INTERNSHIP STORIES

Get to know PERI and discover the world

Be it in engineering, sales, logistics, legal or marketing; be it in Germany or all over the world – an internship at PERI allows you to broaden your horizon and provides valuable insights into the work processes of an internationally successful company.

Check out the testimonials of former interns who report on what exciting experiences they were able to gather during a work placement in Germany or abroad at PERI.

Elisabeth Müller – Germany

Elisabeth Müller

Civil Engineering

Headquarter PERI Group, Weißenhorn, Germany

On what topics and projects did you work during your internship?

I did my work placement in the Construction & Facility Management and the 3D Construction Printing departments.

What was your favourite part of the internship and what is so special about PERI?

My impression of PERI was that it was a goal-oriented, pragmatic and dynamic company that always aimed to take an agile approach to matters. It is precisely this capability of adapting to the market and openness to change – a mindset of continually reviewing the status quo – that cannot be taken for granted at a company of this size. I found this openness and agility to be very successful and refreshing in what is technically a relatively conservative, down-to-earth industry.

Alexander Schulz – Italy

Alexander Schulz

Political Science and Public Law

PERI Italy

On what topics and projects did you work during your internship?

During my work placement, I supported the Local Compliance Officer of PERI Italy in analysing various (Italian) legal regulations as well as PERI’s internal compliance framework. The objective was to be able to identify inconsistencies or gaps in the local Italian PERI corporate guidelines, which would then be adapted, expanded or redrafted accordingly at a later stage. In addition, we also advised customers on site at the project locations and ensured that PERI standards were met. We focused on the areas of health and safety of (factory and stockyard) employees, quality assurance, product monitoring and general data protection regulations. In this way, we were able to ensure that legal requirements, management guidelines from PERI headquarters and the experiences of our employees were all incorporated into our corporate guidelines in equal measure. I worked closely with Group Legal, but also with all other divisions.

What was your favourite part of the internship and what is so special about PERI?

After I had the opportunity to experience the unique PERI spirit at bauma 2019 and also got to know the company better during my voluntary work for a student initiative at the University of Mannheim, it soon became clear to me: PERI is more than just a medium-sized company from the supposedly “boring” formwork and scaffolding industry. In every decision-making process, PERI focuses on the performance, well-being and the personal and professional development of its employees – this also applies in particular to young talent. It is worth emphasising that PERI understands how to combine the mission of a globally active corporate group with the vision of a family-owned company from the Bavarian province better than almost any other company. What makes PERI unique is its flat hierarchies all the way up to top management, the fact that junior staff are fully involved in the day-to-day business with a high level of responsibility, and that there are plenty of opportunities for internal advancement. The fact that I was given a straightforward opportunity to do a part-time work placement abroad at PERI Italy within a few weeks alongside my university studies abroad showed me that PERI wanted to support and challenge me in a way that met my own needs.

Johannes Gerstlauer – UK

Johannes Gerstlauer

Business Administration

PERI UK

On what topics and projects did you work during your internship?

The work placement covered a wide range of departments such as Sales, Logistics, Marketing and Customer Service at PERI’s UK office. In the process, I worked on various topics such as process optimisation and market analysis. The digital representation of the business model was an essential part of this.

What was your favourite part of the internship and what is so special about PERI?

For me, PERI is characterised by a very special family-like corporate culture in which every employee can contribute in the best possible way in line with his or her abilities. The team concept always comes first. During my work placement at PERI UK, I was directly involved as a full team member and so I was able to get an insight into various projects and departments. This gave me the opportunity to learn about PERI UK and the specific market conditions in the UK as a whole and the company’s role as one of the most successful offices of the PERI Group.

Sebastian Abler-Kratkey – USA

Sebastian Abler-Kratkey

Business Administration

PERI USA

On what topics and projects did you work during your internship?

I worked on strategic marketing issues in the Marketing department. My tasks included market analysis, strategy development and project management.

What was your favourite part of the internship and what is so special about PERI?

Being an internationally networked company, PERI offers the opportunity to work in numerous countries. The strategic decisions of the subsidiary sites feed into PERI’s global mission and there is regular, intensive dialogue between the sites. This collaborative approach to work with people from different countries and cultures was a lot of fun.

Maximilian Mühlhause – Dubai

Maximilian Mühlhause

Business Administration

PERI UAE (United Arab Emirates)

On what topics and projects did you work during your internship?

My main task was to conduct a cross-functional task audit along the entire value chain of PERI UAE to find bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement. For this purpose, I conducted interviews with various members of the individual departments, accompanied employees to meetings and observed the business process. The idea behind this task is to identify the steps of the business process that do not add value. A fresh pair of eyes from outside the company is very helpful in this regard. I had full responsibility for this task and was able to organise my own work, which was one of the best aspects of my work placement here in Dubai. I also conducted a project management case study for one of PERI’s major projects that was about to start in the United Arab Emirates. I accompanied the project management team to identify best practices with a view to improving the project management process of major projects.

What was your favourite part of the internship and what is so special about PERI?

What I liked most was that I had the opportunity to work in Dubai and see how business is done here in the Middle East. As a place of work, Dubai is a very different place to the Dubai you visit on holiday. I also really enjoyed the atmosphere at PERI UAE. You get to know so many friendly, nice people from so many cultures, which broadens your horizons and enriches your personality. In my view, PERI is a very special company because it has a very open culture. The multinational appeal and the enthusiasm for young, talented people allows employees to experience extraordinary countries and projects.

Charbel Bitar – Canada

Charbel Bitar

Master of Engineering

PERI Canada

On what topics and projects did you work during your internship?

I worked in the Engineering department as a designer. This involved developing formwork, shoring or scaffolding solutions for various kinds of concrete construction projects. Another aspect of my work was producing design calculations, design layout drawings, assembly drawings, steel construction drawings and materials lists. I also had regular conversations with the technical sales consultants and my other colleagues. 

What was your favourite part of the internship and what is so special about PERI?

Most of my tasks were interesting but I especially enjoyed working with the technical sales consultants and other design professionals to find the most effective design solutions.