Project Assistant / Intern Review

My placement involved a lot of different tasks and so naturally, some were interesting and exciting and others were not but overall it was insightful and worthwhile

I felt at the beginning of the placement that colleagues didn't really know what to expect however, as the months have passed I have definitely gained a certain level of respect and appreciation from colleagues through the work I have produced as it showed I was serious about the work and helping others when needed (placement is in Germany, so often I would help with proof reading of English documents and important presentations)

Enough was given to direct me but not too much that I was spoon fed, it was done in a way that made me think for myself and figure out the best way in achieving the outcome and also, it also meant that the material I produced was entirely my own which was a good indicator of my ability for management etc. and was also a good sense of achievement for myself.

At the beginning of the placement I was busy and this carried on until about the 10th month as this then started to come down to the end of my placement so it was more about just finishing remaining tasks rather than starting completely new ones. However, now in my 12th month it has picked up again after decisions have been made to allow further progress on previous tasks. All round I think I have had a sufficient amount of work to aid myself in terms of knowledge and the company in terms of output.

When it came to the tasks I was set I was responsible for all that I needed to do, if I needed help it was encouraged for me to ask for it and my manager was very willing to help in anyway I wanted, but at the same time my manager wasn't just sat there coming in to help me which I think is much better and a lot more useful to an intern as it not only encourages you to fight to achieve tasks and not just give up at the first hurdle, but it also helps the intern get over the fear of asking for help and learning the "business environment" in terms of correspondence with personnel outside your direct office (international colleagues in my case) who may have the information you need.

Part of my placement was to produce training material in the form of manuals as well as workshops. The workshops actually took me on a 2 day course to Vienna were I was a co-holder of the event which involved giving a presentation. I think this will definitely help me out with my degree as I did find presenting very daunting and so hopefully when going back in September this experience should help me to gain the confidence needed to achieve a well executed presentation. Analysis of information was a part of a task I was given and I think this could give me a good jump start for a module of mine next year. Other skills which I have learnt while out here I don't know exactly how much they will help with my degree directly but I definitely think they will assist me in my future with regards to working life.

It was a working environment. Mainly it was people getting on with the work that was needed and so generally quite quiet but there were moments of interaction and fun. The department had a 'department breakfast' every 2 months just to get together and interact with each other which I thought was good.

Tasks were set prior to arriving so once I had arrived, on my first day I was given an outline of all the main tasks that were expected and as mentioned previously further direction was given as and when needed. Overall I think it was well organised.

The company invested in providing myself with German lessons, it comprised of 2 evening lessons a week, in total 4.5 hours a week. The fees for these were covered by the company under the condition that I maintain a certain % attendance. From this my German language has improved a lot so I am very grateful and would like to carry it on next year whilst in the UK. And I have asked to have a introduction into SAP.

I feel that Linde Material Handling GmbH is a great company to work for, their work ethic is good and the company is continuing to develop and become a stronger competitor hopefully meaning for a more reliable job security in the long term. As well as this, being an international company it therefore, provides an international base in which if I was successful in getting a job I could potentially transfer/apply internally to another subsidiary in a different country e.g. Australia, in the future, if desired.

There weren't any other placement students with me. A couple interns from Germany did placements within my department building however, it was usually only for a few weeks none were for 1 year. It was very slow at the beginning of the placement however, I did become friends with a couple colleagues and actually socialised quite a lot which was nice.

It isn't cheap. On an Interns salary I did have to watch what I was spending and so did in fact produce a budget table to help me make sure I did not go over my limit. However, the erasmus grant that was given was definitely a life saver and did help me enjoy more than I would have been able to otherwise. Also, the company did give me an extra amount each month to go towards rent which did help relieve some burdens. But in the end you have to work with what you've got and so you do end up finding the places to shop for food etc and it was livable I cannot say I was confined to my house due to no money, although during the winter months I did save quite a lot as I didn't go out as much.

It was ok, drinks were expensive though.

I am a Hockey player and unfortunately where I live in Aschaffenburg there is no Hockey team whatsoever, the nearest place is Frankfurt area so was unable to join that. There are other clubs such as Handball which I did try but with only having the use of public transport it did become an issue to attend especially with working a full time job so unfortunately I had to stop. Instead I joined a gym just to keep in shape which was ok but not my ideal only method of fitness. I have recently been going to Zumba which is enjoyable but once again Hockey would have been a better sporting opportunity for me if it was available.