Hendrik Pietsch

"Working at Continental is exciting and educational"

What drew you to Continental?
Because I live close to Hanover, I can’t really say when I became aware of Continental for the first time. Because: Anyone from Hanover has heard of Continental.   

Why did you decide to do an internship at Continental?
I had already gained some professional experience at smaller companies. Even though I learned a lot in those smaller companies and I had a lot of fun, now I wanted to find out what it’s like to work at a large corporation like Continental. This experience will certainly be helpful for my personal development.

What are your daily duties?
Mainly, my work involves support tasks. I help my colleagues in the financial controlling department in their day-to-day work. Among that is working on preparing the daily report for the Executive Board. Coordinating information with my colleagues abroad is particularly interesting. I really enjoy the ability to gain the intercultural experience that goes along with this.

Why would you recommend that others do an internship with us?
Continental is one of the largest companies in Germany and that alone gives it the ability to offer a wide range of development opportunities. The great corporate environment and the way people treat each other with respect makes working there a pleasure. That’s also why Continental is my employer of choice after I complete my university studies.

Which duties in particular were fun for you during the internship?
I personally especially liked communicating with the employees at the companies abroad. It’s exciting to be able to communicate with people in Singapore, South Africa or South America and to recognize the differences in how they work and think. At Continental, you experience globalization on a personal level. It’s impressive just how well the global communication works.

What skills does people need to be able to work successfully at Continental?
What’s most important is to be open and willing to communicate. You shouldn’t be afraid of new tasks and you must approach these with an air of self-confidence. Other important character traits are reliability and a willingness to work hard.

What is your opinion on the career opportunities offered at Continental?
If you are dedicated to the task at hand and do your job well, the company offers a range of opportunities to climb the career ladder. 

How important is teamwork?
Especially in your career, teamwork is a must. In part, the work that needs to be done is so complex and demanding that you can hardly get it done on your own. Not only that, but working in a well-organized team is simply much more fun.

Had you already gained any experience abroad? How important is that kind of experience?
While studying at the university (economics study program), I spent one semester as an exchange student in Gent, Belgium. For me personally, I found this experience very helpful. Especially dealing with people in other cultures was very educational and interesting. I look forward to the opportunity to be able to enhance my experience abroad even further after the internship.

How do you balance your studies and work with leisure time and family?
Especially during the first few weeks, making the adjustment between being a student and having a full-time job is not that easy. Particularly the amount of time you need to spend for work is much higher. You really think twice before deciding on whether you really want to go out after hours.

How do you spend your time off?
I enjoy sports – I play soccer and tennis. Plus, I like to spend times with my friends.