Franziska Kainz , a second year student at GBCM, recently undertook a student job at the company "Riverland Reply" which is the leading Oracle business consultancy in German-speaking Europe.

Please describe in detail the nature of your role and the position you held?

I was in the HR & Marketing department. My main role in the human resources department is to support the HR Manager and provide her with detailed information about applicants and statistics around the hiring process. In the Marketing department I dealt with event planning and organisation.

Was the student job paid?

Yes, the job was paid.

What were your internship expectations and key learning goals?

I was very interested to learn about HR and marketing in the real business world. In particular, I wanted to experience how I could apply the theories I learned in class to a real business. The role has definitely broadened my perspective and taught me a lot of new things. I have personally developed, as I am more confident in taking on greater responsibilities and my business communication has improved a lot. Also I was hoping for creative and challenging tasks which I was given.

Did the student job meet these expectations and did you achieve key learning goals?

Yes the experience at Riverland Reply has helped me to develop myself and has prepared me for my career in business. It has taught me a lot as the job was both interesting and challenging.

What contribution do you feel you made in the job period?

I think I made some good suggestions for the hiring process. I am certain that I have fulfilled my tasks and met the company’s expectations.

If you could repeat the job what would you do differently?

I am still working there and I enjoy it thoroughly. The more experience you gain the better you become at the job so as I develop I hope to make more and more of a contribution.

What aspects of your academic background were helpful during your job?

My HR course definitely supported my work in the company. Several topics from other courses also came back to me in the job and gave me more insight while I was doing different tasks. In general the practically orientated education at GBCM set me up to work in the firm and provided me with the skills and knowledge required to get out there into the real business world and take the first steps in my career.

Has this job helped you to define your future goals?

I have always been sure about where I want to go in my career and aim to work in Marketing & PR upon graduation. My experience in the HR and Marketing departments at Riverland Reply has helped me to define this further. In addition, I recognise that I would like to continue to work in a SME as I prefer a familiar atmosphere. I do not think a huge corporate company is suitable for me.

Would you recommend this company and job to other GBCM students?

Yes. It was a great experience and I hope I can continue with the company while completing my studies.

Kasimir Freiherr von Finck recently undertook an internship at the "Frauenhofer Institut – AISEC (Fraunhofer Research Institution for Applied and Integrated Security)," which is a leading expert in IT security.

Please describe in detail the nature of your role and the position you held?

I am currently doing this internship for a period of three months. I am supporting a project leader for internet and application security. My role is to build a testing and presentation environment that takes account of the newly published HTML 5 standard. The internship was arranged for me by GBCM through one of their lecturers who has contacts to the Institute.

Was the internship paid?

Yes, the internship was paid.

What are your internship expectations and key learning goals?

I had a number of expectations going into the internship as follows::

• To gain knowledge of security issues for any kind of IT (including internet pages; internet traffic such as mails and mobile communication).
• To achieve a holistic perspective and skill in a variety of programming and scripting languages
• To gain an understanding of the academic environment

Does the internship meet these expectations and did you achieve key learning goals?

Just the chance alone of being here to exchange and chat with everyone is a great opportunity for me that I find very motivating. The test environment is a very interesting project but demanding too. I have learned so much during the internship and hope to do more in this area.

What contribution do you feel you made in the internship period?

I have worked on setting up tests for basic parameters, the graphical environment and a range of HTML5, CSS, JavaScript and SVG (scalable vector graphics). Thus I have supported the project’s progression to the next level, which is already planned and setup.

If you could repeat the internship what would you do differently?

To date I cannot think of any aspect I would do differently. I have gained a great amount of insight and experience and the internship has made me even more curious to learn more.

What aspects of your academic background have been helpful during your internship?

