Like a City
How does it feel to start as an intern at the DHL hub in Leipzig? Jona reports about her impressions of first week.
Hey, I'm Jona and pretty new here at the DHL Hub in Leipzig. When I received my acceptance letter for the internship in Communication, my excitement definitely rose. I already had an idea that I was in for an exciting time, after all DHL is one of the world's largest internationally active companies. What I didn't except was that I would be immersed in a completely new world, or let's say new city. A city with 7,000 inhabitants.
This comparison came to mind on my very first day. That's when my participation in a Town Hall was on the agenda. You wonder what a Town Hall is? It was the same for me. My Google search revealed that it must be some sort of citizen´s meeting. I still had no idea how that fit in with DHL and just let myself be surprised. I was actually surprised when I saw that the Hub has its own event area with a stage and event technology, appropriately named Marketplace. During the Town Hall the management informed about the most important topics. The whole thing was broadcasted live for those who could not be there on site. Both online and live, questions could be put to the executives. There was also food, of course. So the atmosphere was really like going to a citizen´s meeting.
That was pretty impressive, even if I quickly realized that I urgently need to learn some "vocabulary". What does Coy, LACS, PSA or Performance Dialog mean? Where is Bridge 2 located? My colleagues speak their own DHL language. And I was determined to learn it.
I was able to put my newly acquired "language skills" to use just a few days later. I supported my team at the Health and Safety Week. It was a great opportunity to get to know even more colleagues, to talk to them and, of course, to gain practical experience of event organization.
To get an idea of the processes here at the Hub, I even took part in a hub tour. For once, I was even allowed to take a look inside the cockpit. It was a great experience that I won't forget in a hurry. Another unforgettable experience for me was the precision and motivation with which work is done here night after night. And again I had the comparison with a city in my mind. So many different people, but everyone understands their role, makes their contribution and acts according to the same values.
A city where I have been very warmly welcomed and where I am happy to stay. - Jona Angermann