Apprentice of the North 2019
With such outstanding achievements, we trainees want to know more and asked Sylvia Costa Melzer about her training.
Profile
Name: Sylvia Costa Melzer
Age: 22 years
Apprenticeship: Business economist in foreign trade
Duration of training: 3 years
School-leaving certificate: A-levels
Question: Why did you choose this apprenticeship? I decided to do this apprenticeship because I wanted to learn a profession that involved working abroad. I also think it's a great opportunity to gain a business administration qualification at the same time as the commercial apprenticeship and thus have the opportunity to complete a degree in a shorter time afterwards.
Question: And how did you end up at Wollenhaupt? I come from near here, so I know Wollenhaupt from driving past. When I was at school, I had already found out about Wollenhaupt when I was looking for an internship, so I already knew that the products were exciting and had heard nothing but positive things from friends who had done an internship here.
Question: What did you learn during your apprenticeship? A great deal. Starting with the versatility of the product, the flow of goods with the corresponding purchasing and sales processing and the documents required for import and export, as well as financial accounting and annual financial statements.
Question: What was the most interesting thing for you during your apprenticeship? That's difficult to say. I think I found all the information about tea the most interesting.
Question: What does your future look like after the apprenticeship? I am now supporting the International Sales Team East department. I started my Bachelor's degree in Business Studies in September as a part-time job.
Question: How did you become "Trainee of the North"? A good completion of the apprenticeship is a prerequisite for the Trainee of the North award. In addition, commitment to the company, school or private life is also taken into consideration for the award.
Question: What advice would you give other trainees? Show interest, ask questions and approach every task and department with an open mind.
Question: What prerequisites should anyone interested in this apprenticeship have? Basically, you should already have an interest in business contexts and commercial transactions. Good foreign language skills also help. An interest in the company's product is also an advantage.