Liv - An internship at Evonik's Brainpool

Hi! My name is Liv. I majored in Business Chemistry at the University of Münster.   

I actually found my way to Evonik by chance – I had originally wanted to spend a semester abroad before starting my Master’s thesis. I had already found an internship, packed my bags, and given notice on my apartment. While planning my trip, I heard about a virus that appeared in Wuhan, but I wasn’t especially worried that it would affect my travels. What a miscalculation! 

COVID-19 spread through the whole world like wildfire. Many borders were closed. My flight, too, was canceled two days before my planned departure, and my internship was called off. Without an apartment and with no remaining obligations to my university, I decided to move back to my hometown, near Essen. I wanted to use my time well while Germany was in lockdown, so I found an internship in my own country. 

During my studies I had already gotten to know Evonik as a creative and innovative company. So without further ado I decided to apply for a job that was described as “Technical Service / Innovation Management / Digital Agenda.” At that time I didn’t really know what to expect. That’s how I joined the Brainpool. It consists of 3-6 university students working on Technical Service projects, particularly in the areas of digitization and innovation management. The great thing about the Brainpool is that no one tells you how to approach your topics. It’s left up to the students. During my time in the Brainpool, I learned how to solve problems creatively as part of a team even though we were all working remotely in different places. 

Before my time with the Brainpool, I could not have imagined working in Technical Service. After all, in university I had focused on the areas of business and chemistry, not technology. Besides, the words “creative,” “innovative,” and “progressive” were not things I associated with Technical Service. However, my time in the Brainpool showed me that Technical Service absolutely has those qualities. 

In addition, the internship gave me the opportunity to write my Master’s thesis on an exciting topic at Evonik. For Innovation Management, I studied whether there were ways to use robots productively in the area of Technical Service. My Master’s thesis challenged me to solve a problem independently. It was helpful that there were always contact partners at Evonik available to give me information or advice. No problem was too big or too small. 

During my internship, I very much appreciated the pleasant work environment, and I enjoyed the exciting assignments. So, I soon realized that I want to stay here! Thanks to my Master’s thesis, I had gained some insight into Innovation Management, and I knew I liked that area. Fortunately there was an opening in the department, so I was able to become an Innovation Management administrator for Technical Service. I am in charge of several innovation projects, including Robotics, VR, AR, and Digital Signature. I appreciate the responsibility and the freedom I was given to do my work right from the start. There’s no micromanagement here! 

If you are looking for an internship in a pleasant working environment with exciting tasks, I strongly recommend an internship at Evonik!   

Best regards, 
Liv

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