Anne in Taiwan #1

About Evonik Taiwan and why working there was so special for me

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Dear people interested in Taiwan and internships abroad,

You’ve never really heard of Taiwan? And are you somehow confusing it with Thailand?

Then you should read this blog series:  On the one hand, it is for all those of you, who ask themselves these questions and on the other hand, for those who already know that Taiwan is a heartwarming, beautiful country that, I think, deserves much more attention. And anyway, there is an unconditional reading recommendation if you do not have Evonik Taiwan on your mind immediately as an important component of a globally active company.

Either way... come on, reminisce with me as I tell you about my almost five-month internship abroad at Evonik Taiwan Ltd. in the Business Development Team in the Taipei Office (and read a little declaration of love to Taiwan and its people at the same time).

The first entry deals with my internship at Evonik Taiwan Ltd. which has several sites (including production facilities) in Taiwan, but its headquarters are in the center of the capital Taipei.  

At that time, when I was still a PhD student in the field of organic and polymer chemistry, I originally applied for an internship in the R&D laboratory of Evonik Taiwan Ltd. As they were not seeking for interns in that area, I was assigned to the Business Development Team in the Taipei Office. This change of perspective proved to be a stroke of luck, as the team appreciated my expertise as a chemist. With my scientific and analytical view I identified industry needs, market potentials and trends of relevant regional industries for Evonik and even became major lead of a project. Through intensive immersion in various industries in Taiwan and numerous discussions with my Taiwanese colleagues, I quickly realized that Taiwan - despite its small geographical size - has a serious global say in developments in the electronics industry, the textile industry and other areas. In addition to my main work in business development, I have also evaluated patents in the field of innovation management to optimize future production processes in the Asia Pacific North region. 

The atmosphere at the office life was characterized by the appreciation of every employee. This is one of the most important goods here. Here it is understood what it means to treat employees with respect and recognition and to recognize their individual potential. A clear management style of my supervisors challenged me without overtaxing me and motivated me again and again. My ambition and high sense of responsibility as well as this appreciative, respectful working environment and teamwork enabled me to produce promising results that I hope will help Evonik Taiwan to further establish its status in a globally active company.

That is why I experienced several highlights during my internship: As a fully recognized colleague, I became the major lead of a project. I was allowed to attend conferences, interview industry experts, discuss product potential with sales colleagues from the various business lines, and finally present the project on behalf of the Business Development Team at an internal Evonik Taiwan Sales Meeting and a follow up meeting at the management level at Evonik Hanau. To get this trust means a lot to me.

But you know... there was another highlight - yes, I'm a little ashamed - but it was the lunch breaks. The glassed-in gold skyscraper, which accommodates Evonik Taiwan’s headquarters, is located in an office district, which is full of restaurants, food stalls, and tea shops. All the hungry employees of the local banks and large companies want to be satisfied during their breaks. This makes the food fantastic and inexpensive. Even luckier was that my colleagues appreciate this and that's why we had wonderful lunch breaks, full of Taiwanese delicacies and interesting, informative, intensive conversations about Taiwan and its culture.

Would you like to read more about (the fantastic food in) Taiwan and my exciting time there? Then wait for the next blog entry!

Yours,
Anne

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On the students@Evonik blog students working at Evonik share their experiences about life in the company. 

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