Internship

After completing my bachelor's degree at the School of Business, Aarhus University, with a final year at Hochschule Osnabrück, I felt a strong urge to apply the intensive knowledge I had gained in real-world settings. Noticing that walls at Hochschule Osnabrück displayed postings for excellent internship opportunities, connecting students with diverse organizations for hands-on experience, I felt motivated to do an internship. The visible support showed a strong interest to bridge academic learning with professional practice. While still in Germany, I decided to apply for an internship at the Chamber of Commerce in Nantes, France with the goal of helping French companies strengthen their international outreach. The unexpected opportunity across borders felt just right for me. With a bag of clothes and my bicycle, I set off for Nantes in the Western part of France embracing the uncertainty with excitement. It was a start of a pioneering journey that marked the start of immersive work in a vibrant hub for technology, manufacturing, and creative industries. 

During my eight-month internship from 1995 to 1996 at the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Nantes, France, I supported French companies not least by developing targeted marketing and sales materials. I assisted in crafting multilingual brochures, flyers, and presentations in French, German, and English, helping potential clients learn about products and innovative that technologies these firms offered. A highlight was diving into each company's offerings to understand the most important benefits for potential clients. Through research and communicating with people working for the companies, I worked on communicating in clear and client-focused messaging how offerings of the companies could lead to efficiency gains and cost savings. What I appreciated about the challenge was not least using emerging design technologies of the time to blend high-quality photos with text in order to create maximum impact for potential clients. This hands-on process sharpened my ability to communicate complex ideas simply - ensuring that materials not only informed but also persuaded international audiences. Alongside fellow interns, I traveled to trade fairs in Germany, accompanying company representatives to engage visitors, demonstrate products, and gather feedback on-site. These dynamic experiences built my confidence and adaptability, laying a foundation for my later work in business development and coaching .

The internship served as a transformative bridge between the theoretical foundations of my bachelor's degree and the realities of professional life, allowing me to apply classroom concepts in dynamic, real-world scenarios. The internship challenge provided context to the valuable theoretical knowledge that I gained during my studies. The experience illuminated the everyday hurdles faced by professionals across organizations, such as adapting innovative technologies to client needs and communicating well with people who have different backgrounds. Observing these challenges firsthand deepened my empathy and analytical skills, foreshadowing my later focus on strategy, coaching, and business development.