Maarten Bosch, student International Business Management, is doing his internship at Artex, a part of the multinational organisation Hunter Douglas. Maarten: “Artex operates in the textile industry. I get a chance to work in several departments and learn a ton about the world of international business.”
Maarten’s key task is to offer operational support during Artex’s efforts to break into a virtually untapped market: Germany. Maarten: “I looked into the number of competitors in the textile sector, who these competitors are and to what extent they can compete with Artex. I also drew up planning overviews, arranged a variety of matters and called German organisations to gain additional information. I also attend meetings in which the project’s progress is evaluated.”
Increasing the market share
Maarten: “It is great to work on an international project and contribute to the increase of Artex’s market share on the German market. I have a ton of international contacts and think along about how to tackle certain issues. I learn how to set up a project of this magnitude and what is involved. I have also learned to plan and to work with CRM and ERP systems, which will definitely come in handy in my future career. The atmosphere is great here. I feel that I am being taken seriously and I can really see the progress that we are making.”
Getting started quickly during the internship because of a practical project
During his internship, Maarten benefits most from the Project Management and Business Correspondence courses. Maarten: “During the Project Management course, I had to develop a virtual project. That helped me to get started quickly during my internship. I also learned a lot about written communication, which came in handy during my internship because I have to maintain extensive communication with many different people.”
Choosing your own internship
Maarten: “I have a personal study coach with whom I meet almost every week to discuss the internship. We also received a lot of information about the requirements of the internships and the various options available to us. I loved the fact that I was completely free to decide where to do my internship. We also attended the Tio Career Event. During that event, businesses presented themselves so we could determine what we do and do not like.”
Tio after a pre-university education: theory and practice
Maarten: “I was looking for a bachelor programme that combines theory and practice. I completed pre-university education, but I struggled to find a scientific programme that appealed to me. When I attended one of Tio’s open days, I was sold right away! Tio offers a great atmosphere, small classes, an excellent education and the practical element that was missing from scientific programmes.”
Follow Maarten on LinkedIn.