Sooner or later, everyone studying business should decide how and where they want to gain practical experience and which career path to take. Three months ago, I was exactly at that stage of my life, where I needed to make this decision. It was very important for me to get real work experience that would help me find my career path.
I started my internship search in January and was lucky to get a number of opportunities to join different companies, all operating in various industries: starting from general consulting to automotive business. I must say that all companies were fantastic, but I was looking for something more... that “something more” for me appeared to be THE TEAM- the people that I am working with daily. I was really overwhelmed by the team spirit and attitude I experienced during the interview at Schrader. So, it did not take me long to understand where I wanted to end my internship search!
I remember it was 10 o’clock in the morning when I received the phone call with an internship offer with Schrader. I was so excited and wanted to start immediately. Now, looking back 3 months ago, no doubt I would have chosen this company over and over again! I feel extremely lucky to be part of this amazing team and to have this opportunity to learn and work with the Schrader European sales team.
From the very beginning, I was given various exciting projects and assignments that helped me to better understand, myself and the business. Through these projects, I have learned my strengths and more importantly, they helped me understand my weaknesses. For example, I have never worked with online vendor platforms, but here at Schrader, I was given this unique opportunity to learn about these platforms and get experience in online sales.
One of the most thrilling projects that I have had so far was searching for potential new business opportunities’ in the Middle East and Africa. This project made me realize my career path, I want to pursue a career in sales! I really enjoyed communicating with people from different cultures.
I remember in the beginning I was scared because of lack of knowledge in the Automotive Aftermarket, but thanks to my amazing colleagues I quickly became more confident. Since I joined Schrader, I have not only learned about this industry and our business, but I have also gained many skills that would be useful for future day-to-day life. The team, here at Schrader has both challenged me to be better and has made a lasting impact on me personally. It is exactly the experience that I was looking for and has also revealed the right career path for me. I am looking forward to continuing my internship and taking full advantage of the time, I have with this team.