Image courtesy of Vanessa Roettger
Vanessa from Germany is currently doing a six month trainee program with Nautilus Labs, Inc. in New York. Her background is in Marketing and her training plan focuses on Digital Marketing and Branding. Read below to hear about her experience training with this young company and how she is making the most of her time in the United States!
How did Vanessa find her Host Employer?
I went on vacation to the US. A friend of mine had invested in a startup, that’s how I came in touch with my host employer. I was interested in gaining more intercultural and international working experience. At the same time I was very interested in the startup scene which varies from the German work culture. It took several weeks from the first touchpoint with my host employer to a contract to start the career training. Since I got in touch via a friend of mine, I didn’t use any research tools.
A Day in the Life of an InterExchange Trainee
Every day starts with going through my emails and scheduling my tasks. I check our social media appearances and see, if there are any updates or potential content that could be interesting for our audience. Based on my findings, I sit down together with my supervisor and co-workers to discuss potential opportunities. Furthermore, I track and monitor our digital performances like website traffic and social media. I set up email marketing campaigns for our clients to inform about the latest product feature updates. We just implemented another system for marketing automation purposes, where I create new templates we could use for different purposes.
Valuable Experience that will Help your Career Move Forward
I was part of implementing a new tool that manages inbound marketing from the first day on. It was great to see all the different steps we have to take to finally get to the point to implement this tool. I was also involved in the technical and creative integrations and executions. Furthermore, I gained more experiences in working with another CMS for our website. It’s great to see how my English skills get better every day.
This is what CULTURAL EXCHANGE is all About!
I was very happy to celebrate my first Thanksgiving in the US. It’s great to see how different holidays are celebrated in the US and in Germany. I enjoyed being here before Christmas. I told my friends how we get ready for Christmas, e.g. going on a so called “Christmas market”. We actually went to an American version and I was proud to tell my friends how it varies from the ones I used to go to in my home country. Furthermore, I was very happy to watch the Super Bowl in the US. This event becomes more and more popular in Germany, too, but the dynamic I felt in the US was awesome. In addition, I love going to concerts, sports events or museums to learn more about the American culture. I am happy to share the German culture with my friends when it comes to sports, sharing recipes, or going to German restaurants together.
Speaking of Culture….
I really enjoy the work culture at my host employer. We are working and growing as a team. Working at a startup offers so many possibilities and chances. It is great to see the extreme growth of the company and the product we are building. The team has integrated me quickly and I feel as an essential part of it especially since I was able to be a part of implementing new marketing tools since I have arrived.
A Little Advice to Anyone Thinking of Participating in a Training Program Abroad
Leaving the home country for a specific time is a great experience and still needs some courage. To feel safe and secure, it is important to have a sponsor you can trust and it is easy and fun to work with. I am happy that I have chosen InterExchange as my sponsor. I’ve never felt alone and know I can always contact someone when having difficulties. Economics are global. Globalization and digitalization is a massive part of today’s economics and it’s more important now than ever to have intercultural and international experience to differentiate on the job market, especially in the current economical situation where you not always need a Master’s degree.
