What it’s really like to be an Intern at a Start-Up

February 11, 2020. It was the day I started working at Azumuta. As a final year student of communication management at the Arteveldehogeschool in Ghent, I had applied here to do my internship. I would spend 3 months here to learn all the tricks of the communication trade.

A sunny Wednesday

It was a sunny Wednesday, about 3 months earlier, when I first dropped by Azumuta. The first company that appealed to me in the database made available to me by the school. With little prior knowledge, I was on my way to my first job interview. The few high towers in the technology park of Zwijnaarde, where also the AA Tower where Azumuta is located is located, remind me in my dreamy head of a mini replica of the famous Wall Street.

AA Tower

The inside of the AA Tower reminded me a bit of the building from Suits, the American series about a law firm in New York. So I often let my imagination run wild in things like this.
I went up to the 8th floor, not knowing what to expect. Although I was once again very glad that I was not a “stress chicken”, I did not escape a slight tummy tingle. I came, I spoke and I was finally hired. My very first job interview went particularly well and I left the room feeling good.

My first working day

There it was, my first working day in the communications field. I got to know my colleagues and quickly found my feet. In a very relaxed way, I began my first task, which was really nothing more than research. The sector I now found myself in was that of the manufacturing industry. Words like industry 4.0 were foreign to me until then so it was essential to immerse myself in it first. After all, as a marketer and sales manager you still have to sell your product, or in this case the factory.

My 2nd day already looked completely different, I was immediately put in the field. Like a recruit who was immediately deployed to go with the experienced men of the sales team to a new customer. As a passionate salesman, I was really looking forward to this. Two company visits and a meeting to convince a new potential customer to work with the Azumuta software.

The following weeks I turned out to be a real event manager. One month, that is how much time we had to prepare everything. As from March 17 we would be at the ESEF fair in Utrecht, the largest fair in the Benelux for companies in the manufacturing industry. With a lot of work ahead of me, I went straight to work to show what I could do. I had a lot of tasks to complete but it never felt like it was just a to-do list I had been given. The hard work and close teamwork made sure that I was quickly included in the nice group that makes up Azumuta.

A varied internship

An internship at Azumuta is highly recommended, in the two months that I am now there, I have already learned more than what they can ever teach you in a year at school. In those 2 months I was not only event manager but also digital marketer, account manager, graphic designer and HR consultant. The varied range of tasks and the excellent supervision not only make for an instructive internship, but also for a really exciting one.
The listening ear that everyone at Azumuta yes offers is a nice aspect, as an intern you have so much to say and decide here. The whole sales and HR thing was not part of my job description at first, given along by my school. My great passion for sales, which I managed to mention in time, ensured that I could go on an apprenticeship here as well.

Working at Azumuta is also more than just work. Azumuta is a young and healthy company, constantly growing. Azumuta also means learning, freedom, entertainment. For example, there are some fun traditions, we play Uno on Friday afternoons, and all in all, a lot of banter and laughter.

Azumuta Team

The people of Azumuta can best be compared with the candidates of The Mole, the famous TV program. Different kinds of people of different ages put together. Very interesting if you ask me. As a team they complement each other perfectly, as individuals you can listen to them for hours.

Covid-19

All great songs come to an end, but not my internship at Azumuta for now. Unfortunately, I have been teleworking for 3 weeks now. My tasks are a lot less varied and what was until a few weeks ago a very natural and fun learning experience has now become a lot more difficult. I spend my days behind my laptop in my room, my productivity as a teleworker has dropped a bit but while writing I still do everything in my power to bring my internship to a successful end. All the grand plans I had for Azumuta will have to wait a few more months until I can (perhaps) start working there as a student.

I am very happy that I can continue my internship at home, after all, I am graduating here. Besides, it is also nice to have something to do. Although you have to respect the teleworker. Sitting behind your computer all day, without any social contact does start to affect you a bit, especially after 3 weeks. You pull yourself up to that highlight of your day; a walk or a trip to the store, if you can call that ‘relaxation’.

For years I looked forward to doing my internship, as a final year student you prefer to enjoy yourself for a while before really getting down to business. Since day 1, however, I have never been reluctant to go to work. That is what an internship at Azumuta is all about: learning, but don’t forget to have a good time!