Your experiences:
On the first day of my two-month internship in marketing at CNC I was given a very warm welcome by my boss and the marketing team, and I was also introduced to my other colleagues at the Munich office right away. My first impression immediately told me I had made the right choice to come to CNC.
The friendly and relaxed working atmosphere appealed to me from the outset and I felt very comfortable. I was integrated into the working day at CNC straight away, which meant that the period of familiarisation passed very quickly. After just a short time I was allowed to take sole responsibility for small projects such as compiling a portfolio of advertising materials. Because my internship was so diverse and marked by positive experiences, I was very pleased when I was offered the opportunity to continue working at CNC as a working student. I also enjoy this position very much, as this constitutes a practical component twice a week to compliment my degree, thus giving me an early opportunity to familiarise myself with the professional world that awaits me after I have completed my studies.
What were your tasks during your internship?
One of my first tasks was to update and expand CNC's portfolio of advertising materials. This primarily involved researching new, stylish and high-quality advertising materials and requesting offers from relevant suppliers. In addition, I was responsible for ordering and organising printed materials, which always required a thorough consultation with external service providers regarding layouts and printing specifications.
One of the key tasks for CNC's marketing department in 2009 was the relaunch of the CNC website. This was another project I was able to contribute to. In this case my focus was on a comprehensive redesign of the visual elements and managing the translation of texts for the website. The redesign of our CNC website was an exciting and interesting project, as I was able to follow each step from the selection of a web design agency right through to the final construction of the site, thus gaining unique insights into the field of web presence.
Another comprehensive task, and one that was completely new to me, was modernising our CRM (customer relationship management) system. The first part of this process was to update and maintain our customer data. Subsequently, in the second half of the year, we introduced a new system. In addition, the marketing department is responsible for all internal and external events such as office openings, customer events and employee conferences, which always involve a relatively large amount of organisation and diverse tasks. In this context, I learned a great deal in the field of event management.
Which tasks did you enjoy most during your internship?
This is a difficult question, as every task had a certain appeal of its own and was therefore very enjoyable.
I enjoyed the diversity of my tasks above all. On the one hand I was able to look after the “daily business” and carry out operational tasks, and on the other hand I could lend my support to our larger projects such as the CNC website relaunch and the introduction of the new CRM system. These projects were particularly appealing as we put in a great deal of work and effort as a team in order to complete a project on time, and this was subsequently acknowledged through the positive feedback from our colleagues.
I also enjoyed helping to organise events. This was a source of many new and insightful experiences for me, as I had not got to know the field of event management in my previous internships.
In your view, what distinguishes CNC from other management/communications consultancy firms?
In my opinion, CNC stands out from other consultancy firms through three essential factors:
CNC has an unrivalled network of contacts in the spheres of business and politics, and this allows it to employ the methods it has developed directly at the top management level of the client company. I believe that the expertise of the consultants and partners and their efficient approach to consulting is central to the international success of CNC.
Another distinguishing factor is the communication structure of the company, by which I mean the efficient and almost hierarchy-free communication and working method at CNC. I have noticed this in particular because I previously completed an internship at a large company and I was used to complicated and hierarchical structures which often stand in the way of a flexible and efficient way of working.
The “relaxed” but nevertheless very professional way of working and communication structure at CNC appeals to me a great deal and, in my view, allows the firm to concentrate on its core competencies as a result.
Another success factor is the personal element at CNC, as attention is always paid to relationships between colleagues and employee motivation, which leads to a unique working atmosphere.
What have you learned during your internship, and what experiences have you found particularly valuable/useful?
A huge amount!
Since I am working in marketing, the biggest benefit for me has been to add to my experience in this field and put the theory I have learned at university into practice, even though the textbook theory does not always match the real-life situation exactly.
I am getting to know all kinds of different processes as well as regular professional life even before I have completed my degree, and this is giving me a good overview of which area I would like to work in in the future.
I previously completed an internship at a major bank, and I find it extremely interesting and exciting to see the many differences between a medium-sized, international firm and a large company.
I have become familiar with new processes, in particular through the development of the new website and my various experiences with our new CRM system, and this has allowed me to deepen my previous understanding and build up some completely new knowledge.
