Experience reports of our Nordakademie students
La-Kahina Bahloul (born in 1988), joined Marquard & Bahls AG as a Nordakademie student (2007–2011), international trainee at Marquard & Bahls AG (03.2011–08.2011), risk analyst at Mabanaft GmbH & Co. KG since August 2011.
1. Why did you choose a trainee program and a dual degree with us? What appealed to you in particular?
As someone born and bred in Hamburg, the opening to work for a company that has Hamburg roots and is now involved in various exciting business sectors all over the world was too good to pass up. The dual degree’s practical placements grabbed me in particular, which is why the Marquard & Bahls program, with its varied stints at home and abroad, was just ideal for me.
During my degree, I was very interested in trading activities. Several placements at Mabanaft enabled me to experience its business activities first hand. I was sure that I wanted to intensify my knowledge in this sector and subsequently seized the opportunity to tag a suitable trainee program onto the dual degree.
2. How would you describe our company and culture? What especially stands out?
Even though I was mostly only employed in a department or subsidiary for a couple of months at a time, I was always made to feel extremely welcome and I never had any trouble fitting in. The company has a very open-minded approach. I also cherish the opportunity to cement existing contacts and meet new colleagues at different events — be they the annual summer party or a seminar on the oil industry. This offers me a chance to obtain a different perspective beyond my own department, which in turn gives rise to new ideas.
3. What do you like most about your work and traineeship with us?
I very much enjoyed the versatility of the practical placements. On each occasion, it presented a fresh challenge and gave me the possibility to gain a lot of experience in a relatively short space of time. The openness of my colleagues and the fact that you can assume responsibilities at a very early stage also helped me to feel at home at Marquard & Bahls quickly during my traineeship.
