Emely Romeike is completing her apprenticeship as an industrial clerk at the Bilfinger site in Flensburg, Germany. She will now be able to conclude her apprenticeship with an absolute highlight: An international work assignment in the USA. In this people story, she explains how the assignment came about, what in particular she likes about her job and what she appreciates about Bilfinger as an employer.

The diversity of a commercial apprenticeship

“I really like finding ways to structure processes. I enjoy planning and am fascinated by business processes and they are connected to each other”, says Emely, explaining why she decided to do an apprenticeship as an industrial clerk. She started her apprenticeship in August 2022 after successfully completing her A-levels. After about two years, she already has her final exam in sight. Thanks to her excellent performance, she can shorten the duration of the apprenticeship by a few months.

The advantages of a commercial apprenticeship are clear: “I have worked in a number of different departments over the course of my apprenticeship, which has given me a deep insight into the company. It has allowed me to understand the interfaces and connections between different parts of the company”. During her apprenticeship, Emely had the opportunity to follow a customer project from start to finish in different departments.

To give her job a more international focus, she decided to take an additional qualification in European Business Administration, which she is doing parallel to her apprenticeship. The focus is on international relations and developing foreign markets. “The additional qualification lasts two years and involves, among other things, attending courses and lessons once a week after school. The topics are very interesting and, in my opinion, very relevant for the future. I am grateful to Bilfinger for supporting me in this training.

Apprenticeship goes international: International work assignment in Houston

Another key component of the additional qualification: An international work assignment of at least 15 days. Emely knew immediately where she wanted to go: “Most of my fellow students from the vocational school are doing their international assignment in Denmark or the Netherlands, but I really wanted to go to the USA. Because Bilfinger has a location in Houston, I couldn't be happier to have been given the opportunity to work in such an exciting place.”

During her time abroad, Emely will get to see various departments, with a focus on human resources management and marketing. But she’s also looking forward to getting to know the local culture and people: “I was given a really warm welcome here. All my colleagues take a lot of time for me and explain a lot to me. I even went to a baseball game with some of them!”

When asked what she would recommend to apprentices who are just starting out on their apprenticeships, Emely has a clear answer: “Identify your strengths as early as possible in your apprenticeship. Be committed and proactive in making suggestions. And most importantly: take advantage of opportunities that are important to you. In my experience, Bilfinger will always help you to turn these opportunities into reality.”

Status: August 2024