You know that inkling feeling of excitement and nervousness you get when something great is coming your way but you aren’t really sure what it is or how close it is? Well, that’s the exact feeling I had one cloudy December day in 2020, a few moments after the first interview for the Zoran Djindjic Internship Programme of German Business for the Countries of the Western Balkans. As a junior software engineering student, I was actively looking for a chance to kickstart my professional development. And the opportunities the Internship Programme of German Business offered sounded surreal yet exciting and promising.
I can still clearly remember the stress I felt before the online interview with Durr Systems AG but was extremely happy when they selected me a few weeks after. Durr Systems AG is one of the leading companies in the industry of car painting machines and robots. The company has several offices around the world but I got placed in the headquarters complex in Bietigheim-Bissingen, southwestern Germany.
Apart from taking the first steps on a professional path and learning new things in a challenging field, living in Germany was amazing. Meeting new exciting people, making friendships; partying, exploring and experiencing local culture through traveling with them is what made it special for me. I discovered new music and books; grew a sweet tooth and appreciation for viaducts since they had a beautiful one in my little town of Bi-Bi. I also developed a high level of admiration for warm and sunny weather :-).
The knowledge and experience gained during this internship is what set me for the next step in life, landing me my first job in the domestic IT sector. When I look back on it now, I had no idea this chance is what I was actually looking for all along. Memories made during my stay in Germany, will be cherished and looked upon with a warm heart forever.
Fatima Velic
Bosnia and Herzegovina, generation 2021