Why an intern is more than just extra hands

That an intern can do more than simply shadow employees was demonstrated by our Corina during her graduation internship at Festo. With her knowledge, curiosity, and fresh perspective, this Master’s student in Next Level Engineering showed what is possible when companies give students the opportunity to make a real contribution. 

Festo focuses on industrial automation and provides a broad range of solutions, from components to control systems, sensors, actuators, motors, and drives. Max van den Berg has been working at Festo since 2010. As a system architect, he helps customers worldwide tackle technical challenges in the semiconductor industry. 

Guidance makes the difference 

According to Max, a student is not there simply to take work off your hands, but above all to learn. That is why companies need to make time for proper guidance. “You can’t just leave a student to figure everything out on their own,” he says. “They need someone to turn to.” 

At Festo, each graduate intern is assigned a supervisor who makes time for questions and regularly discusses their progress with them. Where is the student in the process? What do they need? Do they fully understand the problem? Providing this kind of guidance takes time and attention. For Max, the principle is clear: “An intern or graduate student should never be seen as cheap labor.” 

Valuable for the company too 

Good supervision also benefits the company. In addition to her extensive report for university, Corina created a concise report for the client. It clearly brought together the results, conclusions, and recommendations. “The report was valuable,” Max explains. “The client was ultimately very happy with it.” 

For companies that are still hesitant, Max sees another important advantage. A graduate student offers a glimpse into a new generation of engineers. You get to see firsthand how someone thinks, learns, and works. For organizations looking to grow, this can create valuable opportunities. 

A two-way exchange 

According to Max, guidance does not only benefit the student. It also keeps the company on its toes. “Providing guidance also helps you become sharper yourself,” he says. “It’s a good two-way exchange.” 

Corina stood out at Festo because of her attitude. She was eager to learn, asked questions, and discovered new things. Max’s advice to students also applies to the companies that supervise them: give curiosity room to grow. That is where growth begins.