How Three Months at Schrader Defined My Career

Sooner or later, everyone studying business should decide how and where they want to gain practical experience and which career path to take. Three months ago, I was exactly at that stage of my life, where I needed to make this decision. It was very important for me to get real work experience that would help me find my career path. 

I started my internship search in January and was lucky to get a number of opportunities to join different companies, all operating in various industries: starting from general consulting to automotive business. I must say that all companies were fantastic, but I was looking for something more... that “something more” for me appeared to be THE TEAM- the people that I am working with daily. I was really overwhelmed by the team spirit and attitude I experienced during the interview at Schrader. So, it did not take me long to understand where I wanted to end my internship search!

I remember it was 10 o’clock in the morning when I received the phone call with an internship offer with Schrader. I was so excited and wanted to start immediately. Now, looking back 3 months ago, no doubt I would have chosen this company over and over again! I feel extremely lucky to be part of this amazing team and to have this opportunity to learn and work with the Schrader European sales team.

From the very beginning, I was given various exciting projects and assignments that helped me to better understand, myself and the business. Through these projects, I have learned my strengths and more importantly, they helped me understand my weaknesses. For example, I have never worked with online vendor platforms, but here at Schrader, I was given this unique opportunity to learn about these platforms and get experience in online sales.

One of the most thrilling projects that I have had so far was searching for potential new business opportunities’ in the Middle East and Africa. This project made me realize my career path, I want to pursue a career in sales! I really enjoyed communicating with people from different cultures.

I remember in the beginning I was scared because of lack of knowledge in the Automotive Aftermarket, but thanks to my amazing colleagues I quickly became more confident. Since I joined Schrader, I have not only learned about this industry and our business, but I have also gained many skills that would be useful for future day-to-day life. The team, here at Schrader has both challenged me to be better and has made a lasting impact on me personally. It is exactly the experience that I was looking for and has also revealed the right career path for me. I am looking forward to continuing my internship and taking full advantage of the time, I have with this team.