1 Year Lutze Inc, Charlotte NC, US
To the controversial statement of the industry these days that college graduates are supposed to be young but also experienced to get employed, my answer was a one year internship abroad. After finishing my Bachelors degree I was thrilled to do an internship at Lutze Inc in Charlotte NC, USA before beginning my Masters degree.
To the controversial statement of the industry these days that college graduates are supposed to be young but also experienced to get employed, my answer was a one year internship abroad. After finishing my Bachelors degree I was thrilled to do an internship at Lutze Inc in Charlotte NC, USA before beginning my Masters degree.
The company, as a member of the Luetze International Group, has about 30 employees what results in an almost family-like atmosphere where it was great to work. All co-workers were very kind, supportive and helped me gain a foothold in the new country. In a city where it is necessary to buy a car and find an apartment or a room for rent, this support made it easy for me to feel comfortable from the start.
As an Industrial Engineer graduate, I was happy to do the internship in the Product Management Department of the company under the direct supervision of the Product Manager. The internship was divided in two parts. During the first part I got to know the different departments of the company and learned how the internal processes work. The second part consisted of getting actual hands on experience in the Product Management Department. The tasks and projects were directly delegated by the Product Manager which gave me an exceptional insight of the work in the Product Management of a global operating industrial company.
Besides the great professional experience I gained during my one year tenure, there were also phenomenal personal experiences I had. Due to the kind and open minded personalities of the people in the United States, I found friends very quickly. Because of this I was able to spend major holidays like Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas with different families who made very easy for me not to feel morose about not being with my family in Germany during those special times of the year. The grand finale was a 10 day vacation to Curacao with my friends at the end of the year.
During the last month, after the internship itself ends, it is possible to travel because the VISA holds a 30 day period until it expires. Throughout that time I had the chance to travel with my friends and see more of the beautiful country sides and astonishing cities which the U.S. is famous for.
All in all my year in the USA was professionally as well as personally an exceptional experience. I learned a lot about the way a modern business operates which will be very helpful for my first job after I finish my Masters degree and I found new friends in a foreign country with who I am still in contact with. I am very happy about my decision to do this internship which in retrospect could not have gone better for me and I want to thank everyone at Lutze Inc for the kindness and the great support during my year in Charlotte.
Best wishes, Lars Hellmich