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8/29/2023

Apprenticeship Launch Day at Beiersdorf

Our 32 new apprentices are ready for the kick-off! Their 4-day Onboarding Event got off to a thrilling start with CHRO Nicola Lafrentz on-hand to answer our newbies’ questions. In answering the first question, “What can we apprentices most look forward to?” the Board Member showed no hesitation: “To great trainers who will be with you every step of the way with passionate commitment – and of course you can look forward to trying out your talents!” But how does this experience look from the apprentices’ perspective? What do they expect from their apprenticeship? What are they most looking forward to – and why did they opt for an apprenticeship at Beiersdorf? We spoke to four new apprentices: Simon Lamping (19, Dual Student), Ivette Löffler (16, chemical laboratory technician), Behnaz Jokar (27, IT specialist) and Mathis Maack (19, mechatronics fitter). Here’s the full interview!

Ivette, Simon and Mathis – what expectations do you have of your apprenticeship at Beiersdorf?

Simon: First and foremost, of course I want to learn a lot. Alongside this I’m interested in gaining insights into processes at large companies.

Ivette: For me, the priority is to gather a whole lot of new experiences, get to know nice people and in the end prepare myself well for real-world professional life. I think Beiersdorf offers us the very best conditions to do all this, so I’m very excited about what’s coming!

Mathis: Learning is the priority for me too – and it’s especially important to me to learn something manual that is something useful at the same time. The apprenticeship as a Mechatronics Sitter definitely covers these bases. I’m also interested in gathering experience and meeting new people.

Behnaz – aged 16, Ivette is the youngest apprentice in your class while at 27 you’re the oldest. You already have a lot of experience under your belt. Could you tell us a little about that?

Behnaz: I’d be delighted! I’m an Iranian woman and already completed my Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering there. I definitely wanted to come to Germany – but on the one hand I didn’t speak German and on the other hand hardly any company here was interested because I had no professional experience in Germany. To meet these two requirements, I decided a year ago to start an apprenticeship as an IT Specialist. My grades at the Technical College were very good – but unfortunately the apprenticeship in my company at that time wasn’t so great. I asked to learn more, but there was no contact person responsible for the apprenticeship. This is why I decided to make a fresh start and I firmly believe that I’ll find much better conditions at Beiersdorf. Once my training is complete, I will not only know more about German society, culture and language – I will then also be able to offer employers an attractive all-round combination of industrial engineering know-how with IT and programming skills.

What are the four of you most looking forward to during your apprenticeship?

Behnaz: For me, it’s definitely programming. It’s simply cool – and I genuinely enjoy writing code and ironing out bugs.

Ivette: I’m looking forward to working through different departments and gaining detailed insights into Beiersdorf’s research as well as its innovation development.

Simon: I’m really looking forward to getting to know different departments. But I’m also very excited about experiencing the new Beiersdorf Campus in person.

Mathis: As an apprentice Mechatronics Fitter, I’m looking forward to being able to put my enthusiasm for physics and math into practice. Now I can focus on what I enjoy most – that’s the best thing about the apprenticeship for me!

Ivette and Behnaz, how did you come up with the idea of doing an apprenticeship at Beiersdorf?

Ivette: I was targeting major Hamburg-based companies – and as I know Beiersdorf products from my own bathroom, doing an apprenticeship here was top of the list for me.

Behnaz: I can understand that very well because Labello has been my absolute favorite product since I’ve been in Germany. Unfortunately Beiersdorf doesn’t have a presence in Iran, but I really wanted to complete an apprenticeship at a multicultural, international company the second time around. So I gave the application my best shot – and I’m thrilled it worked out!

Mathis and Simon, what was it like for you?

Mathis: Before applying, first I researched which Hamburg companies do in fact offer mechatronics training. I found the Beiersdorf website super-informative – and then the apprenticeship interview was very welcoming and pleasant. It became clear to me that I wanted to start at Beiersdorf.

Simon: It was pretty similar for me. I had a rough idea what I wanted to do, and undertook some research online. I found the combination of Industrial Management vocational training with a university Bachelor’s degree really interesting. And now here I am, about to start as a Dual Student apprentice.

You’ve been able to get a taste of Beiersdorf for a few days already. What’s your first impression?

Ivette: I find all the colleagues to be incredibly open and friendly. I like this very much and I’m enjoying it a lot. I can already say that I took the right decision to do my apprenticeship at Beiersdorf!

Simon: What has particularly impressed me over the past few days is the enormous power of innovation and charisma of the company as well as its brands. There is hardly a single home without a Beiersdorf product – and we’re working on these products right here! The information we receive during our onboarding is also super-helpful and gives us the best-possible start.

Mathis: Everyone is tremendously supportive, very caring and there’s a great feeling of togetherness – that’s outstanding!

What advice would you offer to the would-be apprentices for the application process?

Ivette: Find out as much as you can about the company beforehand, so you go into the interview well prepared – that will help calm your nerves. I was on edge because I didn’t know what to expect. But in the end I was simply myself, and I think that was what came across best.

Mathis: “Be yourself” is definitely the best tip. That helped me too – in the online test, but also in the personal get-to-know-you interview. To be honest I was also very nervous, but the conversation with Scanya from the Recruiting team was really pleasant. There’s no need to be afraid at all!

Thank you very much for the interview!

Ready for the challenge?

Then apply now! One last tip: if the right opening isn’t available right now, simply activate our JOB ALERT. It will keep you informed and let you know as soon as there is a new opening in your desired area.
Find our current openings here

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About the editor: Anna Hewing

Anna is part of the Corporate Communications team and responsible for the topics of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as well as Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I). Her stories are about inspiring personalities at Beiersdorf and the company’s social commitment.