Hi,

I'm Rocio and I'm currently in my second year of the Master's programme in Industrial Engineering at the Universidad Politecnica de Cataluña. Thanks to the UNITECH programme, I've had the opportunity to do my international internship at Evonik, in the Strategy and Integration department within the Smart Materials Supply Chain Management. I chose Evonik for both my internship and my Master's thesis because I wanted to be part of a company with a significant global impact, and so far it has been a great experience.

From the beginning, I was looking for an internship where I could take on responsibility and work on projects where I could make a difference. My experience at Evonik has certainly fulfilled these expectations. Over the past few months, I've been involved in projects that have enhanced my analytical skills, such as identifying our division's top customers. I've also found it very rewarding to see the department's commitment to sustainability, and I've been lucky enough to contribute to projects aimed at decarbonizing various areas, such as product packaging and transport. Given my interest in the latter, I decided to focus my Master's thesis on optimizing current transport methods to reduce CO2 emissions. Alongside these more strategic projects, which gave me a broader industry perspective, I also integrated an inventory calculation tool for a business line. This allowed me to get more involved in the operational side of the business and gain a better understanding of supply chain dynamics. I must also mention that from the beginning I have been very warmly welcomed by the colleagues I have had the opportunity to work with, I have always been given responsibility and the opportunity to learn like any other colleague, despite being an intern.

Of course, working at Evonik doesn't end with tasks and projects! All the great teams and colleagues I've worked with have made this experience even better. Not only have I experienced German culture at first hand, immersing myself in its festivals and traditions, with the most beautiful christmas markets or the funniest carnival in Cologne, but the international environment has also introduced me to colleagues from other countries, allowing me to learn from their cultures and experiences. I also had the opportunity to play padel, a sport offered by Evonik, where I could meet other colleagues from different divisions. Being healthy is also sponsored by Evonik!

All in all, I’m sure that choosing Evonik as a company for my internship was definitely a success! Although my internship is coming to an end, I’m very happy and fortunate to be able to take with me the experience and the great network I have built up over the last few months, which I’m sure I will be in touch with for the rest of my career!

Yours, 
Rocio

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