Learning in Practice
Thom was looking for a company that suited him for his graduation internship. He was already familiar with Bolidt and was drawn to the company because of its diverse clients and responsibilities.
“I reached out myself and asked if I could do my internship at Bolidt. Luckily, that was possible,” Thom explains.
During his internship, Thom focused on improving customer relations within one of Bolidt’s market segments. Through interviews and group discussions with clients, he investigated their needs and preferences:
“In the end, I chose to focus my research on strengthening customer relationships. I saw a lot of potential there.”
Creating Impact During an Internship
Thom carried out his analyses in the market and engaged directly with customers. His research produced valuable insights that Bolidt was able to act on immediately:
“I presented my findings back to the company. They were very pleased with my approach: I stood by my ideas and managed to realize them.”
Based on his recommendations, Thom proposed creating a new role within the company.
“I worked out exactly what this role should look like, which tasks it would include, and what it would bring to the company. Four weeks later, they asked me if I wanted to take on the role myself.”
This shows how interns can truly make an impact and create opportunities.
The Value of an Internship
According to Thom, internships are incredibly valuable for students:
“We’re all still young, and this is the last step before entering the real business world. Internships give us the space to learn and excel within a company. It’s amazing as a student to be given a platform to actually achieve something that influences the company.”
He also emphasizes the value for companies:
“As an intern, you have ten weeks to fully dedicate yourself to research. Employees often don’t have that time, even though the insights are directly applicable. It’s really rewarding to connect theory from your studies with practice and improve something in the company.”
Internships work best when students are given the space to learn, make mistakes, and conduct their research with access to relevant data. Thom appreciated that he had this freedom at Bolidt:
“If you do good research based on what you’ve learned in school, I believe you can definitely add value to a company. I had a lot of freedom during my internship — I was allowed to present, adjust my work, and even make mistakes. That’s exactly how you learn. Next time, you’ll only do better.”
Every Internship is Different
Earlier in his studies, Thom also completed an internship in the Digital Marketing department at Allianz. There he broadened his knowledge and experienced what it’s like to work in the marketing team of a large company:
“That was a practical internship in my third year. I learned a lot about how to reach customers through online channels. Very different from a graduation internship, but definitely valuable.”
Thom points out that both graduation internships and practical internships are meaningful for students. With enough space and responsibilities, students can learn a lot from both. By deliberately choosing two very different internships, Thom discovered what suited him best:
“In my third year, I wanted to explore something that had interested me in class. For my graduation internship, I chose a direction that I see myself working in long term.”
A New Role
Thom is extremely proud of what he achieved at Bolidt:
“It’s really great that through my research I was able to create something, make an impact within the company, and now actually take on that role myself.”
Thom shows how an internship can create lasting impact while also serving as the first step into the professional world. His story highlights the importance of believing in your own research, being given the space to learn, and persevering in a field you are passionate about.