I’m a second year Communication Science student at the University of Amsterdam. Over the past few months, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to intern at KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, specifically in their Engineering & Maintenance (E&M) Communication department. With KLM being one of the world’s oldest airlines, and a significant player in global aviation, this experience has been nothing short of transformative.
My journey with KLM started in February 2024, at their offices located at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and in Amstelveen. I originally did not plan on interning at KLM but I am glad I did. This internship is mainly internal communication with the many employees KLM has within E&M, so if you like corporate communication I definitely recommend applying here. Next to my responsibilities and research I was given various tours of different Hangars, being able to take a peek into a plane under maintenance really shows you another perspective on the aviation industry.
My Role and Responsibilities
In my role as a Communication Intern at KLM E&M, I was entrusted with a variety of tasks that spanned across internal communication channels. When I had first started it took me some time to get a hang of how things work around here considering most of the information communicated is very technical and related to engineering and maintenance of the planes, but my supervisors were very open to questions and were always ready to help me. My daily responsibilities included:
- Content Creation: Crafting engaging content for KLM’s internal platforms such as the MyKLM intranet, MyKLM NewsApp, CleverDisplays, and various newsletters like the E&M Scope.
- Publishing and Distribution: Managing the distribution of this content through different channels, ensuring it reached the intended audience effectively.
- Employee events: Helping out during various employee events such as the Blue Hart event, Aviation Maintenance Technician Day and E&M Infosessions.
My time at KLM has been an enriching experience that has prepared me for my future career in communication science. I’ve gained practical skills, expanded my theoretical knowledge, and built a solid network. However, I realized I miss the analytical aspect of my study. I’m glad that through this internship I was able to discover what I’m missing in my work and identified areas where I would like to improve and develop further in. The corporate world of KLM, with its vibrant community and dynamic environment, has been a welcoming place for growth and learning.
As I conclude this chapter of my journey, I’m filled with gratitude for the opportunity to intern at such a prestigious company. I’m excited to take the lessons learned and skills acquired at KLM into my future endeavors. This experience has truly been a flight into the world of corporate communication, and I’m eager to see where my career will take me next. In September I will go into my last year of my study and minor in Data Science and AI.