Hello Alina, where do people meet you in your spare time?

Since I live in Pegnitz, probably not in the region around Helmbrechts. I have a great passion for horses and riding. That's why you can often meet me on Saturdays at my horse, with which I like to ride out in the afternoon.

You are currently in your apprenticeship as a euro-industrial clerk. Why did you choose this training?

After graduating from school, I completed an training as a foreign language correspondent because I have a great interest in foreign languages. With the apprenticeship as Euro-Industrial Clerk I found a good connection between economic processes and foreign languages. For me, this is an interesting and promising training profession that will provide me with a good basis for my professional career.

We had already learned a lot about industrial clerks from Lena in the interview. What is the difference between industrial clerks and Euro industrial clerks?

Basically, the business part of the training is identical. The difference lies in the additional foreign languages: Euro industrial clerks have additional, in-depth English classes and another second foreign language in vocational school classes.

I chose Spanish as my second foreign language because I'm already certified to a higher level of French through my training as a foreign language correspondent than is taught in the apprenticeship. The additional foreign languages naturally mean a bit more learning during the year and also more final exams at the end of the training.

Interview with Lena: Apprenticeship Industrial Clerk

What kind of career can Euro industrial clerks expect after the apprenticeship?

As an industrial clerk, I can basically work in any commercial field. The addition of the word "Euro" to my training already indicates that I have a particular interest in foreign languages and communication.

That's why I would like to be employed in an area of the company where I can put this into practice. Of course, nowadays you can't get around English in areas like logistics.

However, I think that Euro-industrial clerks are best suited to areas with an above-average level of international communication. This usually takes place around the supply chain, i.e. the entire supply chain, or in direct customer contact.

Tell us about your in-company training

I work a normal 40-hour week at RAUMEDIC. Wait - strictly speaking, it's 40 hours and 40 minutes, since I'm already over 18 years. That is a special feature at RAUMEDIC. In return, you get four additional vacation days per year. I think that's a good deal, and I love those extra vacation.

We work flexible working hours, which is very important to me because I live in Pegnitz. That way I can be a little more relaxed if I ever have to deal with traffic or the weather.

In the company, I am now going through many departments to get a good understanding of the business contexts and different activities. The time I spend in the departments depends on how important they are for my training.

Tell us about the training at the vocational school

I have a total of 13 weeks of vocational school per year at Vocational School 2 in Bayreuth. Classes are always held for a complete week. The exact dates are set at the beginning of the training year. This means that the in-company training can also be planned to match.

The apprenticeship lasts a total of 2.5 years and ends with the written and oral final exams, which are divided into the IHK foreign language correspondent exam in English and the IHK industrial clerk exam. My subjects are for example: "Commercial Management and Control", "General Business Studies", English, "Foreign Trade" and "Business Processes".

What does a normal working week look like for you?

That's very hard to say, because I work in different departments from time to time. At the moment, for example, I'm in the Marketing & Communications department. My tasks here are very project-related, as there is little classic day-to-day business that can be taken on by apprentices.

I simply support the team here wherever I can. There are also always enough tasks to do. I help with the preparation of large trade fairs and have already been allowed to take on two projects of my own.

For example, I came up with this apprentice interview series, with which we want to show interested people honestly and transparently what you can expect from the various apprenticeships. I organize and conduct the interviews, edit the texts and then also coordinate the publication on social media and on our website. I really enjoy the creative work here.

Has the training so far met your expectations?

Honestly - it's even better than I expected. I'm getting a lot of support from my trainer and also from all the supervisors I've had in the various departments so far. I feel really comfortable and am super satisfied on a personal level.

My tasks are very varied and I am also allowed to take on responsibility. Unfortunately, one hears from time to time that apprentices are treated like less worth in their companies and are only sent to make coffee and go shopping. Fortunately, that's not the case at RAUMEDIC at all. I'm given something to do, I'm given projects with responsibility, and I don't just have to do boring work.

Has there ever been a particularly funny or embarrassing situation for you?

Oh yes... When I had just started my apprenticeship, a nice colleague approached me at the coffee machine and asked me if I was a new apprentice, what my name was and how I liked it so far. We had a very nice chat and I finally asked him if he worked in the IT department - because that's where we were standing at. He smiled and told me that his name was Daniel Seibert and that he is the CFO of RAUMEDIC. I was mortified that I didn't recognize him. But he didn't think it was a bad thing and was very kind and laughed with me.

You have already gained some experience in. Give interested people a hint: What interests or talents should Euro industrial clerks have?

From my point of view, industrial clerks should have an interest in economic contexts and processes. No matter where we work in a company, the bottom line is that we have to do a good and accurate job so that the company can run smoothly and generate sales, from purchasing materials to shipping.

You should have a certain business sense when dealing with numbers. If you are interested in the additional form of Euro-Industrial Clerk, you should have a talent for languages and be interested in doing your daily work confidently in other languages.

Why did you choose RAUMEDIC?

I think it's great to work in a company that saves or contributes to saving lives every day with its products. RAUMEDIC is very crisis-proof and medical technology is a modern and interesting field of work. But the internationality of the company was also important for me, so that I could work with my foreign languages.

What should young people bring with them for training at RAUMEDIC?

You should be motivated and willing to learn - in my opinion, that's the most important thing. All the people in the company will help you and give you responsibility if they notice that you are interested and enjoy what you are doing.

You should also be flexible, because new activities and areas await you in every department. If you are okay with the fact that not every day is the same, then it's really fun here and you can grow into the professional world very well.

What would you like to do after your training?

First of all, I would be very happy to continue my career at RAUMEDIC. However, I haven't yet decided on a particular area in which I would like to work. It is important for me to have fun in my daily work and to be able to work with different languages.

I would like to speak English and French on a regular basis and to improve my skills in them. So far, I have liked it best in logistics - but I am looking forward to many more insights.

Thank you Alina! All the best and continue to have fun in your training. We hope that you will soon be communicating with our international business partners on a daily basis and that you will be able to live out your passion for languages in your everyday working life.