Internship report 

Mathis K., International Management Studies in the Baltic Sea Region, 8th semester, Norway, MAN Truck & Bus Norge AS, summer semester 2023

I spent the first part of 2022 as an exchange student in Finland. The double degree between BMS and International Digital Business (XAMK) courses requires one to write the bachelor's thesis under a company's commission. Therefore, I was consistently applying for internships with the option in mind of writing my thesis. I truly enjoyed living abroad and wanted to prolong that experience by searching for an internship outside of Germany as well. In June 2022, I started looking for internships in Norway. Norwegian classes with Corina Altman were among my favourite subjects at the University of Applied Sciences in Stralsund. I enjoyed the language and culture and wanted to learn more about this part of Europe. The tender for the internship was sent to all BMS students by Mrs Wenzel. After applying, I went through two rounds of interviews and finally got confirmation. The decisive factors for getting the position were my SAP experience and Norwegian skills.

General Information

From 28 February 2023 until 31 July 2023, I was employed at MAN Truck & Bus Norge AS. I worked mainly in the RMC department (Repair and Maintenance Contracting Department), but part of my work also involved tasks from the Order Office.

MAN Norway is an NSC of MAN Truck & Bus SE, which belongs to the Traton Group (VW). The company is one of the biggest utility vehicle manufacturers in the world.

Thoughts

The internship at MAN Norge as an importer and sales distribution organisation is a fantastic opportunity for BMS students. We work with Norwegian colleagues, connect with European business partners, and know firsthand the obstacles and opportunities between German and Norwegian working cultures.

When it comes to finding an apartment, the websites hybel.no and finn.no turned out to be very helpful. I found an apartment in the city centre and was living with a Norwegian student. In general, Oslo has great infrastructure, although cycling can be quite exhausting due to the hills. It should be noted that Norway, especially Oslo, is quite expensive, making the Erasmus funding vital for financial stability. During my time, I spent a lot of time with people through the Erasmus student network in Oslo, as it is very active here. I would love to have a branch in Stralsund in the future.

Lessons learned

I love the Norwegian working mentality; everyone is helping each other regardless of hierarchy or other constraints. Also, no one directly dictated how tasks should be addressed; one's own initiative was crucial in solving tasks.

Since Norway is only part of the EEA trade agreement and not the EU, it was interesting to learn about the free movement of goods.

Experience gained

My past international experience provided me with personal talents that I could apply to this position. Working in multicultural teams during my education and acquiring Microsoft Office and SAP EPR abilities provided me with a solid foundation for quickly adapting and learning how to perform the necessary responsibilities. The power platform and M365 were the main touchpoints with information systems; my next job also refers to this. Attention to detail and a desire to learn as much as possible about the departments' tasks were other important factors in becoming a helpful office member. My colleagues' skills were diverse, as they possessed extensive knowledge of MAN and the entire site in Norway. My team was helpful and pleasant to all colleagues and business partners while remaining restrained and cool.

Final remark

Looking back on my internship with MAN Truck and Bus Norge AS, I gained insights into the Norwegian working culture and observed their approach to large projects and daily work. This internship is ideal for anyone interested in working with import logistics and aftersales. Observing the reorganisation process and the issues and opportunities it presents was fascinating. This trainee program is highly recommended for anyone interested in the Norwegian corporate culture and automotive sector. MAN Truck and Bus Norge AS has proven to be a very fair company for trainees, as the working conditions and office atmosphere were always excellent.

Overall, I felt at ease during the internship and enjoyed my colleagues' efforts to show me new duties and their faith in their trainees by allowing them to work most of the time independently.