Meet Benjamin, The Blind Applying Champion Of Deutsche Telekom

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Benjamin is finishing his Master’s in Business Administration at the University of Mannheim. His adventure in Product & Innovation at Deutsche Telekom will take him through Bonn and San Francisco! He will be sharing his stories through the blog.

Were you surprised to find out that your internship with Deutsche Telekom would take you to San Francisco?
Yes, I was surprised and very excited, as I have always wanted to experience Silicon Valley. It is a unique environment with a very special forward-thinking culture. Not only is Silicon Valley home to some of the most influential companies, but it is also one of the world’s most innovative hotspots with a plethora of promising start-ups. I am looking forward to experiencing this start-up culture first-hand. Being able to spend three months in the Bay Area and work at Deutsche Telekom’s scouting office is an amazing opportunity.

You have actually founded your own company in the past. What would you recommend to others who want to do the same?
My advice for anyone with entrepreneurial aspirations is to not overthink it and just start doing it. Find something you are passionate about or a problem that you want to solve. I recommend starting with projects, which do not require a lot of financial investment (e.g. e-commerce), and not to shy away from taking small risks at first. It could also be a good idea to ask like-minded friends to join in to share both the workload and the financial involvement. The earlier you start the more experience you will gain, which will be an invaluable asset for your future.

What will you be doing on your first weekend in San Francisco?
On my first weekend in San Francisco I will do some sightseeing: Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf, Chrissy Field, Golden Gate Park and Baker Beach are places among others that I want to visit!

Meet Laura, the Blind Applying champion of Coca-Cola!

Laura will soon be sharing insights from Berlin, as she works in Sales and Marketing.

Have you wished to work for Coca-Cola before?

Coca-Cola is the number one brand worldwide in terms of brand image and marketing. Hence, Coca-Cola was taken as a showpiece example in nearly all of the courses at my university.
Moreover, the wife of my father was working for the Coca-Cola company for several years before they moved to Berlin and loved its culture and working atmosphere. Whenever she came home from work she excitedly told me about her challenging and great workday. As a result, ever since then, I have been highly interested in the company as a potential future employer. Therefore, I am even more excited that I was allocated to the CCE AG through Blind Applying.

Is there something you will miss about studying in Madrid?

I will definitely miss the welcoming and supportive staff of the campus of the ESCP Europe that was like a family to all of us students. Moreover, I will miss speaking Spanish… I am still dreaming in Spanish and every now and then I am tempted to answer in Spanish while talking in my native language, German. Additionally I will miss the friends I made in Madrid and of course the city itself, which is a metropolitan city where you feel like home immediately. Full of friendly, open-minded people and with a diverse portfolio of activities, from museum visits, to bars and restaurants to an outstanding nightlife.

Most favourite book or movie?

My favorite book is „The Kite Runner“ by Khaled Hosseini. It uniquely illustrates the fall of the monarchy of Afghanistan through the Soviet military intervention and the rise of the Taliban regime. The book took me on a journey to the fascinating but cruel life of a young boy and his best friend during this time. It opened my eyes to see what kind of privileged life we are living, that we should appreciate every day in our lives and try to give back to those who are facing a much harder existence and struggling with life.

Meet Julia, the Blind Applying champion of Munich Ref

“You can do whatever you want to do with enough comprehension, endurance and friendliness.”

Julia is using her engineering knowledge to analyse risks in the area of renewable energies.

Given your engineering background, have you ever thought of working in insurance?

No, I never thought of working in the Insurance business. I had some points of contact within this business because of the project work I do. But I was very surprised when I got the invite from Munich Re.

You have been for a semester abroad in China. What has been your most interesting learning from that experience?

That you can do whatever you want to do and you can go wherever you want to go, with enough comprehension, endurance and friendliness.

Favourite book or movie?

My favorite book at the moment is a germen ones. It is “Sowas von da” written by Tino Hanekamp, who is the owner of one of my favorite clubs in Hamburg. I moved to Munich a few days ago and I am missing Hamburg a lot. So it feels a little bit like home when I am reading it.

Meet Erran, the Blind Applying champion of Stora Enso

“Teamwork is about respect not only to your team members, but also to yourself”. Erran will soon be traveling to Shanghai to do her internship in Sales.

What is, in your opinion, the most exciting aspect about working at Stora Enso?

Working in a team to achieve a common target and to succeed in a project has always appealed to me. Plus, since there’s a growing interest in a company’s sustainability efforts and Stora Enso puts a lot of emphasis on that, I would like to see how it works from an employee’s point of view.

Coming from China, you’ve been studying in Paris for 2 years. What have you learned from your experience?

For me, it has been more about an attitude towards life than what I have learned in school during the over-board time. When facing difficulties，instead of being pessimistic which will take you nowhere, it is more helpful to encourage yourself to do something to change the situation step by step. Another important lesson is a new understanding of teamwork. I used to believe that teamwork is just about cooperating. In fact, it’s about showing respect not only to your team members but also to yourself. Every good idea should be taken into consideration if a project is to succeed. Always being cooperative and compromising can sometimes be fatal to a team.

Which book/movie will you take with you?

Game of Thrones!

Meet Yoshiki, the Blind Applying champion of Merck

Yoshiki has been studying Chemistry and Management and is now getting ready for his internship in Inhouse Consulting in Darmstadt, Germany.

Which prospect of working at Merck seems the most exciting to you?

I am excited to get an insight of how Merck is developing drugs to fight diseases such as cancer, MS, etc.

You’ve been in a professional swimming club for 10 years. What is your most valuable learning from this activity?

I learned how to deal with failures and how to improve myself constantly for becoming a better swimmer.

Which book/ movie will you take with you?

“Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman.

Meet Jennifer, the Blind Applying champion of Enterprise

Jennifer has studied and worked in Washington, D.C. and is now getting ready for her internship on HR Brand Development in London.‪

How excited are you to be starting an internship at Enterprise?

I’m beyond excited. It still hasn’t really sunk in that I am this year’s “Blind Applying Champion” for Enterprise. On a scale from 1 - 10, I would pick an 11 if it was possible. I love the company’s values and culture and can’t wait for this new adventure, challenge and growth experience. Really looking forward to meeting the team in London.

What’s the first thing you wanna try in London?

Foodwise, I have never had fish and chips, so that is on my list. Along with my all time favorite chicken restaurant Nando’s. And I would like to go on the London Eye.

Most inspiring British artist?

I don’t usually categorize people by nationalities, so the only British artist I could think of off the top of my head is the make up artist Jennie Jenkins (beautybyjj). I can be a bit of a girly girl, so she has definitely taught me a thing or two about make up on Youtube.

Meet Gonçalo, the Blind Applying champion of ABB!

Gonçalo has studied in Lisbon and Karlsruhe. He is starting his internship just today at Kraków.

How excited are you to be starting an internship at ABB?

I am thrilled by the opportunity to have this first experience with ABB, a company that I very often heard about while studying. I am curious to see the innovation in R&D from the inside, and I am also looking forward to meeting great people during this internship. Can’t wait to start!

Which sight in Krakow are you looking forward to visiting the most?

I don’t have a particular “must-go” place. Krakow seems super interesting, as well as the whole region. I definitely see some opportunities for cultural and hiking escapes around!

In your opinion, which is the coolest innovation in technology in the last 5 years?

Even though these have been around for more than a century, I must say electric cars. Not only there have been promising developments the past few years, but also the future possibilities seem to be endless. Self-driving cars anyone?