Business & Marketing Assistant Review

My 13 month internship at Texas Instruments as the Business and Marketing Assistant for the European University Program has truly been one of the toughest and greatest experiences of my life. It's an opportunity that any outgoing and hard working business or marketing student wouldn't want to miss!

The European University Program is a small team which is why the Business and Marketing Assistant plays a very important part. Every team member is valuable and everyone depends on each other.

During the first 2-3 months of the internship I was given a lot of support. However, after 3 months you are expected to work independently with as little supervision as possible. Of course you will get support if you need or ask for it, although it is encouraged to 'solve your own issues/problems' which I think is the most effective method to learn.

Due to the small size of the team, there is always work to be done. There will be busier and 'quieter' periods, however, be prepared to always work hard and you will most likely be working longer hours during the busier periods.

I would say that I was probably given the most responsibility out of all the interns. Once again, because you're working in a small team where every one depends on you, you're therefore also given a lot of responsibility.

The experience and skills I've developed from the internship may not necessarily assist me in my degree studies, however, most definitely when applying for graduate schemes or jobs once graduated. Especially as I was managing the recruitment process for my predecessor I will now feel a lot more confident when applying for jobs in the future.

As this was my first experience of working in an office I don't have a lot to compare the atmosphere with. However, the atmosphere was good - people would generally work hard but make time for coffee brakes to have a chat and a bit of a laugh.

Overall the internship was very well organised, from the face-to-face interviews to the training and handover period. However, one criticism that is worth mentioning here is that you do not get a lot of support with finding your own accommodation when moving from the UK to Germany.

I wouldn't say that the company itself invested a lot in my personal training or development. Instead my manager and supervisors 'invested' their time by sharing their experiences and advice over lunch or outside of work which contributed more to by personal development.

If you are willing to do a rotation program once graduated there is the possibility to do so. However, in my opinion the future employment prospects within the company are more appealing if you are an engineer.

Yes the social scene amongst the interns and graduates on rotation programmes was good, especially as we were all in a different country. Most weekends we would have something planned or organised, everything from skiing trips to concerts and going out.

It all depends on where you live, if you share a flat, where do you socialise etc. Munich is known for being 'expensive' in Germany, however, as you get paid well (especially for an intern) it's not a problem.

Munich has a great nightlife, there's something for everybody. Although Oktoberfest was without a doubt the highlight of the year!

Outside of work you had the opportunity to join German classes which a lot of the interns did to improve their German. There was an International Group where non-Germans living in and around Munich would go on weekend trips together. During the winter season you also had the opportunity to get a bus early on a Saturday morning and go skiing for the day.