My internship at the B2B company
I am a second year communication science student and have decided to do my internship in the second semester of my second year. Before the start of my internship I was excited to put the theoretical knowledge I’ve gained into practice.
I found an internship at the biotechnology research company that researches, produces and sells indication-specific probiotic formulations. I was excited for this opportunity as I could already see that it will provide me with new insights in the business to business world, that’s rarely talked about at the university. I was curious to see how the theories learned in the courses apply to this industry and business model.
The company is relatively small, and has about 110 employees. The B2B marketing team, which I was a part of, consists of 5 colleagues that are all very knowledgeable and with a lot of experience. I was happy to be a part of a small team as I could receive personal guidance when needed and could contribute to various projects my colleagues are working on quite easily.
As for my marketing knowledge, the theories learned in the programme certainly apply to many of the situations. However, it was really interesting how the marketing decisions are made in a real life setting. Often, it takes a lot of time and many different stakeholders are involved.
My tasks involved a diverse set of tasks, but I will tell you about two experiences that stuck with me the most. Both of them have to do with direct contact with the business partners of the company. The Marketer, usually responsible for marketing events, went on a 4 week vacation and trusted me to take care of the event tasks while she’s gone. During that period, I had to organise a business visit of one of the company’s biggest and most important clients. It was really fun to collaborate with the account manager responsible for that account and make sure that the needs of the client are met and we go above and beyond with the hospitality. On the day itself I could see that the colleagues were slightly nervous, but after this visit was over everyone was really happy, and the business partner enjoyed the little details I’ve taken care of very much. The second experience has to do with my internship report. I decided to do qualitative research, which resulted in me talking to 5 different business partners around the world. It was nice to talk to these partners and learn about their experiences with my host company. Also, I think my interviewing skills and confidence improved significantly and I can definitely use this skill in the future.
These two experiences are only a small part of what I have learned in this practical part of my studies. I’m extremely happy with the experience gained, and it certainly clarified my future perspectives and personal strengths. I’m excited for my graduation project next semester and seeing what future holds.