From Lecture Hall to Plant: An Internship at Evonik
Matthis shares his experience from a six-month internship at Evonik in Essen – covering technical projects, hands-on work, and his path toward a master's degree.
Hello everyone,
My name is Matthis, and I'm currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering at the Technical University of Dortmund. At the moment, I'm completing a six-month internship at Evonik's Goldschmidt site in Essen, specifically in the surfactants plant.
Evonik has been a familiar name to me for quite some time - mainly through contacts at job fairs and family members who already work at the company. So when it came time to apply for my mandatory internship toward the end of my bachelor's program, it was a clear choice to send my application to Evonik. I was eager to gain first-hand experience at a company of this scale. I was thrilled to be invited for an interview and even more excited when I was offered the position.
Since starting in April 2025, I've been commuting daily by train from my apartment in Dortmund to the Essen-Goldschmidt site. Thanks to flexible working hours, the occasionally unreliable train schedule hasn't been much of an issue. The Goldschmidt site is quite unique for a chemical facility - it's within walking distance of Essen’s city center and is divided into East and West operations by a road bridge. My workplace is in the western part of the site, where the surfactants plant is located. Here, we produce products primarily used in cosmetics and hygiene applications.
My workday usually begins at 7:30 AM with a coffee at my desk in the office of the technical team. The team consists of two departments: one focused on maintenance and the other on process optimization and investment projects. My tasks are varied and change from week to week — ranging from documentation and energy balances to planning and calculating smaller equipment like heat exchangers. I'm grateful to be part of a friendly and open team of engineers, supervisors, and technicians who are always available to help with questions or challenges.
My current main project involves developing concepts for a new cooling circuit at our sister plant in Duisburg. This system will prevent contamination of the steam condensate, allowing it to be reused for steam generation. This saves both energy and costs - a win for Evonik and the environment.
The highlights of my internship have definitely been the hands-on experiences. I've had the chance to witness several major installations, including the setup of a 25-meter-high tank, and I'm looking forward to gaining some initial welding experience (WIG and electrode welding) toward the end of my internship.
In conclusion, I can confidently say that my internship at Evonik has been a valuable experience. The variety of tasks and practical insights have confirmed that studying Chemical Engineering was the right choice for me. I highly recommend that any student looking for an internship consider applying to Evonik - and don't hesitate to extend your stay beyond the required duration if possible. After my internship, I'll move on to my bachelor's thesis, where I'll gain some lab experience, and then continue with my master's degree.
With that, I hope I was able to give you some interesting insights into my internship at Evonik.
Best regards,
Matthis