My story with Zoran Djindjic Internship Programme of German Business starts in 2021. When I was a third-year student at School of Economics and Business in Sarajevo, I started searching for internship opportunities which could strengthen my practical knowledge and make me more competitive on the labor market that I was soon to be entering. I decided to look out for internships abroad, not expecting to find much. Still, a simple search of “Internship Programme in Germany for students from the Western Balkans” led me to the website of an opportunity that sounded too good to be true. The more I researched the more I was convinced that this is arguably among the best opportunities offered to students from the Balkans that I ever came across. I started gathering all the documents and before the applications were even open, I already had everything ready to apply. Once the applications opened, I submitted my documents and excitedly waited to see if I would be invited to the second round – the interviews. And the invitation came. However, that is where my journey with Generation 2022 ended. Not being shortlisted was disappointing, but I felt like that was not the end of my story with the Internship Programme of German Business.
In the meantime, I graduated and right away got my dream job. I also started my master’s studies and, doing my job while simultaneously studying kept me rather busy. So, when the applications for Generation 2023 opened, I didn’t even realize, and if it wasn’t for my friend who also wanted to apply, I would have possibly missed the application window. But as they say, “What is meant to be it will be”, and my friend forwarded the application call to me. I was contemplating whether I should apply now that I already had a job but, having the experience of applying last year and knowing that gathering the documents was a rather simple task, I thought I had nothing to lose and that I should at least submit my documents and see where it takes me. And so I did.
The invitation for an interview came once again. And sometime after the interview I got an email that I was shortlisted. I knew that being shortlisted didn’t grant getting an internship, but I had a strong feeling that this year was my year – and it was! I was invited to an interview by Duerr AG, a mechanical engineering company from Bietigheim-Bissingen, near Stuttgart. When I got an invitation to an interview, I first thought about what I could, as a business student, do at a company producing car parts and machines, but I soon realized that internships don’t necessarily have to be at a company whose main business corresponds to our studies. There are many departments within a business, and whether you are an engineer, a computer programmer or a finance specialist, there is a place for you.
After an interview with the company, the very same day, I got an offer for an internship position in the finance and treasury department. Saying goodbye to my previous company was not easy, it was a job that I enjoyed and where I’ve learned a great deal, but I knew that an opportunity like this would open even more doors for me and that right now was the time for me to take chances that come my way and gather as much experience as I can.
Coming to Germany and meeting all the other scholarship holders immediately assured me that it was the right decision. I also learned that there were more people who didn’t give up after not being selected the first time. We were a group of ambitious people, looking to improve our knowledge and our capacities, build our competencies and ready to take on challenges. Coming to a foreign country as a part of the Internship Programme of German Business meant never being alone and always having someone to talk to who was going through a similar experience.
At work my colleagues made sure I always felt supported and encouraged to ask questions, get exposed to new concepts and a different work culture. My mentor was always involved in my work, gave me advice for my future work that I will always remember and, most importantly, saw me as a team member.
The support we got from the entire Zoran Djindjic Internship Programme team and alumni coordinators was invaluable. The determination to make every aspect of moving and starting our internships as easy as possible and dedication and care for every scholarship holder individually is something I greatly admire. Working with them meant working with people who love what they do and who want to make sure that we get the most of our time in Germany.
If I could give one advice to anyone thinking of applying, led by my own example, I would say not to get discouraged and keep trying, as it’s worth every effort. You never know what course your life and career may take but you can be assured that this experience will greatly benefit it. As for me, two months after returning home, I’m doing a job that I always wanted to do, at a great company, and the lessons I learned during my stay in Germany follow me along my path and keep reminding me to go after my dreams and keep trying until I make it.
Anida Bajramovic, generation 2023