Katariina's international internship

When Katariina first visited our Kuehne + Nagel office, she could hardly keep her nerve. It was on the day of her selection interview - with an internship at stake - and she had traveled far to get there. Now the Estonian student of International Logistics Management is nearing the end of her internship, feeling grateful to have been an insider in one of the world’s leading logistics companies. This is Katariina’s Kuehne + Nagel story.

With a parent who enjoys sharing stories at the dinner table about his work as a logistics professional, Katariina’s interest in the field started early on. “It’s mainly because of my dad’s stories about his work that I was introduced to what logistics entails and how interesting it is”, she explains. “I started asking myself: how do these things that I order online get to my home? There’s a lot of responsibility and people behind it.”

In school, Katariina started to co-organize events, being responsible for the logistics. Not only did she discover that she enjoyed organizing and being in control, but also that she was pretty good at it. So why not use her skills and interest as a solid basis for her university studies in logistics?

Impatient to discover life and work beyond the borders of the Baltic nation that she calls home, Katariina decided to pursue her university studies abroad. “Estonia is quite small and not really culturally diverse. I wanted to discover more of the world, meet new people and grow as a person”, Katariina explains. “That’s why I chose Breda in the Netherlands to pursue my university degree in logistics. In the beginning living abroad on my own was quite chaotic, I had an empty room with still disassembled Ikea furniture. I still had to meet people and figure out how to do things. But I enjoyed the whole experience.” With no time to spare for home sickness, Katariina focused on her new studies, friends and the search for a company to complete her mandatory internship. Her company of choice? Kuehne + Nagel.

“I knew Kuehne + Nagel as one of the leading logistics companies, and I liked the company’s values of continuous improvement and striving for a sustainable greener future.”

“I knew Kuehne + Nagel as one of the leading logistics companies, and I liked the company’s values of continuous improvement and striving for a sustainable greener future”, Katariina says. “Added to that I had heard positive things about their work environment, so I had my mind set on an internship there.”

A phone call and an interview later, Katariina could start her research internship in the Business Development team. “I'm gathering information to compare the differences between the logistical landscape of the Netherlands and Belgium as a European Distribution Center allocation” , she clarifies. Information that is also very useful for the Business Developers to convey to their customers.

“Along with a few other newcomers I was invited for a warehouse tour to get a better idea of the operational activities. Such opportunities show that Kuehne + Nagel cares about its employees.”

For Katariina, the research provides an excellent excuse to deep dive into the workings of our Contract Logistics department. “Of course I’m here to conduct the research but I also want to get a good understanding of the industry and how the company’s Contract Logistics department works. Along with a few other newcomers I was invited for a warehouse tour to get a better idea of the operational activities. Such opportunities show that Kuehne + Nagel cares about its employees.”

Our entrepreneurial intern has received quite some praise, although she feels uncomfortable admitting that everything is going well. “I know that I set high standards for myself making it hard to be pleased, but my mentor here said that I should be more proud. He has been very helpful in steering my research and I’m very grateful that he gave me this opportunity”, Katariina concludes.

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