The work placement is very important to us. This year, our students have shown that they can react flexibly to changing conditions and successfully put their business knowledge into practice.
Tonka Semmler-Matošić, Head of degree programme
National international - Successful internships with a difference
The fifth-semester students on the Bachelor's degree programme in International Business Relations usually complete an internship abroad in the Central and Eastern European country whose language they have already studied intensively at the UAS for two years. But this time things were different. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the internships in 2020 mainly took place in Germany. The usual on-site internship presentations at the UAS were also modified to a virtual "come together" this time. Once again, valuable impressions and experiences were shared.
The students shared their experiences with their fellow students at a get-together. They reported online on their experiences and application processes in times of COVID-19 and had valuable tips to offer. Because right now, flexibility and perseverance are more in demand than ever.
Insights into practice
A total of 52 students successfully completed their work placements. Despite everything, two of them even made it abroad and completed their internships in Slovakia and Hungary.
One of them is student Dorina Nagy. After her semester abroad in Krakow, she had already found a job in Prague. When the programme was halted in spring due to coronavirus, she sent further applications to the Czech Republic, Poland and Austria. She was delighted to be accepted by Österreich Werbung in Prague. However, she ended up completing her internship at the office in Budapest.
After I was accepted in July, I was asked whether I would like to work in Hungary because of my mother tongue. I accepted the offer, immediately started looking for accommodation and applied for Erasmus funding.
Dorina Nagy, student
Erasmus is a good keyword here. If you would like to study or do an internship abroad, it is definitely worth visiting the International Office to find out more. There are helpful grants such as the CEEPUS programme or the Erasmus scholarship that can support you financially during your stay abroad.
In addition to her salary from the internship, Dorina was also pleased to receive additional funding, which amounts to a certain fixed amount depending on the country. But there was also no lack of experience. As the Austrian National Tourist Office in Budapest is responsible for marketing activities in Hungary, Croatia and Slovakia, the areas of responsibility were varied. "I translated postings and texts from German to Hungarian, carried out various types of research and data interpretation and was mainly involved in online marketing," says the student enthusiastically. She was also very enthusiastic about her workplace in the office.
Lisa Hederer also experienced that there are exciting internships to be found in Austria. She spent her 15-week internship at Donau-Auen National Park GmbH in the Visitors and Communications, Marketing and Press departments. The student has fond memories of one particular highlight.
As part of my work placement, I was able to take part in various press events, which allowed me to get to know press relations better. For example, I was able to assist at the press event with ORF Lower Austria, which allowed me to take a look behind the scenes of a filming day.
On this occasion, a video was filmed at the schlossORTH National Park Centre as part of the ORF Lower Austria summer tour, in which the presenters Kristina Sprenger and Thomas Koppensteiner were on the trail of the white-tailed eagle.
Levin Teinze was also able to gain international experience during his internship in Austria. He had actually sent numerous applications to Moscow and was accepted in the spring. However, when nothing came of it due to coronavirus, he scoured the job portals in Austria, wrote numerous unsolicited applications and found what he was looking for at Raiffeisenbank International. Levin has now been working in the Institutional Clients Roof and Nordics department for almost six months. This is a department that looks after customers in the DACH region and the Scandinavian countries, which means that you meet many different nationalities.
My colleagues took me to various customer meetings and it was very interesting to see how these meetings work and how differently you prepare for each individual customer. I learnt a lot.
Levin Teinze, Student
His tasks included processing and analysing balance sheets, where he particularly benefited from the accounting knowledge he had acquired during his studies. According to Levin, specialising in marketing and sales could also score points there. He spent the first three months on site in the office and took the opportunity to get to know people and network well. He then worked from home and is delighted to have the opportunity to continue working for the company. "Raiffeisen Bank International is a good employer. After I graduate, I can very well imagine starting a trainee programme there," Levin told his fellow students during the online presentation.
Tips and more
After the students had talked about their experiences and internships, there were a few tips for third-semester students who are about to start their internship and are still looking for a suitable placement. The many positive stories that were shared at the "Come together" event were very motivating and helpful.
Unfortunately, it is no longer enough to just send an application to your "favourite" company. Send unsolicited applications to lots of companies that interest you and be sure to ask again if you don't hear back. This will make the recruiters realise that you are really interested.
Lisa Hederer, student
I looked at a lot of job portals and applied for all suitable positions. Don't rely on just one employer in the application process. It's better to spread your applications widely and not give up straight away after a rejection.
Levin Teinze, Student
If you get an acceptance letter, don't wait too long to reply. Even if it's not exactly your dream internship, it's a good idea to accept it temporarily. In the end, this may be the right position for you.
Daniel Oderits, student
It is also important to start looking for accommodation as early as possible. If you don't find an internship or a flat straight away, don't worry and don't give up. Just keep looking. There is always a solution in the end.
Dorina Nagy, student
Even if you've already been accepted, it's good to have a plan B ready. So keep your eyes open. Also check where students from Burgenland UAS have already completed an internship and apply there. There is a good chance that they will take someone from the UAS again.
Anisa Abraham, student
Worth every effort
The application process and preparation for the internship abroad starts around nine months before the internship begins. When, despite high hopes, it soon became clear in 2020 that internships abroad would no longer be possible and a number of cancellations were received, the majority of students reacted quickly and seized the opportunity for an internship in Austria. But finding one was not always an easy task. Many companies were working from home, on short-time working or had other economic problems. However, the head of the degree programme and the International Affairs, Cooperation and Careers department were always on hand to support the students with help and advice.
Now that the entire cohort has completed the internship, I am very happy that no student has fallen by the wayside under these difficult conditions and that everyone can continue their studies.
Birgit Rivalta, Head of International Affairs, Cooperations and Careers
Even though most of the students were unable to do an internship abroad this time, they can still take a lot away from this time: it is also possible to gain international experience and demonstrate your skills at home. In the end, commitment and perseverance paid off. And the good thing is that after completing an internship, there are always one or two job offers.
# Gepostet in:
Bachelorstudiengang Internationale Wirtschaftsbeziehungen,
Berufspraktikum,
Auslandsaufenthalte,
Wirtschaft (mit Schwerpunkt Zentral-Osteuropa)
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