It all started with a simple application and a challenging, but at the same time, pleasant interview. When I found out that I received the scholarship and that I will do an internship in Germany, I had a weird feeling of nervousness, excitement, curiosity and impatience. Looking back at the time now, I can surely say it was an unbelievable experience, full of unforgettable memories and awesome moments spent with many new friends that I made all over the Balkan region and Germany.
During my 7 months in Germany I worked at the company BSL Betriebsmittel Service Logistik GmbH CO & KG. in Kiel, which is a big agricultural-wholesale company in North-Germany. My trainee program planned so that I worked in different departments of the company, getting to know it as good as possible and learning about the agricultural market in Germany and the role of BSL in it.
In the first month, I worked in a subsidiary of the company located in a small village south east from Kiel. There I had the possibility to see and to be part of the harvest season, do sampling, laboratory analysis and seeds production, and to be involved into direct costumer consulting. This was the perfect opportunity to see the production on site and have conversations with different people involved into the company before returning to the headquarters in Kiel.
In the upcoming 6 months in Kiel, I changed the departments on a monthly basis from seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, bio gas optimization to the marketing department. With every new department my tasks and obligations changed, which made the internship even more interesting, because I had the possibility to get an insight into various business fields, work on different projects and gather professional skills and competences which will for sure be of use during my further professional career.
After learning so much about the company, I got the opportunity to use that gained knowledge and to work on an independent project, and to create something that will stay even after my time in the company. My working colleagues supported me in everything and were very helpful and friendly. The thing that fascinated me the most is, besides the professionalism of every worker, the readiness to share knowledge and take extra time if necessary to explain things.
I used my free time to explore the city and the culture of the people in it. Kiel is a wonderful seaside city, with great beaches, an amazing bay, an interesting culture and nice food. “Fischbrötchen” is a must try for everyone who visits North Germany. The weekends were, of course, reserved for reunions with the other interns in different parts of Germany and Europe where we shared common experiences.
I would definitely advice every young person to apply for the Internship Programme of German Business, because it is an unique opportunity to gain professional experience, to have a lot of fun and to make lifelong memories and friends at the same time.
Vedran, Generation 2015
