Photo: Annemarie Baumann

Liv’s passion for the field helped her land the internship

When Liv began searching for an internship, she and her fellow students attended a career fair, where they spoke with various companies. That’s where she first came across DS Stålkonstruktion.

Her interest in the company really took off after a later company visit: "I was very drawn to the idea of working on concrete tasks in a production company. That’s something I really enjoy," says Liv.

Following the visit, Liv applied for the internship and was invited to an interview. According to her team lead, Mirza Ahmetagić, the candidate pool was strong.

He explains why Liv was selected:

"Liv seemed genuinely passionate about the field – both engineering in general and steel specifically. I could sense that she liked DS and appreciated that it’s a production company. Our interns take ownership of their projects and often get to complete several from A to Z during their internship. We could tell she was the right fit for that."

 
Start your internship search early – and stay open-minded

Liv advises other students looking for internships to start early and apply proactively. She was surprised by how challenging it can be to find a placement, even in a field with high demand.

She also recommends keeping an open mind about different types of internship opportunities: "You don’t really know what you want to work with until you get out there and try it."

Mirza adds:

You’re here to learn

"It’s really important to remember that you’re there to learn – and not to be afraid of asking questions, because that’s the only way you learn," says Liv.

She emphasises that there’s no expectation for interns to know everything from the start, comparing it to getting a driving licence and then learning how to drive properly out on the road.

"Don’t get overwhelmed at the beginning. There’s so much new to take in. At our company, I had to get to grips with new software and understand how everything works. I was absolutely exhausted in the evenings during my first week."

 
New learning every day

Liv shares that she’s gained a huge amount from her internship – both professionally and personally:

"I’ve been involved in around 30 projects during my internship, which has given me broad experience. Even though there are routines, there’s always something new – no two tasks are exactly the same."

Liv’s internship has also helped her learn more about herself and given her new insight into what she wants to work with in the future:

"I think I’ve realised that the typical 8-to-4 office job might not be what I want to do for the rest of my life. I need to find something that also takes me out to construction sites – something a bit more hands-on," she explains.