Six months in Chemnitz, all alone in a new city and right in the middle of it all my internship at SprachUnion. What was initially a leap into the unknown quickly became one of the most intensive, instructive and heartfelt experiences of my career so far.
Learn what language means at work
At SprachUnion, I have gained comprehensive insight into the world of professional language services far beyond what is known from textbooks. I worked with modern tools such as “Trados Studio” and “Projetex” and learned how important a structured workflow and precise terminology work are in translation. A particular focus for me was on the final check, during which I checked the quality and coherence of translations, a task that requires a great deal of accuracy and a good sense of language.
Despite language challenges — German is not my native language — I communicated independently with customers, answered emails, organized processes and was able to be more and more secure over time. The fact that I reached my B2 level during this phase — without a preparatory language course — was a personal milestone for me. I was also able to learn a lot from an organizational point of view: I gained insights into pricing, calculated offers, assisted with accounting and understood how economic thinking works in the everyday life of a language service provider.
More than work: team spirit and diversity
The working atmosphere was particularly valuable: Although I was new and alone in the city as an intern, I was immediately integrated into the team, and at some point it didn't feel like “just an internship” anymore, but a place where I really belong.
But what made this internship even more special was the many small moments in between, especially the lunch breaks. The discussions with my colleagues about my culture, traditions and personal experiences were particularly exciting. This open, curious exchange on equal terms impressed me and showed me how valuable cultural diversity can be in the workplace.
My little detour via Aldi
And yes there was Aldi. Since my internship began during Ramadan and I couldn't spend the lunch breaks eating, I developed a certain routine: I strolled through Aldi's shelves to pass the time. At some point, I was there so often that the question in the office was whether I would not do a second internship on the side. But my actual place of learning was — fortunately — SprachUnion: a place where I not only grew professionally, but also developed as a person.
Conclusion: Growing professionally and personally
What remains? Lots of good memories, new skills, great people and a small sentence that I will probably miss to say more often:
So far, so good.
Thank you SprachUnion!
This article was originally published on the SprachUnion website published.
%20J.%20Schr%C3%B6der.jpg)
