Doing an Internship at Wittenborg: Students Share their Perspectives

18.10.2023

An Opportunity for Career Development and Personal Growth

Internships can be great ways to develop new skills, as well as invest in one’s network and career development. Wittenborg offers multiple internship possibilities for its students in different departments, and one of the most dynamic and hands-on roles available is the Support Office Assistant position.

HBA student Upinder Kaur, specialising in Tourism Management, started her internship as Support Office Assistant in March. She highlights that she decided to apply for this position because it would give her the chance to develop her soft skills and learn more about management. Additionally, it is an opportunity to get to know fellow students and lecturers better.

“Since I am studying tourism, and I consider myself to be an introvert, this position has helped me to get out of my comfort zone as I am required to interact with a lot of students, lecturers and stakeholders. This internship has helped me build on various skills, such as active listening, quick decision making, effective management, team building and honest and clear communication. I also acquired other competencies like working with data management, taking care of inventories and stocks, managing events and knowledge about ICT.”

The student adds that her favourite aspect of the internship is the fact that she gets to interact with a diverse set of students and lecturers, which has helped her expand her perspectives, considering that Wittenborg is the most international school in the Netherlands.

In her view, the biggest challenge regarding this position is to quickly and efficiently solve the queries by students, since they are the school’s primary stakeholders.

“It is essential to understand the query, identify the root cause and then offer the best possible solution. I have constantly sought help from my colleagues, managers and supervisors in order to overcome this challenge, and I have also become an active listener. This is really beneficial for my career because working in the tourism industry requires constant and smooth interaction with other people. I have also been able to learn a lot about event and hospitality management from a practical perspective, which is crucial for my professional development.”

Upinder stresses that all students should take the opportunity to work as interns, even if it is not required of them to do so, because internships provide the opportunity to learn and grow immensely.

“There have been times when I made mistakes working as an intern, but it has actually been a learning experience as I have become aware of my errors and worked on improving myself. Additionally, internships can be challenging at times, but at the same time they help students learn more about their weaknesses and strengths. This can really help you understand what kind of career path you should choose in due time.”

Upinder’s perspective is shared by Maheen Chaudry, pursuing an IBA degree in Logistics and International Trade. Maheen, who has been working as Support Office Assistant since February, highlights that this internship is a great opportunity for enhancing one’s network.

“It enables you to build essential relationships with staff members, fostering a network that can be instrumental in your future career. On top of that, this particular internship offers a firsthand view of how support processes and procedures are implemented within the university. This practical exposure expands the students’ comprehension of the people and departments involved, making them more effective in addressing the needs of diverse stakeholders.”

The IBA student adds that one of the most important skills she has developed in this role is conflict resolution. “Dealing with student concerns sometimes involves addressing conflicts or disagreements. I've developed conflict-resolution skills that enable me to handle such situations diplomatically and find mutually beneficial solutions,” she concludes.

Open Vacancies

Currently, there are several internship vacancies open at Wittenborg, in various departments. All current internship opportunities are announced through email by Wittenborg's Human Resources team and can be found on WittenborgConnect.