“Sometimes, you just have to jump into the deep end!”

Philipp Schumacher, 21, has just completed his industrial-mechanic training program. Sarah Wolff, 22, is a freshly minted chemical technician. Both are among the 23 members of Beiersdorf’s vocational training class that was honored last week. Eighteen of the young specialists wanted to continue their careers in our company. And employment contracts were given to all 18 – a hiring rate of 100 percent. We met Philipp and Sarah at a reception for the graduates, took a look-back with them and talked to them about their new jobs.

Hi, Philipp. Hi, Sarah. First of all, I would like to congratulate you for passing the exam! Both of you have begun working at our subsidiary Beiersdorf Manufacturing Hamburg (BMH). What do you specifically do there?

Philipp: I’m a mechanic in the glass bottle center where products such as deo roll-ons and after shaves are filled. I do maintenance work on the filling lines and get the machinery running again when breakdowns occur. It’s a job filled with variety because there is something new waiting on me in production every day.

Sarah: I’m involved in the production of emulsions for Labello sticks. As part of my work, I precisely weigh various ingredients before they are put into the filling-material mixer. It’s a job with a lot of responsibility because so many ingredients are used to make the broad range of Labello sticks. 

During your vocational training program, both of you had an international internship: Thanks to your very good work, you had a chance to spend four weeks in Northern Ireland. How did you like it? What sort of experiences did you have, and what challenges did you face?

Sarah: I worked in a lab that analyzes Ireland’s drinking water. The biggest challenge I faced was the language barrier. But I overcame my inhibitions during the internship. Sometimes, you just have to jump into the deep end. What can go wrong? You will always find people who will help you.

Philipp: It was a really exciting time for me. My colleagues and I worked at the company Metal Technology. The company makes things like door frames and ventilation grilles made of aluminum. We experienced a whole lot together and got to know some new work processes. I will certainly profit from this international experience on the job here in Hamburg. And I really want to thank Beiersdorf for helping me!

You have completed your exams and gotten your first job contracts as specialists. How do you feel?

Philipp: The apprenticeship was a great experience, was a whole lot of fun and helped me grow as a person. And I am certainly proud of myself for completing the program. But a new phase of my life has started now!

Sarah: I’m also really happy that things turned out so well. But there is still so much to learn and discover. That’s why I’m looking forward to working at BMH and to setting things in motion and shaping things myself.

Martina has been part of the Corporate Communications team for many years as a PR consultant and knows the media scene very well. And the journalists know Martina. She coordinates and answers media inquiries, supports filming projects, and she is our contact person for daily press reviews and continuous media monitoring. In addition, she is responsible for the conception and organization of selected press conferences, for example for the successful long-term cooperation project between NIVEA and DLRG.