My name is Larissa and I am studying Business Administration and Cultural Studies at the University of Duisburg-Essen. During my gap year, between bachelor's and master's studies, I completed a five-month internship at Evonik in the department of HR-Communication.   

My study includes business administration completed by a linguistic focus. In addition to business also intercultural and communication skills are taught in the lectures. In order to apply my theoretical knowledge, the HR-Communication department of an international active company such as Evonik Industries is the perfect place.   

The long-lasting situation regarding the pandemic made me doubt whether the home office could provide me with an authentic insight into the regular workday. An internship during a pandemic seemed to be a challenge that would imply distance and isolation. But these concerns vanished already on my first day at work.  The team with whom I worked on exciting and challenging topics welcomed me very warmly.   

After an intensive "on the job" induction phase, I was allowed to take on tasks on my own responsibility. Among other things, I gained interesting insights into the analysis, conception, and creation of communication media for HR topics. As part of Evonik's sophisticated hygiene concept, it was even possible to work together in person. As a result, the video shoot on the topic of start of training in 2021, together with the Chief Human Resources Officer and Labor Director Thomas Wessel, could be realized. Supporting the planning, preparation, implementation, and coordination of the video shoot is definitely a highlight of my internship.   

Despite – or perhaps because of – the vast majority of time spent in the home office, new ways had to be found for interns to network with each other. This challenge turned out to be a great opportunity. Thanks to a casual networking event initiated by the Students@Evonik community, we were not only able to exchange ideas across the German sites but even with interns in an international context, such as Brazil.  

During my internship, I was able to get to know many motivating and inspiring colleagues. Even though I know most of them exclusively from a digital collaboration I did not feel any distance or isolation on a single working day.   

I would like to tell all interested students that you should not be afraid of new opportunities that seem challenging. At Evonik you have the chance to grow with challenges and develop professionally as well as personally. Take advantage of this opportunity!   

Best regards,   
Larissa  

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On the students@Evonik blog, students, who work at Evonik, share their experiences about life and work in the company.