I already had a keen interest and a holistic knowledge of various IT related skills before I started the internship. I completed a Cisco Certified Network Association certificate which was very beneficial for this role. Having said that, it was my studies at GBCM that really supported me in this internship. Processes learned during courses such as marketing and the research project helped me to understand that there is a series of steps at the heart of all tasks. These steps must be identified and understood whether in an academic arena or in the real business world. Hence, it is the daily interaction and combination of both theoretical and practical perspectives both at GBCM and in the internship that are of most value to me.

Has this internship helped you to define your future goals?

My long term goal is to position myself in a Business Intelligence and Strategy area. While this internship fits with that plan, I am aware I have some way to go. In the words of Seneca:
"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via" - It is not an easy path from the earth to the stars

Would you recommend this company and internship to other GBCM students?

I would recommend this internship to someone who has the ability to think abstractly and enjoys working with programming languages. To make the most of this opportunity you have to be willing to work hard to meet deadlines and to take in a vast amount of knowledge very quickly.

Rabija Mekic held an internship position with "Kenexa Germany GmbH," which provides business solutions for human resources and offers Integrated Talent Management (ITM) solutions.

Please describe in detail the nature of your role and the position you held?

During my internship, my roles were:

• Working closely with various Project managers on Employee Engagement Surveys
• The coordination of translation services; internally, with external vendor and clients
• Mapping of organisational hierarchies
• Conducting training sessions on Kenexa tools
• Developing and creating user guides for Kenexa tools
• Quality Control on tools and documentation
• Building of web surveys
• Building and designing English and multilingual reports (PDF, PPT and XLS)
• Acting as a backup for the Project Manager while colleages were on vacation
• The preparation of kick-off and review meeting presentations
• Managing the German Helpdesk, including escalated inquiries during survey administration

Was the internship paid?

Yes, the internship was paid.

What were your internship expectations and key learning goals?

Upon entering this internship, I had two main goals:

• To gain work experience in a global organisation.
• To receive a job offer at the end of my internship

Did the internship meet these expectations and did you achieve key learning goals?

Most definitely. I finished my internship with a greater knowledge on how large organisations manage internal processes, client relationships and internal employee job satisfaction. Furthermore, I gained a much deeper understanding on how to carry out successful Employee Engagement Surveys, communicate the results of surveys through reporting and guide clients to take necessary action steps during the follow-up process.

If you could repeat the internship what would you do differently?

I would have prepared myself better for the internship. For example, I would have briefed myself more about surveys and Project Management responsibilities.

What aspects of your academic background were helpful during your internship?

All of my academic background from GBCM was very helpful during my internship. Aspects such as teamwork, cultural diversity and international business courses helped me to better understand the workflows of Kenexa's multicultural organisation. At GBCM, I had many classes in which we discussed the processes and work styles of large organisations. During my internship, I reflected many times on examples that lecturers gave.

Has this internship helped you to define your future goals?

Yes, it has. During the first week of my internship, I realised that one of my goals was to become a Project Manager. Furthermore, I recognised my interest for surveys and employee engagement.

Would you recommend this company and internship to other GBCM students?

I most definitely would! Unlike other companies, which do not offer interns a lot of "REAL" work experience during the internship, I was able to experience the roles and activities of being a real Project Manager.

In the summer of 2009, Moritz Neutard held an internship position within "IBM Global Business Services," which is responsible for the regions of Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. GBS is the consulting arm of IBM,with services ranging from management consulting to all areas of technical consulting. Moritz worked in the Strategy, Marketing and Communications department.

Please describe in detail the nature of your role and the position you held?

Over time, my role evolved into that of assistant to my supervisor and his superior. I supported them with tasks such as improving presentations or spreadsheets. I was also given a lot of independent work, whereby I was required to do independent research. I was always provided with support, but doing the independent tasks helped me to identify my personal strengths and weaknesses. And being provided with help from colleagues where necessary allowed me to identify and improve on my weaknesses, which was the most valuable aspect of the internship for me.

Was the internship paid?

No, the internship was unpaid.

