Hello! I am Jana, 16 years old, and currently attending the Voelkerschule Osnabrueck, where I’m studying towards my advanced secondary school qualification with a focus on Business and Administration. In August 2024, I began my year-long internship at cunova GmbH in the administrative area of the company. Here, I’d like to share what I learned, the challenges I faced, and the experiences that left a lasting impression.

How I found my way to cunova

With my school focus on business and administration, I started thinking about doing my internship at a company that combines business processes with an international aspect. During my search, cunova GmbH caught my attention – an industrial company that works with copper and operates across global markets. I was also strongly influenced by the positive experiences shared by some of my relatives, who already work at cunova and had lots of good things to say.

My day-to-day work: A look behind the scenes

Right at the beginning of my internship, I went on an introductory trip to Melle together with apprentices from KME Germany and cunova. In small groups, we learned more about the company through workshops, presentations and team activities. I especially enjoyed the apprentice rally – it was a great way to connect with others from the beginning.

In my first week, I took part in a basic metalworking course with the apprentices. After a safety briefing, we worked on copper sheets – stamping patterns, marking, filing, sawing, and using drawing and drilling machines. It was great to work with the material ourselves and get a feel for what the company does.

After that, I joined the logistics department. A site tour helped me understand the processes better. I particularly enjoyed learning about exports to non-EU countries. I supported preparing export documents and visited the warehouse of a large logistics company.

In HR, I was soon entrusted with independent tasks – such as updating payslips and managing time records. I was even allowed to attend a formal company-wide staff meeting, which was a completely new and exciting experience for me.

After three months, I moved to the purchasing department. While I was there, I took part in a rally organised by Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. cunova works closely with the university and has a presence on site. I’ll definitely remember that day - we had to solve tricky puzzles in different warehouse buildings, and I was really impressed by the special effects they used. I also learned how to create offers and process invoices.

My next stop was the finance department. One of my regular tasks there was booking travel expenses in our SAP system. I also sent out reports related to foreign trade – these are usually legally required or organisationally necessary notifications connected to cross-border trade in goods and services.

The next – and the last stop on my internship was the marketing department. On my very first day, I was asked to research promotional gifts and put together a short presentation. I quickly realised that marketing processes rely a lot on teamwork and careful planning. I really enjoyed the close collaboration – I find it exciting to exchange ideas and work on creative projects together. I also discovered how varied marketing can be: from online marketing and social media to print materials, events and trade fairs. The team is also responsible for branding - making sure the company looks consistent - and campaign management, which includes planning, running and evaluating different marketing activities. I found this mix of practical work and creativity very interesting.

Overcoming challenges – and growing from them

Starting work life was definitely a big change for me: new routines, new expectations – at first, it all felt unfamiliar. Every department expected something different, which was sometimes a challenge, but also very exciting because I could learn so many different tasks.

Over time, I noticed that I became more confident. I settled in well and learned what was important in each area. Because every department was so different, I learned a lot and discovered what I enjoy most. I found this variety really valuable - and I don’t think many companies offer that in such a hands-on way.

Team spirit and support in everyday work

At cunova, respectful and open communication is important. Whenever I didn’t understand something or felt unsure, I could always ask - and my colleagues took the time to explain everything calmly and clearly.

Thanks to this support, I felt welcomed right from the start and became more confident in every department. This positive and supportive atmosphere made my everyday work not only more productive, but also a lot more enjoyable.

Looking back - and ahead

My year at cunova was a truly valuable experience – both professionally and personally. I had the opportunity to gain insights into various departments, which helped me identify my strengths and areas where I still want to improve. That will definitely help me on my future career path.

I can warmly recommend doing an internship - or even an apprenticeship - at cunova. Together with the KME apprenticeship team, cunova offers friendly and experienced trainers and a basic metalworking course that’s also really useful for commercial trainees. It gives you a much better understanding of the company and its products.

If you’re looking for an internship where you can learn a lot and try out different areas, have a look at the Young Talents section here on the website – or follow cunova on Instagram for more insights.