Marketing internship: A look behind the scenes

Balsam Afdele completed an exciting two-week student internship with maxcluster's marketing team. In this article, she talks about her experiences and how the internship changed her view of the professional world.

Who are you and what makes you special?

My name is Balsam Alfdele, I'm 18 years old, I was born in Iraq and have been living in Paderborn since 2015. I live with my parents and my two siblings.

My passion is planning trips and creating the perfect day out for me and my family as I love spending time with family and friends. I am also very keen on sports and therefore regularly go to the gym four to five times a week. I have loved taking photos since I was a child; I find it fascinating how differently you can portray something. In general, I would say I am a very organized person. I love creating order, whether at home or in everyday life. I am also a very open-minded person and enjoy discovering new things.

In addition to my vocational baccalaureate, I work as a private tutor. I chose this job because I have found that I am good with children and can also explain things well, as I often help my classmates at school. However, I don't want this to be my main job in the future. I prefer to plan or create things. That's why I decided to do an internship in the marketing department.

How did you come to maxcluster?

I already knew the name maxcluster because my mother works in the maxcluster canteen. When I had to complete a two-week student internship in the 11th grade, I researched the company and sent off an application. I then had an interview with Nicole Mentzen, Head of Marketing, and Jasmin Rück from the HR department. This interview made me even more enthusiastic about the company and sparked my interest in finding out more about maxcluster.

What is special about the internship at maxcluster?

I felt at home here from the very first day at maxcluster. Everyone was friendly and took a lot of time to explain everything to me in detail. During the internship, I was heavily involved in the day-to-day work and was allowed to take part in meetings, video calls and many other activities. I hear different stories from many friends and therefore know how special it is at maxcluster. The working atmosphere at maxcluster is exceptional. There are hot and cold drinks and snacks available around the clock. I particularly liked the fact that everyone is on first-name terms, which gave me the feeling that maxcluster is like a family.

What has been the most exciting project so far?

The most exciting project during my internship at maxcluster was filming a video for the website. Interviews with the managing directors and portraits were filmed, and the employees were also involved. I was allowed to look over the cameraman's shoulder and make sure that we stayed on schedule. This project was particularly interesting for me as I have loved photography and filming from a young age. It was exciting to be part of a professional film shoot and to see how much time a scene can take, even though it is ultimately only shown for a few seconds in the video.

How was your start at maxcluster?

When I arrived at maxcluster on my first day, I was given a warm welcome. At the beginning, Jasmin explained to me what to do in the event of an alarm and showed me everything I needed to know in case something happened. I was then given my key, which gave me access to everywhere in the building. Jasmin gave me a tour of all the company's premises and introduced me to many employees from different departments. She also showed me the canteen, the kitchen and the fitness room. During my internship, I received free drinks, snacks, breakfast and lunch.

After the tour, Jasmin took me to the marketing department, where Nicole met me. I had previously been given a laptop and headphones to use during my internship. First, I was shown my workstation and how to use the laptop. Then I sat down with Nicole in her office and she told me who all works in the marketing department and what their tasks are. Then I met Oliver and Linda, who are also part of the marketing team. Finally, Jasmin took me to the canteen with Oliver and Linda, where we had lunch together.

What were your tasks during the internship?

During the internship, I didn't have any fixed tasks that I had to do every day. Instead, I was often involved in the everyday life of the employees or Nicole. For example, I packed promotional gifts for a trade fair, carried out research work or took part in meetings and video calls, which gave me a better insight into the everyday life of the marketing department.

Everyone in the marketing team took the time to show and explain their tasks to me. Occasionally, I was given tasks related to their area of work to gain even deeper insights. I was always shown or given very interesting tasks, so I was able to learn about exciting topics throughout my internship. I was always able to let off steam creatively during my tasks, which I really enjoyed.

Thanks to the comprehensive insight I gained, my interest in marketing has grown even further.

What was your everyday life like during your internship at maxcluster?

My everyday life during the internship was very varied. The first thing I did in the morning was to get something to drink. After that, either someone from the marketing team would show me something and explain it to me, or I would be given a task. At lunchtime, we had lunch together.

I was given various interesting tasks during my internship, so I didn't have a fixed daily routine but always had something different to do. I really liked that, as I need variety in my life.

What positive experiences did you have during your internship at maxcluster and what did you particularly like?

The special thing about maxcluster is the employees and the working atmosphere. I particularly liked the fact that there is a strong sense of togetherness here. Although there are many tasks that you have to do on your own, there is always contact between the employees. It was also nice that we usually ate lunch together and didn't each take our own break. This allowed us to get to know each other better.

An internship at maxcluster was very pleasant because the employees took a lot of time to explain everything to me. That's not the case at many companies, which is why I found it particularly good here.

How has the internship influenced your future plans?

The internship showed me how diverse marketing is and made me even more interested in it. It was very instructive and convinced me that I can definitely imagine marketing as my future career. I found the diversity of the department particularly fascinating. You never have the same tasks, there is always something different and you can let off steam creatively. As I love creativity, this was the perfect internship for me.

Published on 27.06.2024 | Student internship at maxcluster | BA