What were your internship expectations and key learning goals?

The two main goals of my internship were:

• To use and improve my English skills in a practical working environment.
• To be able to work independently and be given the chance to learn how an actual business works and actually achieve some set business goals.

Did the internship meet these expectations and did you achieve key learning goals?

• My English skills improved tremendously and I am now able to interact comfortably in a professional environment.
• Though I started off doing simple tasks and observing my supervisor, over time I was given a lot more jobs and responsibilities. This earned independence was a very fulfilling part of my internship.

If you could repeat the internship what would you do differently?

I would have extended the length of the internship to three months rather than two months.

What aspects of your academic background were helpful during your internship?

The aspect of team work was very important, because I was working from the very beginning with various types of people. I was able to get along with all my diverse colleages, which is something I also experienced at GBCM. There, we did intense group work within very diverse teams and that experience helped me greatly to get along in the working environment at IBM. I had the teamwork and communications skills which were required of me.

Has this internship helped you to define your future goals?

The internship strengthened my wish to enter into a career in consulting.

Would you recommend this company and internship to other GBCM students?

I would definitely recommend this internship to other students.

Eimer Peters held an internship position at "Tech Data GmbH," which is a global IT distribution company.

Please describe in detail the nature of your role and the position you held?

I worked as a Communications Assistant in the Human Resources Department. My main responsibilities included writing articles for the international newsletter, developing the European Intranet for the human resources department, logistics and training departments and training European colleagues in the use of Microsoft Sharepoint.

Was the internship paid - if so what was the remuneration?

I received €800/ month for 20 hours/week.

What were your internship expectations and key learning goals?

My goals were to gain experience working in a large, global organisation, to use the theory learned at the college in a practical setting and to gain working experience with a view to determining in which direction I would like my career to go.

Did the internship meet these expectations and did you achieve key learning goals?

Yes. I have learned a great deal about the functioning of a large organisation including practical aspects like internal politics, reporting structures, etc.

What contribution do you feel you made in the internship period?

I carried out a key role which included developing the annual employee engagement survey. I also had the opportunity, after being trained to use Microsoft Sharepoint, (a content management tool), to support the European team by training them to use this tool to develop the company Intranet.

If you could repeat the internship what would you do differently?

I would have kept a ‘development diary’ to track my progress more closely.

What aspects of your academic background were helpful during your internship?

Just about everyhing I learned in class was helpful, from the specific content of the courses, to time management and computer skills. The practical examples which the lecturers brought into the classes were useful in being prepared for the working environment in a large organisation.

Has this internship helped you to define your future goals?

Yes, as I now have a much more well-rounded perspective of my options as a business graduate.

Would you recommend this company and internship to other GBCM students?

Yes, I would recommend Tech Data to other students. I received a great deal of support from my supervisors but also a tremendous amount of freedon to progress my own projects.

During the summer of 2009, Rabija Mekic undertook an internship at "elgato systems" in Munich. Elgato is an IT company which produces TV software for the Mac computer platform.

Please describe in detail the nature of your role and the position you held?

I worked in the marketing department. My tasks included the tracking of marketing campaigns and the implementation of google analytics to track the progress of the organisation. I conducted demographic analyses of various regions to contribute to the strategic planning process, and was required to present my findings.

Was the internship paid - if so what was the remuneration?

I earned €500/month for 3 days of work/week.

What were your internship expectations and key learning goals?

My goal was to learn more about the it industry and to gain marketing experience.

Did the internship meet these expectations and did you achieve key learning goals?

Yes, the internship met all my expectations.

What contribution do you feel you made in the internship period?

My demographic reports have helped to bring a new perspective into the strategic planning process of the company.

If you could repeat the internship what would you do differently?

I would like to experience the workings of a different department as well, such as logistics.

What aspects of your academic background were helpful during your internship?

My marketing classes as well as my researh seminars helped me greatly to conduct my research analyses during my internship.

