Week 1 in Berlin is done! This week I met many new people, visited new places, and even learned some new words in German. I also tried some traditional German foods, including currywurst and bratwurst.
When we arrived on Tuesday morning, we went on a walking tour of Berlin, where we saw Checkpoint Charlie and the Brandenburg Gate. We also ate dinner with all of the International Internship Program participants from Pitt. I enjoyed meeting everyone in the program. There are only 10 of us, so I’m sure we will be able to get to know each other throughout the program.
On Wednesday, we visited the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany (AmCham Germany) and toured the Humboldt Forum, a former castle. We also visited the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The Memorial consists of 2,711 rectangular concrete blocks, and there is no single explanation for what the blocks signify. On Thursday, we visited the Amazon Tower and Zalando, an international start-up company. Only about 10-20% of their employees are German, and their working language is English. On Friday, we visited the Federal Agency for Civic Education, and we discussed politics in Berlin and international relations between Germany and the US. We also started each day with German class at the Intrax office.
My favorite part of the week was visiting the Edge East Side Tower Berlin that is currently being built in Friedrichshain. The tower is also known as the Amazon Tower because Amazon will occupy the office once it is built. However, the building is controversial because the community is worried it will lead to rent increases. At 142 meters tall, it will also become one of the tallest buildings in the neighborhood. The building is not yet open to the public, so we were lucky to tour it early. The view from the top floor (the 36th floor) was beautiful.
I also enjoyed looking at the street art and graffiti that seemed to be everywhere we walked past. Although Germans are known for being punctual, organized, and traditional, the street art seems to contradict that stereotype. I learned that the existence of street art is partly because Berlin was once split into East and West. The western part of Berlin, which was controlled by the US, UK, and France, is still more colorful than the eastern side, which the Soviets controlled. I assumed that there would be more street art on the West side, but there is actually more on the East. East Berliners made art on the Berlin Wall and other walls as a way to rebel against the Berlin Wall. It divided them from the West, and they were able to make the gray, stone wall into art.
My internship at Sirius Facilities starts tomorrow. Sirius Facilities is a real estate company that transforms old and abandoned buildings into business parks and office centers. I am excited to work for this company because I appreciate their work in transforming these buildings and beautifying communities. To be successful in real estate, there are certain key skills and strengths that are necessary. Specifically, it is important to have awareness, communication, and negotiation skills.
I will be working in the finance and accounting departments. To be successful in these departments, I will need to be communicative, knowledgeable, and able to think critically. At Pitt, to be successful in my accounting and finance classes, I need to be focused, devoted, and willing to ask for help in order to do well.
These competencies are necessary for finance and accounting work in all companies. However, there are certain skills needed that are unique to German companies. Germans highly value punctuality. I have learned that “on time” actually means being five minutes early, whereas in the US, being “on time” means being five minutes late. Also, Germans do not usually engage in small talk before jumping into work or a meeting. While in the US, coworkers or classmates discuss their personal lives before they begin work, that is not the case in Germany. Likewise, Germans do not commonly give positive feedback. They will tell you what you are doing wrong, but they will not tell you everything you are doing right. Germans also highly value work-life balance. They work hard while at work, but once the workday ends, they will not think about work until they return to the office.
Some of these cultural differences in the workplace may be challenging for me to adjust to at first. Positive feedback is important to me to know that I am doing well, and I enjoy catching up with classmates before we begin working. Although I expect work to be different from what I am used to, I am going in with an open mind and a positive attitude tomorrow. I am excited to learn more about finance and accounting and work for this company. It has been so fun getting acclimated to Berlin this week, and now I am ready for the next step and to begin the internship!