Student internship

My name is Chãntal Beckmann and in January 2019 I completed a one-week school internship at the Fraunhofer Project Group IWKS for career Orientation. The focus of my internship was on marketing and communication. I chosed this project group because I think, the focus of the project group - "the sustainable use of resources" is important and exciting. In my opinion, it makes sense and it is very important to work in marketing here in order to disseminate to the outside world these innovative technologies, that scientists are developing here for more efficient resource use and resource conservation.

Marketing in itself means business management from the point of view of the market (Meffert). Through marketing and communication (PR) the perception of the company can be controlled internally and externally. The basic idea is the consistent alignment of the entire company to the needs of the market. The needs of (potential) customers are included in all company decisions. Accordingly, the department in a company is always associated with the analysis, planning, implementation and control of company activities.

The Marketing and Communication department works very conceptually and is responsible for the external presentation of the company. This is done in compliance with the Corporate Identity of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. A part of the marketing is the area PR. Here media contacts are maintained and the press is provided with information on the research work of the project group. The project group is also very active in the field of social media. The channels including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Linkedin and Xing. This maintenance has a particularly positive effect on the image and presence of the Project Group IWKS, but also on communication between the project group and its customers, partners and scientists.

Internal communication is also the responsibility of the marketings and communications staff. Special reference should be made to the intranet, where employees can find internal news and informations. The entire company works with a CRM system, which is used by all employees. It enables optimal maintenance of customer data.

Regular meetings are part of the everyday work. During my internship I was able to participate in meetings. The aim of the meetings is to bring all employees up to date. Here I was made particularly aware of data protection. This includes data protection in general, employee data protection and customer data protection.  

After just one day and a short introduction, I was given the opportunity to create my own text in the form of a report relatively independently. In order to get to know the different communication channels, the marketing management chosed the Intra- and Internet as the medium for the publication of my text. You are currently reading the result. I accompanied a photo shoot in the laboratories of the project group and edited the photos afterwards for further use. I liked the fact that my opinion was also taken into account when judging graphics and designs. Also in the production of presentations and videos I could bring in my ideas. This made me feel good.

At least I can say that the teamwork between me and the employees was characterized by trust, mutual help and support. I really enjoyed the internship. After this week, I can actually imagine working in marketing. It is particularly important to me that I stand behind the topic that I want to market. As I did here during my internship. Working for the conservation of the earth's resources gave me the feeling of doing something meaningful.

Thank you for this great opportunity.