Trainee Experience Report Human Pharma Global Engineering
Johannes Wenzel / Bahar Khan
Bahar and Johannes are Engineering Management Trainees, having joined in January and April 2020. Here they respond to some frequently asked questions about their experience in the trainee program.
How was your onboarding?
Bahar: My onboarding was very well prepared before my arrival. Most of my access codes and
equipment were available and set up. For everything else, I got support very quickly. However, not only
organizationally, but also thematically, the first days as a trainee were well prepared: I got an overview of
topics and projects in which I was allowed to participate. In important meetings, I was introduced to the
attendees or had the opportunity to introduce myself to individual people suggested by my supervisor.
Overall, I quickly got used to the company and the team and felt well integrated.
Why did you choose a trainee program as an entry position?
Johannes: Firstly, for me personally it was not an entry position immediately after my studies. I have
worked as an engineer for almost three years. So why did I choose the trainee program at BI? The answer
is quite simple: I was interested and fascinated by the pharmaceutical industry. As an engineer coming from
logistics process automation, I knew that I would be a rookie in this kind of industry. Therefore, for me the
trainee program was a nice opportunity to quickly gain insights into the different areas of the company and
go from walking to running.
What qualifications make you a successful trainee?
Bahar: One of the most important skills to bring with you is creative thinking. Of course, the expectation
is also that you have an engineering-technical background in order to understand complex issues quickly.
However, it is much more important to understand them not only in the way they are, but to also look at
them from different perspectives. Only then will you be able to identify optimization potential, to develop
new ideas and approaches that will successfully advance the company and the projects.
How did you like the application process?
Johannes: Right away, it was challenging… but in a good way: We had the opportunity to be creative in
multiple tasks and exercises. From the first interview to the assessment center, I at all times felt respected
and valued.
What is your experience with the Mentorship?
Bahar: For me, mentoring is one of the key elements for a successful trainee program, because my mentor
accompanies me through all the topics that concern me. As a newcomer to profession, you face many
thematic and interpersonal challenges when entering a company of this size. In weekly or sometimes daily
conversations, I am able to talk to my mentor about all topics, reflect on them and learn many new things
from him. After each exchange, I get helpful new tips and approaches, which I can use for my tasks.
Which of your projects/tasks were the most challenging?
Bahar: One of my tasks from the Global Engineering department was to lead an improvement initiative
for the production sites’ maintenance concepts. Triggered by a benchmark study, we worked out with which
internal best practices the Sites show up within the Business Unit Human Pharma. The aim was to work
out approaches and calculate business cases for the Sites with improvement potential. During this time, I
experienced the work in an international team and was able to improve my emotional intelligence and my
team leading and project management skills. While there sometimes were challenging conflict situations I
had to face, I overall learned a lot from this project and was ready for the next challenge!