Has this internship helped you to define your future goals?

No. I first need to do more internships to have a basis for comparison.

Would you recommend this company and internship to other GBCM students?

I would definitely recommend this internship to other students. There is the opportunity to learn a great deal, and the working environment is pleasant as well as productive. It would be beneficial for any student.

During the summer of 2008, Rabija Mekic, a second year GBCM student, undertook an internship at "Fem Media GmbH" which is an online women’s portal.

What was the nature of your role and the position you held?

My role was very varied and I worked in all areas of the company. Key tasks included:

• Researching various women’s topics for website
• Weekly/monthly reporting on the number of visits to the website
• Competitive analysis
• Establishing IT codes for the partner websites
• Translations (English to German, German to English)

What were your internship expectations and key learning goals?

As I am interested in setting up my own firm in the future, I was really looking to gain an insight into the challenges faced by a start-up company. In addition, my goal was to work closely with key staff in the company and gain an understanding of their daily routine.

Did the internship meet these expectations and did you achieve key learning goals?

It was definitely great to experience a real work environment. The internship helped me to get a perspective of the type of work I could possibly do in the future. At the beginning I was concerned about my lack of training but as the internship progressed I realised that being thrown in at the deep end really made me learn.

What contribution do you feel you made in the internship period?

I helped out in many different ways and supported other employees. I also feel that through my cultural background, international perspective and English language skills, I was able to bring something special to the team.

What aspects of your academic background were helpful during your internship?

All of the computer, data processing and financial skills that I developed as part of my first year of studies were valuable in terms of analysing the number of visits to the site and processing other quantitative data. My marketing courses were also beneficial when undertaking customer and competitive research.

If you could repeat the internship what would you do differently?

I wouldn’t change the internship as I really learned a lot. If possible, I would like to have more formal training so I can increase my contribution but I expect that as I develop through my studies I will be in a position to achieve that.

During the summer of 2008, Marta Sanchez, undertook an internship at "EADS-CASA" in Spain. EADS-CASA is an aerospace and defence company that has an international presence and with headquarters in France (Paris) and Germany (Munich). “EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services”.

What was the nature of your role and the position you held?

I worked in one particular department of the company and my role was to assist the manager in his day to day duties.

What were your internship expectations and key learning goals?

My key learning goals and objectives were as follows:

• To develop the knowledge that I had learned in my first year at College and apply this knowledge where possible.
• To understand how an organization works
• To gain experience as an employee in an international organization
• To understand the day to day tasks in a large international organisation

Did the internship meet these expectations and did you achieve key learning goals?

All goals and learning objectives were fully and successfully met. From the first day on I was treated as a member of the team and was given responsibility. As such, I was really able to see how things function in the real-life business world. Because I was given tasks to complete, I was also able to apply the knowledge I had learned in College to a practical business situation. This was particularly exciting as it allowed me to see how theory applies in practice.

What contribution do you feel you made in the internship period?

I believed I helped create a comfortable and friendly working environment. In addition, while I was at the company, the department I was working in was going through real change. I was able to assist employees with tasks and support them in their work during what was a very busy time for the employees and management.

What aspects of your academic background were helpful during your internship?

What I learned in management and communication was really helpful. My supervisor at the company was very keen that I communicate with him throughout the entire process and the fact that I had developed my communication skills in College was a real help.

If you could repeat the internship what would you do differently?

Now that I am in second year, I have more knowledge and understanding that I could bring to the position. All in all though, I wouldn’t change much. I really benefited from the experience and I am looking forward to my next internship this Summer.

Sherryl Muthuwady combines work as an intern at the "WCF Finetrading AG" in Munich, with her studies at GBCM. WCF was founded in January 2003 to offer innovative financing concepts for small and medium sized European companies.

Please describe the company where your are undertaking your internship.

I am undertaking an ongoing internship at WCF Finetrading AG. Finetrading was established in 2003 and the company basically offers a newly developed financing instrument for funding working capital in medium sized businesses.

