Internship abroadRutronik UK, Bolton
07 September 2018
Pierre Weissheimer, Apprentice in wholesale and foreign trade made an internship and wrote about his experience in Bolton, UK.
As part of my two-and-a-half-year training in wholesale and foreign trade with an additional qualification in international business management, I had the chance to complete a three-week internship abroad at our Rutronik branch in Bolton.
It was a great opportunity to improve my English.
On Monday, August 20, 2018, I set off at 6 am by taxi to Frankfurt Airport where the plane departed on time at 10 am and I landed in Manchester just two hours later.
Due to the one-hour time difference I arrived at 10.55 am local time.
A taxi picked me up and took me directly to the Rutronik office where I received a very warm welcome.
Kimberley Mills, a company PA, introduced me personally to each member of staff and showed me around the premises. The Product Management Team went through my agenda for the next three weeks.
That evening a colleague took me to the The Brewhouse hotel which became my home for the next three weeks.
Activity report
I assisted the Product Management Team and was part of day-to-day operations.
From reviewing contracts to managing projects, my new UK colleagues kept me busy and I was not bored for a second!
I also worked on a small project of my own which involved creating a list of potential new customers using a survey of the growing UK IoT customer base.
Topics included smart homes (e.g. smart lighting, meters and home security), smart cities (e.g. smart parking, mobility etc.) and smart health (e.g. exercise tracking, remote diagnostic machines, etc.).
First impressions of the country:
Driving on the left-hand side feels very strange at the beginning.
The speed limit signs are confusing because they are not in kilometers per hour but rather miles per hour.
School pupils wear uniforms while adults wear suits and ties.
The rain in England is no myth and you need an umbrella!
The shops are often open on Sundays and some supermarkets like Asda stay open even 24/7.
The English are gallant in the truest sense of the word. They are very hospitable, helpful, friendly and sincere.
In my spare time, I got to visit Bolton and other cities like Manchester and Blackpool, as well as tourist attractions like the National Football Museum, Manchester Cathedral, Blackpool Tower, Madame Tussauds Museum and some of Bolton's oldest pubs.
One evening, a few colleagues brought me to visit Manchester’s impressive Trafford Centre - one of the UK’s largest shopping malls.
I would like to thank everyone who made this internship possible, especially Ms. Kolem and Ms. Schmid, who together with Ms. Kimberley Mills oversaw the planning and organization.
Thanks also to the entire Bolton team for their fantastic support and invaluable insights.
Thank you!
