30/01/2015
Interview of the month - Interdepartmental Insights as an Intern at Voith
Experience Report by Corinna Carl, Intern at Voith
I studied industrial engineering at Aalen University for Technology and Economics, graduating as a Bachelor of Engineering.
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- Zur Großansicht
At which stage of your studies are you?
I completed my Bachelor's degree this year.
Which type of internship do/did you attend in which company?
I attended a six-month internship in project management at Voith Turbo during the summer semester 2013. Among the four Voith Turbo Divisions »Mining & Metals«, »Power, Oil & Gas«, »Rail« and »Commercial Vehicles« I worked in the service department of the Division Rail. This year I had the opportunity to write my Bachelor's dissertation in the same department and therefore spent another four months in Mergelstetten. Mergelstetten is home to a service location of the Division Rail.
What are the reasons for your internship?
The internship was obligatory as part of my studies.
How did you come across your internship?
Voith is a well-known and large employer in my region. When I started looking for a placement, I instantly thought of Voith and I then began to look for concrete vacancies on the Voith careers page on the internet.
Why did you decide for this company and this position/this area?
To me, Voith is an interesting employer, not only because of its prominence in the region but also because it offers a diverse portfolio as a globally active group, which I found very impressive. In addition, as a Voith employee one enjoys excellent career prospects. I decided in favor of an internship in project management, because one has to cooperate with other departments and thus gains a cross-divisional insight into Voith. Thanks to the highly varied duties assigned to me I was able to gain a great deal of practical experience.
Tell us about your duties and responsibilities.
I worked in project management and I supported the project managers with my work. The projects focused on order handling, for example overhauls, repairs or spare parts deliveries for products of the Division Rail. This was an area where I carried out project-related analyses and evaluations. I prepared, followed up and took minutes at meetings, monitored the planning horizon, which means I performed Controlling tasks. In addition I researched tools and instruments that were used for monitoring that project targets were achieved. In order to get to know the project better, I also had a three-day stint in the workshop.
How closely related are your current activities to what you have learned at university?
Project management calls for basic knowledge from many different study subjects. It was therefore an advantage that I already had a broad range of subjects that partly covered the wide range of fundamental knowledge required for project management. What I learned during my studies were, for example, SAP, IT programs or specific English terms. It was also helpful that I had already attended lectures on materials management and production technology and that my studies also included subjects such as business organization and personnel management. I was therefore able to apply a good deal of what I had learned, but certainly not all of it. In practical life there are always new subjects to be picked up, which one simply can't learn at university.
Does the internship meet your expectations?
My expectations were actually exceeded. I was strongly involved in the team and have taken on diverse and responsible tasks. As a result, I learnt more during this internship than I ever thought.
How did the application and recruitment process go?
The application process was very simple and uncomplicated. After sending my documents I was invited for an interview and soon after, I was accepted.
Do you get paid for your internship?
Yes.
Have you had any other internships before?
I have already completed other traineeships for professional orientation, and I worked for two semesters in product management as a student trainee.
Are you planning any other internships and at what time - in the same or in a different area - and why?
I wrote my Bachelor's dissertation in the same Division at Voith, because I enjoyed the exciting and diverse tasks and the excellent working climate during my internship. I am particularly pleased that I was given a permanent job after completing my degree, and that I have thus entered professional life at Voith.
Thank You!