Please describe in detail the nature of your role and the position you held?

My main role is to support the credit manager in reviewing established customers as well as new clients. These tasks include:

• Gathering relevant financial information
• Spreading financial statements into an excel sheet and
• Researching industry information

I also support the administration team in

• Administering customers
• Maintaining customer data and
• Populating schedules for portfolio analysis.

Is the internship paid?

Yes it is a paid internship.

What were your internship expectations and key learning goals?

I am interested in the field of accounting so I was looking for a position in this area. In particular, I am interested in working with financial data and learning about analysing companies on the basis of their financial statements. Overall I am looking to gain experience in the financial and credit arena.

Did the internship meet these expectations and did you achieve key learning goals?

Yes all my expectations have been met. In particular, I am able to apply the theories that I learn in college to real life situations and now I have a real understanding of the role of the credit manager.

What contribution do you feel you made in the internship period?

I have assisted the administration team in administering new clients as well as undertaking basic credit tasks.

If you could repeat the internship what would you do differently?

I would have improved my German language skills prior to the internship, as the official language in the office is German. I feel that I could have been more proactive if I knew the language better.

What aspects of your academic background were helpful during your internship?

I would say my basic finance and accounting knowledge contributed a lot. However all courses that I take at GBCM help me in my work at WCF.

Has this internship helped you to define your future goals?

I have always been interested in a career in the financial field, and now I am confident as I I have more knowledge than before. But at the same time I want to gather more information on other fields such as marketing and corporate citizenship.

Would you recommend this company and internship to other GBCM students?

I would definitely recommend WCF Finetrading AG to students at GBCM, because such an internship provides students with an opportunity to apply what they study at college to real life situations.

In Summer 2007, Isabell Richter, a GBCM student, undertook an internship at the "Verbund" electrical company in Vienna, Austria. Verbund is Austria's leading electricity company, and Europe's driving force for clean energy. Their core business is "electricity" and the company is active along the entire electrical value chain: from the turbine to the power outlet.

What was the nature of your role and the position you held?

I undertook my internship at Verbund in the controlling and finance department at the company headquarters in Vienna. I was lucky in terms of timing because just when I started my internship a new project began. The project was about capital costs and creating an internal WACC (weighted average cost of capital) for the company.

What were your internship expectations and key learning goals?

Before my internship started I was able to choose between working in the communications department or the controlling and finance department. I decided to spend the time in the controlling and finance department. It was definitely the right decision. My key learning expectations and goals were to get a closer look at the controlling and finance side of a business, which interested me a lot.

Did the internship meet these expectations and did you achieve key learning goals?

The internship at Verbund definitely exceeded my expectations, because from the first day I was involved in the capital cost project. I was treated as if I was a real employee of the company. I had a lot of work to do, was able to attend meetings and conduct research on leading electricity companies all over the world. For me dealing with electricity, gas, and renewable energy companies was a completely new concept. I feel like the knowledge and experience I gained will greatly benefit me in my future career and in the general business world.

What contribution do you feel you made in the internship period?

I supported my colleagues through providing them with important information and research, which they did not have time to do themselves. I was able to use my knowledge from the basic finance course that I undertook at GBCM in my day to day work at Verbund. Even though I worked in a German speaking company, my English helped me a lot in the finance area.

What aspects of your academic background were helpful during your internship?

As I said earlier, the basic finance course that I undertook at GBCM was a very good foundation for the project I was involved with. Also, it was really important for my work to know how to use Excel (which I learned as part of my statistics studies at Globe College).

If you could repeat the internship what would you do differently?

The company has offered me an opportunity to undertake another internship next year again for a longer period. I really do not know what I would do differently next year because everything was perfect and I learned a lot this time round. Hopefully, I can be even more productive next time as I will have gained more knowledge and skills throughout this year at GBCM.