Gaining practical experience and getting to know people from all over the world: for Sen Lukas Tiel (B.Sc. Medien und Wirtschaftspsychologie, MU Cologne), his internship abroad at recruitment agency YoungCapital in Amsterdam was a complete success. Here he talks about his tasks and reveals how his internship has helped him in his career planning.
At which company and in which department did you complete your internship?
I completed my internship as an International Recruiter in the Multilingual Team at YoungCapital.
How did you like it? Would you recommend it to other Media University students?
Very well! The team is super open-minded and international, there are lots of company events and a high level of responsibility/tasks for interns – definitely a recommendation, and they are always looking for interns.
What was the biggest challenge during your internship abroad?
Mainly the organizational aspects: finding accommodation in advance, registering on site or moving from Berlin.
Please tell us more about your areas of work: What were your main tasks during your internship? What content from your studies was reflected in your work or was particularly helpful to you?
As an intern at 360° Recruiting, I had the same tasks as my full-time colleagues. This ranged from acquiring new clients (researching leads, making contact, presenting YoungCapital) to organizing projects (drawing up contracts with clients, writing job advertisements) and the actual recruiting (screening calls, applicant interviews, selection and introduction to clients) and, for projects involving temporary employment, administrative HR tasks for my employees (drawing up employment contracts, payroll administration and contact person for problems). I may also be involved in headhunting or social media if the perfect candidates are not yet available. Maintaining the client relationship (regular updates and client meetings on site or online) was also part of the job.
I was able to contribute experience from my studies in personnel selection, especially when conducting screenings and interviews. In addition, but this is less related to the tasks, I was able to observe a lot about the leadership styles I had learned in A&O psychology. We had a new manager in our team who did things differently.
Did the internship help you with your career aspirations and future plans?
Yes, but: as much fun as I had during the internship and with my applicants, I now know that the HR area is less interesting for me – and that has been a great help for me.
I have realized that analytical tasks suit me better and that I like solving problems. However, I still don't know what this means for my future plans.
Sen Lukas
What would you recommend to other Media University students for their internship/time abroad?
Not everything can be planned in advance. Sometimes you have to be there to arrange things and a lot of things only come about once you have made your first contacts. This may be difficult for some, because people like to plan and want to know what to expect. But you have to be relaxed about it. Nevertheless, it is of course wise to inform yourself well in advance and do everything you can beforehand (e.g. make the necessary appointments with the city administration, etc.). But my general recommendation is to go abroad! It really helps you personally and you have a cool experience with new people.
Thank you very much for the insights into your internship abroad. We wish you continued success and all the best for your career start!
