Internship Report Daniela Vitzthum
"In mid-April 2005 I applied for an internship in the Human Resources Department of GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft and was soon invited for an interview. The interview provided an opportunity to become acquainted with each other. The company learnt about my motivation for the internship and the knowledge I had, while I was informed about potential areas of work. After no more than a few days, I received a letter confirming the arrangements. I started at the beginning of November 2005.
On the first day I was introduced to the team and familiarized with the subjects where I could be of help. I heard that I would above all work in the fields of personnel development, marketing and controlling. Eventually I focused on the new design of the department's Intranet and Internet sites, a project to determine the cost of accidents at work and new ideas for an image campaign.
I enjoyed my job immensely. As I knew that the department would support me with everything I had to do, I felt welcome in the team right from the beginning. I was also often invited to see the world outside the office. I attended for example works council meetings, personnel development seminars and project team meetings where I gained a first-hand impression of strategic personnel work.
The five months of my internship were a period from which everybody benefited. I saw many areas of activity and was always accepted as a full member of the team. And GEA Group gained a few new ideas from my work and had valuable support during the time of my presence."
