Internships at Deutsche Post World Net: Interview

Internship seekers will be happy to hear that an internship with leading logistic group Deutsche Post World Net promises to be a truly rewarding experience. Active in over 220 countries, Deutsche Post World Net is the 7th largest employer worldwide and employs around 500,000 people.

Managing Director of Human Resources Development, Walter Lindemann, gives us some insight into how the company develops and supports young talent through internship programs.

Can you tell us what role internships play for Deutsche Post World Net?

Internship programs are of high importance to Deutsche Post World Net. They provide us with an invaluable tool to find, identify and possibly recruit leadership talent and high performers. As a rapidly growing global enterprise, it is of significant value for us to interest top talents in Deutsche Post World Net. It is, further, vital for our business to find those talents that not only possess the necessary drive, entrepreneurial spirit and theoretical skills, but also provide the best cultural fit with the core values of Deutsche Post World Net. Through the MBA internship program, both our company, and the intern have a chance to see whether his or her core values in business are in alignment with our company culture. It is important to Deutsche Post World Net to secure tomorrow's executives today.

"It is important to Deutsche Post World Net to secure tomorrow's executives today."

What are the components of an internship program with Deutsche Post World Net?

Deutsche Post World Net offers internships to 150 students in 13 countries. 55 of these internships are MBA internship programs. We recruit our MBA interns in collaboration with the top 30 business schools worldwide. Our MBA internships set out to cover all aspects of business within the core segments of Deutsche Post World Net. The internship program has an average duration of 3 months and is tied to a specific project. All projects have clearly delineated descriptions, goals and expectations so that the intern's performance is measurable and constructive feedback can be given at the end of the internship. A typical project might deal with Strategic Planning in China and the intern will be expected to help create a revenue methodology for the market among other tasks. In the evaluation process we are able to identify the top performers who we generally seek to retain for our company after graduation.

What opportunities and challenges does your MBA internship program offer for both, Deutsche Post World Net and the intern?

We view our internship programs as an investment in the process of recruiting top talent for full time positions with Deutsche Post World Net. The benefits of the MBA internship program work both ways and create a true win/win situation. Our interns are typically culturally very diverse and bring fresh ideas and new perspectives to a project. Within their project teams our interns are encouraged to voice suggestions and offer critical thought. This interaction creates synergies that benefit not only the intern but also team managers and mentors alike. It is a distinct advantage that an intern is not embedded in political employment structures within a company. This allows for honest assessments and feedback and we promote such sincerity at Deutsche Post World Net. In return, we provide our interns with a uniquely challenging environment for their development and growth. Deutsch Post World Net is no longer a strictly German business but is the leading logistics company worldwide. Within its four core pillars (Mail Services, Express, Logistics and Finance), Deutsche Post World Net covers 650 companies worldwide and continues to be in the exciting process of integrating new company segments in a number of international markets, latest UK based Exel, leading in various Logistics segments and with a further 110,000 employees. This makes for very challenging projects and requires high performing teams. In addition, we offer excellent career prospects and the opportunity to stay in touch after the program has finished.

What are the characteristics of a good intern in your opinion?

"Young talent should live our goal to become "First Choice" for our customers."

We are living in a "culture of change" and after becoming the biggest global player in logistics, each employee is striving now for our goal "to be First Choice for our customers". In that sense, customer orientation becomes a core characteristic. Further characteristics of a good intern are his or her ability to adapt to the requirements of a project quickly and to adjust to the demands of a team effortlessly. We are looking for people with high capacity for flexibility and an open mind. It is essential for our interns to demonstrate entrepreneurial sprit and the necessary drive to deliver satisfactory results to customers as well as the company. We are looking for team players with strong problem solving skills and the readiness to take on responsibilities. Most importantly however, we aim to match our interns with our company's goals, core values and competencies. A cultural fit is important for good performance all around. Thus far on average 60% - 70% of our interns have provided a 100% fit with our company culture and expectations. While we aim to improve this ratio, we are certainly pleased with the results so far.

Can you tell us about your background and education?

I received my BA degree in Economics with a major in Accounting from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, China. I then went on to become an accountant with Andersen in Beijing. Most recently, I held the position of Senior Accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Beijing but then decided to further develop my skills and qualifications by doing an MBA. I am presently enrolled on the MBA Programme at Manchester Business School.

Which internship project are you working on at Inhouse Consulting, Deutsche Post World Net?

I am working on a project, which focuses on a worldwide organizational measure in the Finance arena. Although I joined the inhouse consulting team that works on that project only one month ago, I am already integrated as a full team member rather than an intern. From my first day, I was given a high level of responsibility and the longer I work on the project, the higher the complexity of work and tasks I am given. The team encourages me to give my input. My ideas are always taken seriously and discussed and critiqued in a constructive manner.

What skills, experience and perspectives have you gained within the internship program so far?

The internship program allows me to put into practice what I learn in a classroom setting and gives me an opportunity to adapt theoretical models,which I can flexibly integrate into a real-life setting. Deutsche Post World Net is a highly diverse company, in its services, as well as culturally, and to be in such a dynamic environment has been a tremendous learning experience. Most concretely, I have learned how to approach analysis and problem solving in a highly structured way. Here at Inhouse Consulting, teams deal with the analysis of a situation in a very organized manner. This is different from the approach I am used to in a theoretical situation within the classroom. Within my team, I am given the tools necessary for solving a problem through structured analysis. Lastly, just by observing our project manager, I have learned a great deal about how to manage a project effectively and efficiently within an intercultural context. This includes making plans every week to set realistic and achievable goals for everyone within the team.

What do you enjoy most about working with Inhouse Consulting, Deutsche Post World Net?

There are so many things I like about working here, but I think what I enjoy the most are the people I work with. Every team member is very smart, hard working, open minded and creative. There is not a problem they cannot solve. The company practices an "open door policy" which means that I can ask anyone for help or answers at any time. And the cultural diversity within Deutsche Post World Net is a great bonus. Cultural differences are not an obstacle to working together here but actually facilitate more creative solutions and approaches. English is the working language at Inhouse Consulting, and the consulting staff consists of several nationalities. Therefore, I have a sense of really working in an international environment and being integrated at all times.

Please apply at:    https://www.dp-dhl.com/en/career/students/join.html

Source: QS TopMBA Career Guide