Sofia Sehbaoui started her internship at Textkernel in January 2016. She is doing her Master’s in Digital marketing and communication at ICN Business School, Nancy, one of the top 10 business schools in France, and will spend the remaining months of her internship at the Paris office of Textkernel. We asked Sofia to give us some more insights regarding her experiences with Textkernel so far.
How did you find out about Textkernel?
I attended an event in Paris for internship opportunities and met Yves Loiseau (Textkernel’s Business Development Manager for the South of Europe). We discussed possibilities and projects within Textkernel suitable for an internship. Afterwards, I had a look at Textkernel’s website and found the interview with another ex-intern which gave me some first insights into what those 6 months will look like.
What are you working on at the moment?
The main goal of my internship is to improve channel management and indirect sales by stimulating sales with our French partners and gathering new leads in the South of Europe. I started off with a partner survey. The main goal was to interview all French partners and get some more insights in their daily business and what kind of support they need from Textkernel to grow their business. After analysing the results I started to plan a follow-up, like a breakfast session with all our partners.
What have you learned so far during this internship?
With the help of my French colleagues I set up the project for channel management. I learned to work independently with guidelines from Yves and also to be efficient and ask questions and feel more comfortable with the IT domain. Moreover, I’ve gathered more knowledge around semantic recruitment software (totally unknown at the beginning for me) and the new technologies used in recruitment, which is a very interesting domain for graduates, especially when they start looking for jobs.
Was anything different from what you expected initially?
I thought that the Paris office would be the main headquarters of Textkernel, so I expected to have more colleagues, but the French team is growing and the infrastructure, as well as the location of the office, is really nice, dynamic and powerful. I also liked the opportunity to go to Amsterdam and see my other colleagues over there. I realised how many people actually work at Textkernel and could meet every colleague from each department.
What has been different at Textkernel compared to other work experiences or internships you have done in the past?
For me it was definitely working in English and the international surroundings. I like the fact that my colleagues are reachable and available for questions. Yves lets me manage my own work, which is great. He gave me a direction, but I could follow up on my own terms.
How would you describe Textkernel in three words?
Multicultural, scientific and open-minded people.
Would you recommend this internship to other students?
Yes, I would recommend it to other students because you learn about things you never experience at university. I could benefit from Yves’ experience and expand project management, sales and negotiation skills.
What are you planning to do after this internship?
I will be studying at the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education Guadalajara in Mexico next year and will finish university afterwards.
About Sofia
Sofia Sehbaoui lives in Metz, France, and is studying Digital marketing and communication at the ICN Business School. In her free time she likes to travel abroad, walk around Paris, see the open-air museum and enjoy green spaces for jogging as well as art. Her dream job involves an opportunity where she can always learn something new, has support to reach her goals, allows personal development and gives her the chance to acquire new skills.
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