Finding a good internship is not always easy. A choice you make as a student without really knowing what you are getting yourself into. A choice that is nevertheless important to get a better idea of what you want to do thanks to your first work experience. In this interview Sandro Capasso and a few students are asked to share their experiences.
BME: “Hey Sandro, what do you think is so important about internships?”
“An important aspect of an internship is that you can combine the theory you learn at school with practice. This gives you an accurate picture of the business world and also brings up personal questions that are important for your future. In this way you will find out which company you want to work for, in which sector you want to develop your qualities and whether it is useful to do an additional study.”
BME: “Why do you think BME is a good company to do an internship?”
“Here you work in an environment with many different cultures and age differences. We also have an open corporate culture where transparency, respect and involvement are central. You will also come into contact with international clients, something that can only be beneficial to your self-development. The student’s freedom is also very important to us. This way, they learn for example how to work independently. This with the right guidance of course.”
BME: “Do you sometimes learn from the students?”
“For sure! In the past internships I learned a few techniques about process improvements in the warehouse. We also implemented these together with the students. It is therefore nice to see that these collaborations lead to effective improvements in our daily operations.“
BME: “Do you communicate a lot with the students?”
“This depends on the type of internship and the student. Some need more guidance than others. For example, an operational internship needs more interaction than an administrative internship. I do think it is important that in general there is a good communication between the student and me. This allows me to get a better idea of the sense of responsibility, which is more important to me than the specific knowledge. Of course, a good basic knowledge is a starting point.”
BME: “Finally Sandro, what is something you really want to teach your interns?”
“First of all, I think creating a sense of responsibility is really important. If you take responsibility, it leads to initiative. And if you combine both later in your career, you will make mistakes, but the positive will always prevail, because every company is looking for people with a different view of things. In the end, an internship is only successful for me when the student at the end of his/her project is stimulated to go to the next project.”
Interested in an internship at BME or do you want more information?
Some quotes from ex-students:
“At BME I am given responsibility and am involved in the daily operations. In addition, I am also allowed to carry out my own ideas, something you are not allowed to do everywhere.”
Thomas Ernes, student Logistics Management at PXL University College
“I will always be grateful to BME for the experience I have had with them. On the warehouse level I have gained a lot of valuable knowledge that I will certainly be able to use in my professional career.”
Sonora Pinna, student Transport and Logistics at PXL University College
“Thanks to BME, I’ve dared to step outside my comfort zone. The many interviews I’ve been able to conduct and write have certainly helped me to become more assertive. The working atmosphere is so open that you immediately feel good in the company.”
Myrthe Bals, student Translator–Interpreter at PXL University College
