken Cup this year -- and both Leinster (County Dublin) and Munster (County Cork) were still in the race -- everyone had plans for the big day. Not only is rugby incredibly popular to begin with,
 

 Dublin after the match.
but this particular rivalry is on the scale of a Red Sox vs. Yankees series. The match was held in Dublin, and I'd bet that there were very few people still in their homes. The streets were packed, as were the pubs. It was a great day to get out, enjoy a pint, and meet many locals. Unfortunately, it wasn't such a good day for Leinster, but even most Dubliners are happy that there's an Irish team in the Final.

Work has kept me very busy over the past few weeks. I mentioned earlier in my journal entries that my programs involved AIB offshore divisions in Poland and the UK, so I knew I would be working with people from each of these areas.  However, last week I received word that I will also be traveling to Poland and London for meetings. Thus, I've been spending a good bit of time preparing for these meetings and workshops. We're working on a tight schedule, but with a little luck, I'll be able to complete this phase of the program before the end of my internship! Fortunately, I'm working with a second project manger on my other assignment, so I'm getting to leverage a lot of "learnings" from one program to the other.

2nd Journal Entry - April 17, 2006:  

So much has happened since my last entry!! I'm just about settled into both my offices (yes, I have two) at AIB and for the most part have met my project teams. AIB is spread over several buildings in Dublin, so I'm lucky that most of my team members work in the two buildings closest to one another. However, being enterprise-level initiatives, my projects involve teams in the UK and Poland as well as Ireland.

Speaking of my projects - they are getting on well, but the next few months promise to be quite busy and challenging. The team I work with is very supportive and have been great at helping me get settled into my role. I am definitely drawing a lot from my coursework at USC as well - especially from Decision Analysis--VLookup anyone? Going through the course, I didn't always see where it would be applicable to my daily tasks, but right now I couldn't be happier that I packed my DA disc at the last minute.

I also found out this week that AIB has a sailing club that I can participate in while I'm here. Growing up in Florida, I've always loved being on the water, so I am very excited about the prospect of being able to sail this summer! I may also have the opportunity to learn to windsurf, but more on that if it happens.

 
 Natalie and me in Port Erquy (a village in Brittany), France.
As you may have read in fellow German tracker Natalie Meier's journal, we had the opportunity to celebrate the marriage of a couple whom we met last summer while studying in Tuebingen, Germany. The reception was on the beach in Port Erquy (a village in Brittany), France. While the weather didn't exactly cooperate, everyone had a fabulous time and it was great to see them again. They say that 'getting there is half the fun.' Well, in this case, that aphorism proved true as Natalie and I found our way from Paris to the coast and back, since neither of us speaks French.

I got back to Dublin in time to witness the Easter celebrations around town. It's a very important weekend in Ireland, as people around the Republic take time to commemorate the Easter Rebellion of 1916, an event that was instrumental in bringing independence to the Republic. Being the 90th anniversary, this year was particularly special, and the entire city of Dublin shut down on Thursday night in preparation. Sunday and Monday brought parades and speeches, as more than 10,000 people gathered in the city center and observed a moment of silence in remembrance.

1st Journal Entry - April 9, 2006:

 

 My office building.
To start, I guess I should tell you a bit of background and how I got where I am now. I'm originally from Plant City, Florida, but lived inOrlando for five years before moving to South Carolina and starting the IMBA program. I attended the University of Central Florida, earning my undergraduate degree in English in 2004. Shortly after graduation, I began working in the IT field as a technical writer and analyst, and had a good fortune to work on a number of international projects - sparking my interest in international buisness and ultimately, the decision to return to school at USC.

 

 Footbridge that I cross on my way to work.
I was fortunate enough to secure my internship placement fairly early in the fall semester after completing a series of interviews with Allied Irish Bank (AIB), based in Dublin, Ireland. While I had initially focused on an internship with a German company, AIB presented an offer I couldn't pass up. Having worked in the field, I was familiar with the significant IT cluster in and around Dublin and creating a connection within that market would be an awesome opportunity. Plus, I would get to work in the enterprise change management unit within AIB's IT department - a placement that directly supports my ultimate career path.

I finished my first year of coursework and spent a busy weekend moving and visiting family and friends before leaving the US at the end of February. As a member of the German Track, I was first headed to Cologne for a month of language and cultural studies. It was great to spend time with the other German trackers before we headed off to our internships. After our few short weeks in Cologne, I headed to Paris for a quick holiday and to visit some fellow IMBA students studying and working there. One Eiffel Tower and a few fabulous meals later, it was time to head back to Germany to pack. After a quick flight back to Cologne and many hours of stuffing suitcases, I said goodbye to the mainland and fell asleep on the plane to Dublin. Lucky for me I woke up in time to chat with my neighbor and not only get some great tips about my new home, but to make a great business contact as well.

I prearranged my accommodation, so once I got into Dublin all I had to do was hail a taxi and meet my landlord - who was waiting at the apartment. I'm not a huge fan of a daily commute, so once I knew where my office would be, I limited my housing search to walking distance from there. An online search yielded a self-catering studio about five minutes from work and twenty minutes from the city center. I was a bit nervous about renting the unit sight-unseen, but after receiving several digital photographs and talking with my landlord-to-be a bit more, I felt pretty comfortable with the arrangements. While I'm not downtown, the apartment is great, on a fairly quiet street, and no more than a five-minute walk from any of the public transport options Dublin offers.

As far as work goes, I'm still getting sorted. Between registering for taxes at the immigration office, plus opening a bank account and getting my IDs for work, the paperwork kept me busy for a good couple days.

But in the midst of all that, my supervisor and I sorted out my internship responsibilities, and I'm really excited about my assignment. I'll be managing two main projects based on regulatory and compliance standards, including International Accounting Standards, Basel II, and Sarbanes-Oxley, as well as consulting on an operations-related assignment designing a property management system for AIB. I may be working in IT, but I'll definitely be putting my accounting, finance, and operations studies to good use.