Applying what she has learned during her studies and gaining new practical experience abroad: This was a great wish of Elena Fischer, student of the M.A. Public Relations and Digital Marketing at the Media University Cologne. Her internship at TROX Austria in Vienna gave her the opportunity to live and work in one of the most beautiful cities in Europe for a while.
I completed my internship at TROX Austria in Vienna. The company operates in the B2B sector and develops, produces and sells devices and systems for the ventilation and air conditioning of rooms. I worked there in marketing together with two other colleagues. The location in Vienna also coordinates the marketing campaigns for all Eastern European countries, so there was a lot of international collaboration.
I really enjoyed my internship! I had already completed an internship abroad during my Bachelor’s degree, so I knew that it was a great opportunity for my own development.
You learn a lot about yourself and the challenges you can face. Moving to another country and working and living there is not always easy.
It’s only when you’re away from home for a longer period of time and can no longer see your family and friends that you realize how much you should actually appreciate something like that. You miss any birthdays, graduation parties or other important moments, you have to realize that.
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?
I worked with my colleagues on a reference folder in which all of TROX’s important projects in Austria and Eastern Europe were presented. I had to do a lot of writing and designing myself, which was a lot of fun. I also had to coordinate a lot of appointments with photographers and representatives of the press. I also worked on our website and optimized it for SEO, for example. I learned all these things during my studies.
Did the internship help you with your career aspirations and future plans?
During the internship, I realized that I definitely want to work in a large international company. I really enjoy working on projects with colleagues from other countries.
What would you recommend to other Media University students for their internship/time abroad?
Make sure you find an apartment early enough, preferably in a very central location. In most cases, you have to rely on public transport during your semester abroad and nobody wants to have to travel forever by train if you’ve been out for a drink in the city in the evening. During my time in Vienna, I played field hockey there and in my opinion, sport is always a good way to make new social contacts and get to know other people of the same age. So I would definitely recommend finding a sports club.
Thank you for the insights into your internship abroad. We wish you all the best and every success for your studies at the Media University.
