Experience, Humans
All aboard the internship – Q&A with trivago interns
Wondering what it’s like to work as an intern at trivago? It might be a little bit different to what you’d expect from the average internship. We chatted to two of our current interns, Philipp Rohlmann and Selim Lee, who shared their experience of working here so far!
What surprised you the most about your work experience at trivago so far?
Philipp: The company’s core values really are lived every single day! While many companies advertise their values, trivago talents naturally embody them. Similarly, I was surprised how flat hierarchies are in every-day work scenarios.
Selim: trivago helps employees to discover more than what you are assigned to do. Job descriptions do not unquestionably define your role, but rather gives it a direction or purpose. At first, I was very impressed that trivago encourages cross-team experiences and internal job movement when you feel it would help you and the company.
What was your expectations before coming to trivago?
P: One of the most important things that made me apply for an internship at trivago was the dynamic company spirit, as well as the learning opportunities the company provides. That spirit definitely translates to the day-to-day work life! Our campus makes it easy to find both quiet retreats that come in handy when you want to focus on a task as well as more communal spaces. In addition, everyone I met has been very friendly and supporting so that I never feel left.
S: Prior to working at trivago, I stumbled upon reading trivago blogs where talents share their personal or career stories at trivago. From there I got inspired by its working culture, flexibility and the start-of-the-art campus, which had raised my expectations higher. Indeed it turns out that trivago provides talents with even more opportunities to grow, not only at a professional level, but to become someone who is truly passionate about their job.
Do you have any advice/tips for prospective trivago interns?
P: Be proactive! While your daily tasks give you a lot of growing opportunities, it never hurts to branch outside of them. Just let the people around you know what else you are passionate about and they can open doors for you.
S: I cannot give you any indisputable advice, because there is no “one answer” to get into trivago. What I can share from my experience: Just keep in mind what trivago values the most and think about how you can contribute such value to the organization. Most importantly, get ready to enjoy the work, because everybody here does 🙂
What do / will you take away from your internship at trivago?
P: An internship at trivago will teach you many things! Not only will you have to adapt to a fast-paced industry but you will also learn how to prioritize your daily tasks. Beyond your daily tasks, you have the opportunity to attend workshops and presentations about a wide variety of topics. This will allow you to further not only your professional skills, but you will also be able to grow on a personal level.
S: Oh, there are so many things to take away. I suggest the motto “embracing differences through communication”. People here really trust each other so they are really encouraged to speak up and embrace different ideas. From various meetings and workshops I’ve engaged, I learned how to make better decisions, stay objective and to become a good team player.
What do you enjoy most about your internship?
P: I enjoy working in a company that has not lost its start-up vibe. In addition to our new campus, this makes for a very casual, dynamic, and fun work environment in which everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
S: I’ve enjoyed getting to know people from different teams, who have various international backgrounds. It’s not at every company that you can get to know people from all over the world? I think that is a very big asset for me
How does the mentorship program at trivago work? / How does trivago support interns?
P: Every intern is assigned a mentor that works in his or her team. This talent guides them through their first weeks and remains available for support throughout the whole internship. A mentor is not the team lead but rather a guide that helps the intern navigate difficult tasks and offers support. However, everyone at trivago is very helpful and approachable so that you can always find someone who can help out.
What does your daily work look like as an intern?
P: My daily tasks are not very different to those of my colleagues. At trivago you never feel like you are “just the intern”. I was quickly assigned my own projects that I took over and am responsible for. With these projects, I have complete autonomy on how to work on them which further allows me to strengthen my skills.
S: It is pretty much similar to a full-time worker, because there are no clear boundaries between interns and full-times. Besides, it looks very different depending on how you plan your daily work. I’ve been managing and supporting the company’s strategy tool as part of the Corporate Communication team, educating talents and communicating with different people across the company. I am also very eager to learn new things, so I decided to join agile trainings and shadow strategy workshops as much as possible.
How was your onboarding?
P: During their first week, talents take part in the trivago “Checkin Week”. In this week, newcomers get to explore the campus, set up their IT, and learn about all aspects of daily business. I did not expect to receive such a warm welcome and detailed introduction. This allowed me to meet people that all started in the same month as me. We instantly formed friendships and helped each other navigate our new jobs.
S: To be honest, my initial expectation was that the onboarding would be just a series of one-way lectures, where I will be bombarded with details on the company rules, paper works and administration. However, I really think trivago went the extra mile on this one. trivago definitely developed an engaging onboarding process, including some challenging exercises with fellow colleagues and face-to-face communication, which made me feel highly motivated to start my daily job.
How does working as an intern/student at trivago differ from other companies you’ve worked at?
S: I knew that trivago is a cultural melting pot, where English is the company language and many people from different nationalities and educational backgrounds come together. From day one of joining trivago I could feel that the hierarchy is very flat and people were very casual. In all my previous internships, which I did back at home in South Korea, I was confronted with strict hierarchies and processes, despite the fact that they were all internally well-known companies. trivago has definitely made me instantly feel excited about the next few months.
Thanks for sharing your insights Selim and Philipp! If you’d like to be an intern or student at trivago, keep an eye on our open positions:
