World of internships - global interships for students, recruitment and apprenticeship by international companies

Two of three university graduates slip via an internship into their later permanent employment. Until then the student trainee has to keep in good contact with the enterprise - perhaps even during his entire period of studies.

Many student trainees have a dream: On their last day the manager stays in front of them with bright eyes and a trembling voice and says: "You are the one, we have always been waiting for! You absolutely have to remain with us as a working student. And when you have finished your studies, please report to us immediately - we will, of course, have a permanent position for you."
Regrettably, even a successful internship rarely comes to such a moving ending. There is, nevertheless, absolutely a chance for a later permanent appointment - provided the working student keeps in very close contact to the enterprise until his graduation. This works very well in those lines of business where generally many freelancers work, e.g. in the fields of events, software development, marketing or in the media. Mostly, the job offer comes from the employer's side already during the practical training, provided that the performance is good and that there is demand. If no offer is made, the trainee should ask about it at least in the final interview: Initiative is mostly rewarded.

"One has to have the sensitivity to appear self-confident enough and to make sure that one gets noticed, but without seeming to be a know-it-all", knows Tim Renner, head of Motor Music. Those who have already got their intermediate examination in their pocket can often continue working as working students after the internship. The difference to the internship: The work is mostly based on projects, fine tuned for a special professional aim and - also not unimportant - better paid. Building on it, the student can possibly write his finishing work in cooperation with the enterprise and the university. In these cases a work contract later on is often only a mere formality. Those who are accepted during or after their internship to be integrated into the employer's program designed to tie students to the employer have also hit the jackpot. By these "membership programs" large-scale enterprises filter the most promising candidates and tie them to the enterprise by offering them various means of qualification until their final exam. As a rule the candidate cannot apply for these programs on his own - his internship tutor has first to recommend his protégé, an intern jury makes the final decisions.

From the group of these "members" the enterprises like to recruit their future permanent employees - otherwise they would devote neither time nor money to the ex-interns. If no further cooperation with the company is possible at present, it also means: Keep in touch. But moderately. "As an ex-intern one can keep in touch with the special department", advises Tobias Nickel, head of the recruiting department of the BMW-group. "But one should not overdo it, because, naturally, the departments have a row of former interns - if all of them report on a monthly basis, that would be far too much." It would be sufficient, to make oneself remembered every six months, e.g. by informing the enterprise about important steps in one's studies or by asking, if at present a form of cooperation would be conceivable.
If one got on well with the colleagues, a frequent visit does not do any harm - but that is only recommendable in companies with an easy-going atmosphere. As much as one likes one's former colleagues, with regard to one's professional future one should not bank on a single enterprise: If nothing happens with regard to jobs in the dream company, the applicant is in a bad position elsewhere, because he has orientated himself too one-sidedly. Not at all interested in freelance work or in programs tying students to companies are mostly trainees, who are quite close to the completion of their course of studies. They want a permanent position instead. In this case it is of a great importance to keep eyes and ears open in the company, in order to catch it, when in certain departments positions are newly filled. So the intern gets the chance to show his interest already before the position is officially advertised, to get into contact with his prospective future bosses, to write a classic application - and to have the necessary luck.

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