Just like the footprints in the sand, each step signifies the journey taken. I was in the fourth and last year of my studies and had recently come back from a summer job in Germany that left a strong impression on me. But this time I wanted something more than a summer job. I wanted to make an important step in both my personal and professional life. I wanted this internship.
Initially, it was my friend Marija who told me about this Internship Programme. We applied for it, passed the first round and got an interview. I was really nervous, and she was there by my side through the whole process. As you can see from the pictures below, we both got an internship and went through this amazing experience together.
Until I got the internship, I often imagined what that experience would be like. When I got there, I realised that it was so much more than I could ever imagine.
Before the beginning of the internship, we got to spend a week in Berlin in order to get to know each other better. Besides getting to know intelligent and ambitious minds from the whole Western Balkan and discovering the cultural extravaganza that is Berlin, we also had an insight into living and working in Germany, got to visit the Macedonian embassy in Germany, and were honoured to attend the celebration marking the 15-year anniversary of the Internship Programme of German Business for the Countries of the Western Balkans.
My internship was in Durion GmbH, a company for renewable energy and energy storage systems, located in Northern Germany. When I got there, I saw that the company was on a huge complex surrounded by solar panels both positioned on the ground and on the roofs of the warehouses – a dream for engineers in renewables. Accompanying me on my journey were two other girls, Katarina and Mikela, who was really amused by and helped me with my fear of heights.
During my internship, I improved my German and English skills, and through working with the interdisciplinary team of Durion GmbH I got an insight into the project design and implementation of photovoltaic systems, which really helped me with my current position as an engineer in Solar Spektar AG in Skopje.
A huge part of this experience is travelling through Germany and the surrounding countries with your fellow scholarship holders. You are all going through something together, you experience the German culture together, you make memories together that you’ll remember your whole life. I remember traveling 13 hours to Munich by bus just to meet with the others at Octoberfest. You just know that these friends are friends for life.
The great thing about this Programme is that you don’t have to go through it alone. The people from the Programme are your constant support, whether you need help with the accommodation, during your internship and even afterwards. Also, finishing the internship is not closing a chapter, but beginning a whole other one. Awaiting you are conferences, workshops, meeting with Alumni friends and much more!
It was an amazing adventure that I will remember for the rest of my life. It was a combination of a professional experience and travel and fun with friends. This experience will definitely change you. It will push your limits, make you get out of your comfort zone, make you learn new things and meet new people.
If I could, I would do it all over again. So, don’t miss your chance!
Sanja Babamova, Generation 2018
