Internship in Dubai

Hailing from near Doka’s headquarters in Amstetten, Austria, 18-year-old Benjamin Brunner was in the middle of his third year IT apprenticeship when he was given the opportunity to travel to Dubai as part of the company’s mobility experience exchange.

Commenting on his experience, Benjamin said, “As someone with an active social life in Austria, I’m always keen to meet new people and try new experiences, so when I was offered the opportunity to work from Doka Middle East & Africa’s offices for two weeks as part of a mobility experience exchange, I jumped at the chance. I was initially a little apprehensive about leaving my community, where I also serve as a volunteer firefighter but was equally excited about seeing Dubai for the first time."

I had various preconceptions about Dubai, particularly its reputation for decadence, and while there are elements of the city that live up to that standard, one of Dubai’s strengths is its highly multicultural society. Working alongside Bernhard Eder and Ferhat Ciftci, I enjoyed getting to know my colleagues who were kind enough to show me the ropes and integrate me as an active part of the company. Working in the regional head office in Dubai was exciting as I was really involved in the day-to-day business! I certainly didn’t expect such a multicultural team!

Outside of work, I was able to experience a variety of activities including a boat ride around the Burj Al Arab and quad biking in the desert, both of which were amazing! Dubai is a city which is full of surprises, and I hope to return again someday. I would like to thank Juergen Kaindl, Bernhard Eder and Conny Mielenz for making this internship possible!”

Bernhard Eder, IT Manager Region MEA, commented; ”Benjamin is a very communicative and motivated IT apprentice, with excellent English language skills. He mastered personal customer contact very competently and professionally. A very important part of these two weeks was working closely with each department to gain a better understanding of the applications and internal department processes.”

Speaking on behalf of Doka Middle East & Africa’s Human Resources department, Conny Mielenz, Head of HR commented; “Mobility experience exchanges give our staff the opportunity to experience the day-to-day business in another country while continuing their professional development. Benjamin is an excellent example of how such programs can be a win-win situation for both employee and employer. While this was a pilot programme, we’re working on expanding it to give more apprentices the opportunity to learn about diverse cultures and countries. This experience will further broaden their horizons and make them aware that a position abroad should be considered for their future development as it is a great way of enhancing both their career and personal life.”