LITHUANIA | Internship: At work | DOs and DON´Ts
DO
- write a very good letter of application, as it provides an opportunity to get better attention
- read conditions and salary information (before and after taxes), the duration of the contract, working hours and etc. carefully
- be brave and active
- take into account that you need to take time to build trust with Lithuanian business people
- arrive on time for an interview – although other people, including the boss, might be late
- address people at the university with their academic title, e.g. Professor Jonas Kazlauskas, etc
- come prepared to be offered less money than in your home country for an equivalent position. See the internship as a time for gaining experience and learning more about Lithuanian culture
- try to break the ice (when negotiating with counterparts) by talking about Lithuania’s national sport, basketball
- ask about how to address colleagues at a company
- try to be fast on the draw when making business decisions. A Lithuanian businessperson treats this feature as an advantage
- invite colleagues who invite you to their house or invite you to do something together after work
DON’T
- be late at work.
- curse.
- make private phone calls abroad from the office phone
- go over the top – stay calm and stick to the facts
- call Lithuanians Russians, confuse with Russians, or treat like Russians
- expect that win-win negotiation will work in the real world. Many young Lithuanian business people, mostly men, still think that distributive negotiation, win-lose, is what business negotiation is all about
- forget to bring copies of your diplomas and references to the interview
- criticise former employers
- ask about your wage as the first point in an interview
- answer the telephone with your first name or hello