Insights for Interns

What can I actually expect from my internship at Beiersdorf? A question that I, along with many of my fellow interns, asked ourselves in the beginning. Before the internship started I couldn’t discuss this with the others so I first took a look at the career website of Beiersdorf. It promises “responsibility for your own projects and deep insight into the daily business of your team.” After my internship began in Corporate Communications at Beiersdorf I was able to determine after just a short time that these weren’t just words. But what if I’m interested in insight beyond my projects and my department?

There’s an opportunity for this as well at Beiersdorf. The event Insights for Interns takes place regularly so that interns can gain insight into the most diverse areas and meet colleagues and learn about their careers. In July the seventh edition of the event took place. This time Anastasia Savvateeva, Junior International Brand Manager Deodorant, talked about her typical workday and how her career has developed so far. What was especially exciting from my perspective was that Anastasia started at Beiersdorf as an intern herself, then became a student trainee and has been in her current position since she finished her Marketing & Sales traineeship. Just how valuable these insights are for interns participating in the event was illustrated by the many questions they asked Anastasia. For example, “Are there tips for successfully networking at Beiersdorf?” and “How do I apply for a permanent position?”

The intern event is put on by “Interns for Interns.” When Elisabeth Moshake and another intern wanted more insight into the world of Beiersdorf in 2016 they took initiative and started the event. “At the time we lacked an opportunity to see beyond our own department so we took it into our own hands,” Elisabeth told me. After her internship she worked as a grad student in R&D Controlling and has supported all of the events from the beginning. The example of Insights for Interns shows that you can implement your own ideas as an intern at Beiersdorf and taking initiative is supported. “It is nice that we are supported by the organization through the HR Young Acquisition team and colleagues with permanent positions and exciting careers are willing to share their experiences. This positive feedback on all sides shows the relevance of the format. For this reason Insights for Interns will continue to take place in the future,” said Finance intern, Sarah Ohse, who currently organizes the event.

In addition to this Insight for Interns series, Beiersdorf interns also organize other things. For example, there is a shared lunch and dinner, trips to the Hamburger Dom and Planten un Blomen, activities like Laser Day and much more. Even for those like me who move to Hamburg for the internship and don’t know anyone at the beginning, these activities let them integrate quickly and make valuable contacts.

Since March 2017 Daniel has been an intern in the Corporate Communications department at Beiersdorf headquarters. There, he supports the team for Branding, Engagement & Digital topics and projects – from the intranet "BlueNet" to the external company presentation. After his studies in media and communication science at the TU Ilmenau, he uses the internship as an opportunity to get to know Beiersdorf as an employer and to gain valuable experience in the area of corporate communications and digitization.