Internship is an elective course that involves getting an internship where students work in a company with tasks that are relevant to the study. Using her network, Vilde came into contact with BUHR and since August has been with us for a few hours every week and followed one of our HR business partners, Birte Tjørn Wahlberg, to learn more about the subject and the BUHR method.
– Do I really dare to do this? I have to step far out of my comfort zone and I'm unsure about the subject.
Vilde thinks back to her first days as an intern at BUHR:
– I have felt welcome and appreciated from the start. This is a truly safe environment where everyone is helpful, no sharp elbows. Everyone wants everyone to succeed and is very supportive. I had my first day as an intern at the same time as an employee had their first day as a permanent employee. I therefore got to take part in BUHR's ordinary onboarding process, which was very educational. Here, everything was set up and arranged so that we could get started right away. We got a good introduction to the company, what they offer and learned a little about the customers that BUHR has. I see that the start and welcome you receive at a workplace has a lot to say. When it is also followed up further, it feels very good. Then, together with Birte, I got to see how this complex profession works in practice.
Birte Tjørn Wahlberg and Vilde Madelen Thomsen.
HR business partner Birte Tjørn Wahlberg says that it has been a pleasure to have Vilde as an intern:
– She has been proactive and delivered thorough and well-thought-out solutions to the tasks she has been given by us. It is nice to see that she shows great interest in our field. It is also positive for the company to have an intern who can help to see the subject in new ways and bring fresh expertise from school. It challenges us to constantly think in new ways and apply our knowledge.
Vilde says that she has really been challenged several times during the internship.
– I have had to step out of my comfort zone, for example when I was tasked with taking references. I don't really like making calls. But now I have taken more than 10 references and realize that they are actually quite pleasant conversations. It has given me a sense of accomplishment.
– What surprised me most is how broad the field is. There is really a lot of exciting stuff to delve into. I enjoy the combination of talking to people and being able to retreat and work concentratedly on something. I like to get to know procedures and systems and read the legal texts. I have learned a lot about how important it is to have this in place in companies.
– It has been very fun to be with several of the BUHR employees in interviews to see how good they are at adapting to the situation. Much can be planned, but in each interview there are different candidates, perhaps different managers and companies to deal with. This means that the interviewer must be flexible and have the ability to turn around and adapt the interview to the situation that arises.
– I have also had conversations with employees about their areas of expertise, such as sick leave follow-up. This has also given me more insight into the different parts of the profession.
She is very excited about BUHR as a concept:
– Here you can really gain a lot of experience with different customers in different industries. And best of all; you have a whole team behind you that you can get support from and have the opportunity to ask for help when needed.
– The best thing about my time at BUHR has been the environment! I thought it was sad that it was over, because it has been very rewarding to be here both academically and socially. Now I see the HR subject in a completely new way, even when I read the theory. I can ask more questions about the curriculum and see that theory and practice are not always the same. Now I think that this is the best choice I have made in my studies. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to be at BUHR.
