Cheese & Anna Mare

Anna Mare is doing an internship at Henri Willig Heerenveen: “You get a warm welcome here and are really given the chance to learn a lot”

Pleased to meet you, I’m Anna Mare!
I’m studying International Business at Noorderpoort College in Groningen. My MBO course combines International Business with Junior Manager in International Trade. It’s a varied programme where I’m learning a lot about international trade, marketing, communication and the business world. This year, I’m doing my first ten-week work placement at Henri Willig.

From the farm to an internship at a cheese company
Choosing Henri Willig was actually a quick decision. I grew up on a farm and my family used to run a shop of their own. As a result, I’ve had an affinity with the agricultural sector, food, dairy and retail from a young age.

When I started looking for an internship company via Stagemarkt, Henri Willig caught my eye. I saw that it was a cheese-making business and a family-run company, and I immediately thought: this suits me perfectly. I then applied, and it was actually a hit straight away. That’s how my internship at Henri Willig began.

An internship where you get to know different sides of the business
My internship involves a combination of helping out and carrying out assignments as part of my course. In total, I have to complete eight assignments that form part of my exam. These include, for example, researching the customer journey, analysing market positioning, webcare and carrying out communication activities.

What I like is that, for various assignments, I get to work with colleagues who specialise in that particular subject. For a marketing assignment, for example, I can turn to someone from the marketing department. This way, I not only learn from my course, but I also receive guidance from people with practical experience.

I also get the chance to explore different parts of Henri Willig. I’ve already been introduced to several departments and shadowed staff in the cheese-making facility and its logistics operations in Heerenveen. This gives you a much better understanding of how the whole company works. I find that really valuable, especially as my course means I may well be dealing with customers and international contacts in the future.

“I was given a warm welcome straight away”
For me, this is my first official work placement and, naturally, you do wonder beforehand what it will be like. Will you be taken seriously? Will you receive good guidance? And will you quickly feel at home within the company?

At Henri Willig, I was given a very warm welcome right from the start. I got to know lots of colleagues and everyone was willing to help me. That actually made me feel at ease straight away. It made my first week of the work placement incredibly positive.

I also find the onboarding and training sessions interesting. Not only do you learn about the company, but you also receive hygiene training, for example. That might sound obvious, but when you then see everything that’s involved in making and processing food, you understand much better why those rules are so important.

From MBO to HBO International Business
I’ve actually already mapped out my future quite clearly. After completing my MBO qualification in International Business, I want to progress to the HBO International Business programme. As my current course ties in well with this, I hope to be able to complete that programme on an accelerated basis.

After that, I want to specialise further with a Master’s degree, focusing, amongst other things, on business relations and international trade. Ultimately, I’d like to work for an internationally operating company, where I can put my knowledge of international trade and business to good use.

My tip for future interns
If you’re thinking of doing an internship at Henri Willig, my main advice would be: don’t be afraid to come in and show what you can do. You’ll receive a really warm welcome here, but of course you’re also expected to take the initiative and show commitment.

Come to your interview well prepared, show that you’re motivated and don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you demonstrate your potential, you’ll also be given the opportunity to develop yourself here.

My first week has certainly shown that an internship at Henri Willig is much more than just sitting behind a desk. You get the chance to see different departments, get involved, meet new people and discover how an international family business – from farm and cheese dairy to shop and international trade – operates.

And that’s what has made my placement so far, above all , a great deal of fun, varied and incredibly educational.