Maria reports on her internship
Suddenly it’s here, the pandemic we won’t name. And yet my studies in Communication and Media Management at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences have to go on somehow – including an internship semester. Finding an internship between presentations in the living room and exams in the kitchen. Phew.
I was all the happier when I was able to secure an internship in the Strategy and Communications department at fluidmobile GmbH. I had barely started my internship in October 2020 when the six months were already up. But I don’t have to leave fluid yet, because I can stay on as a working student and even write my bachelor’s thesis at fluid. What can I say – I couldn’t have imagined a better start to my professional life.
Internship and working from home – is that possible?
Sure! Much better than expected. I actually sit with Katja, who looks after me during my internship, in a nice, big office or sometimes in our courtyard.
Katja is Head of Marketing and has integrated me into the marketing processes and the growth team. The growth team works on topics that are important for the company’s growth. This involves working in a team using the Scrum method. During the sprint changes, which take place every two weeks, the previous sprint is analyzed first and then the new sprint is planned. The epics, tasks and subtasks are clearly distributed to the people in the Scrum team. For resource planning, this involves estimating how much time a task will take to realistically achieve the target set for the sprint. The entire team has a clear goal – and we are pretty good at achieving it. Working according to this method ensures a clearly defined work process.
Then the incidence figures rise. This is followed by the reissue of the fluid mask, a hygiene plan and the joint lunches are completely canceled. But after about two months it was inevitable: off to the home office! It’s unfamiliar at first, but the daily online meetings via Zoom are at least a small consolation. Every day I looked forward to seeing the individual faces of my colleagues, even though I would have preferred to see them live, of course. In addition to the daily, there are routine meetings on specific projects. The management’s weekly fluidmeetonline keeps everyone informed about what is currently important and maintains communication within the entire team during the pandemic. The after-work events now take place via Gather Town or Zoom.
What have I been working on?
One of my main tasks is to fill both our website in the fluidfamily blog and our Instagram channel with content that shows the everyday life of our fluids. The editorial plan is part of the marketing tasks. I can use my creativity without limits: Shooting videos, taking pictures and writing the corresponding texts. At fluid, I learned how to use the Adobe programs Premiere Pro, Photoshop and Indesign. I enjoyed video editing with Premiere Pro the most.
I was there at our virtual trade fair stand at Compamed / Medica 2020, worked on the concept for a large photo shoot, gained an insight into our Linkedin campaigns and working with WordPress and learned a tremendous amount about copywriting for social media. While working on a video testimonial on customer satisfaction, I was able to get fully involved and also learned about the importance of references.
Family feeling despite the pandemic?
At fluid, cooking together, meeting for a coffee in the courtyard and ending the evening with a cool drink are all part of the experience. Of course, everyone misses that when working from home. Work, fun and living space are shared in the fluidfamily. The ability to work as part of a team is essential – this makes it twice as much fun. This is also part of the corporate culture, based on openness, team spirit and curiosity. What I found most important was the open communication – even when working from home – and the helpfulness of all colleagues. The informal atmosphere made me feel immediately welcome.
I’m currently preparing to shoot a video that introduces our fluid Roman and his bachelor thesis, which he wrote as a working student at fluid. I read the work and interviewed him remotely. The video shoot will take place as soon as the vaccine is generally available – it can’t be long now. I’m also currently working on my own bachelor’s thesis. So you can look forward to more content in the near future!
Your Maria
PS: The good reputation of coffee at fluid is actually true! You definitely shouldn’t miss it (I’m a coffee lover)
😉
