Introduction
Hi everyone! My name is Merijn, and I am a second-year Communication Science student at the University of Amsterdam. After a very stressful period of trying to find a company where I could intern, I am thankful to have fulfilled my internship at Heineken from February to July 2024.
Choosing Heineken
As a Dutch student, I was of course very familiar with the brand Heineken and had always admired their strong brand presence and engaging marketing campaigns not only in The Netherlands but across the world. In every country I’ve lived in or place I’ve traveled to, Heineken was always recognisable! Before my internship, I applied to multiple internship positions at various companies, and after several interviews and rejections, I was close to a point where I would not get an internship position on time, even though I started the entire process in November. Note: start as early as possible! After my last interview and last chance to get an internship, Heineken landed on my path. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and so I am very happy I got to fulfill my internship at a company I admire and enjoy.
My Position
I was part of the Global Sales Excellence team, focusing on Route to Consumer (RTC) and Customer Experience (CX) internal communities created by Heineken. My primary responsibilities included project management for the Winning with Distributors and Customer Centricity communities, which aim to optimise consumer routes and prioritise customer-centric strategies. I organised monthly webinars, edited content, and communicated with colleagues about upcoming tasks. I also managed and re-organised previous content to make it accessible to other employees globally. I also sent out invitations to these communities with over 700 members via Teams, created announcements, and reminders to encourage healthy online engagement. I also created communication plans for both internal communities to keep stakeholders and colleagues informed about upcoming webinars, workshops, and other internal updates on sales performances from operating companies globally, from Panama to Cambodia.
Lots of Learning
Reflecting on the last five months, my internship was filled with ups and downs, and tricky yet inspiring moments. This was my first-ever internship experience, so I entered the first days and weeks with zero expectations. I was unsure how to complete my tasks well, socialise with older and younger employees, and find the importance or relevance of my role as an intern. With each intern being replaced every six months, I often asked myself: What am I doing here? Why me? And what will I accomplish here? Each month got easier as I better understood my tasks and met more fun and helpful people, both interns and employees. I am very grateful I got to meet such great people; it really made the experience better and fulfilling.
For Future Reference
As my internship comes to an end, I have learned a lot in terms of business knowledge, communication skills, and social skills. I also learned that I absolutely do not want a future career in a sales department. However, having done an internship in sales provided a nice overview of how commerce departments work effectively and their connection to marketing, which is what I hope to pursue in my future career. Despite this, I can still see myself working at Heineken in the future, perhaps in the marketing or innovations department. I am very thankful for the opportunity I had here. Hope to see you soon, Heineken!
Cheers,
Merijn