Helen tells us about her work placement. She says the time at EUROIMMUN has cemented her career plans
Who I am
My name is Helen Düchting, I am 21 and from Hamm. I am studying International Management Assistant in the second year, which is a mix of business economy and languages. During my eight-week placement at EUROIMMUN I worked with the assistants of the management board and in the human resources department.
How I came to EUROIMMUN
A friend of mine, who knows the company well, recommended me to apply for a placement at EUROIMMUN. I had a look at the website and informed myself thoroughly. I was very impressed when I saw what this company does for the employees. I became curious and wanted to see all this with my own eyes. The company kindergarten, the restaurant, the free-time activities, and the health care services provided by the company ̶ all this is quite amazing.
My first day
I was very excited, but there was no reason whatsoever to be nervous as everyone welcomed me really warmly! I met my mentor and we spent the day together. She showed me around and introduced me to all the employees of the department. After that, I was given my first tasks and got involved in the day-to-day business really quickly. There was a lot of work to be done as the annual meeting of shareholders was about to take place and needed a lot of planning. Also when the meeting was over, there were always interesting tasks for me to perform. It never got boring!
My tasks
Since I spent time in two different departments, I got to perform completely different tasks and got an insight into different areas. Also within the departments, the challenges were very varied. For example, I did some research work or wrote employee’s interviews. I especially liked to help preparing the general meeting of shareholders and conducting a target group analysis. Of course I had to do usual office work sometimes, like making copies or filing documents, but that is just normal. Whichever my task, I could always work and organise my time quite freely. This allowed me to work independently, which was a great experience and is definitely not always the case for people who are doing a placement.
What I liked most about my placement
I was really impressed by the friendly treat amongst people. Everyone happily takes his/her time to help others. The atmosphere is really nice! During my time at EUROIMMUN I have never met anyone grumpy or who was ranting without a reason. People here really enjoy what they do and the atmosphere is relaxed, without people losing focus on their work. I felt very welcome and was always looking forward to coming to work.
What I am taking away from my time at EUROIMMUN
It definitely showed me that I chose the right career! The placement also made me want to specialise in marketing.
Before my placement I thought I’d rather not work in an office. But in the right company and doing the right job, I find it to be very enjoyable. I can’t wait to start my working life!
