Cybercrime, airspace restrictions, pandemic regulations, piracy, migration, extreme weather conditions. These are just a few of the factors that make the daily lives of an international logistics company’s expert team so dynamic and diverse. It’s no wonder that every year, more students want to come to us for summer internships. In the summer of 2024, three students had the chance to explore the intricacies of logistics with us. As their internship was wrapping up, I asked them how they felt about their experience and what their time with us was like.
FECÓ is a student of the Siófok Vocational Secondary School Krúdy Gyula Technical School and Gymnasium.
How did you find out about the company?
“I discovered INCON-LOGISTIC Ltd. during a school presentation. Right after the presentation, I signed up via email, and I soon had a job interview. I was offered one of the summer internship positions and got to start working!”
What was your first week at INCON like?
“It was a whirlwind! The training was fantastic, and I learned a ton of new information and gained valuable experience that helped me get a better grasp of my future career. It was exactly what I was hoping for. My colleagues were friendly and super helpful, and at first, I often turned to them for assistance.”
What was your biggest fear at the beginning? What was your first impression?
“My biggest fear was communicating over the phone with subcontractors and establishing contact via email and phone with English-speaking partners. I was also worried about making a huge mistake and getting fired.”
How were you able to apply what you learned in school?
“I was able to apply some of my school knowledge, but I learned a lot more in just 1-2 months here than I did during the last school year. At school, I learned about the application of INCOTERMS (international trade terms), which we use quite frequently in the office.”
How do you think you will incorporate the knowledge you gained here into your studies?
“Kriszta conducts trainings for us during the internship to help us achieve better results in school. Plus, when we come back next summer, we’ll be able to support the company in more areas. I learned how to calculate cubic meters here, which I found interesting. I also expanded my knowledge on truck types, body types, filling out CMR forms, and bills of lading. In the future, I’ll be able to contribute to the curriculum, and I’ll understand it much better. I can help my classmates achieve better grades. I’ve gained a much broader perspective on the industry and discovered new things that I hadn’t learned in school before.”
What was your biggest challenge?
“Negotiating over the phone with an English carrier. I was really nervous…”
Can you share a success story?
“I was able to sell two shipments as one deal. Representing the client’s interests, I sought out a very favorable rate for the shipment, but nobody wanted to take it on. Then another order came in, and one of the carriers saw business potential in both orders and agreed to take on both shipments. That was my first independent dispatch!”
Overall, how do you view the workflow after a month here?
“Since I started working here, I’ve been writing and reading a lot more English texts, which I understand more or less. This has greatly improved my English skills. I feel like I’ve gained a lot of experience that I can apply in school. I’ve effectively utilized my communication skills and feel much more confident when I make phone calls. My problem-solving skills have improved as well, and my vocabulary has expanded. I’m approaching work differently than before. I don’t regret coming here to work. I like the atmosphere in the office, and the job is diverse. My coworkers have been kind and helpful throughout. I’ve grown to love this profession, and I’d like to come back and I can definitely see myself working here in the future.”
KRISZ is a student of the Siófok Vocational Secondary School Krúdy Gyula Technical School and Gymnasium.
How did you find out about the company?
“I discovered them at the logistics day at school, which took place in April. Their presentation really caught my attention, along with everything they said about the company. I liked their informative approach to logistics, and every little fact piqued my interest. In my opinion, it was of outstanding quality, which is why I decided to come work here. At the end of the presentation, I approached Kriszta and Saci, and we exchanged emails. After that, I was called in for an interview in early May, which I was a bit nervous about. That feeling quickly went away, and I felt confident it would be okay. Because of that, I wasn’t afraid of the challenges on my very first day. What I regret is that I couldn’t start right away because I had to complete my mandatory internship during the first half of the summer. Because of this, I do feel a difference in joining later than the others.”
What was your first week at INCON like?
“It went by really quickly and smoothly. I enjoyed the office, which is sophisticated and beautiful, creating a family-like atmosphere. The new challenges and the workload throughout the week felt less overwhelming than my internship, where the physical demands were more pronounced and the professional challenges weren’t very present. Here, everything was quite fast-paced, but by the end of the week, I knew what I needed to do, making it easier for me to complete my tasks quickly moving forward.”
What was your first impression?
“My first impression was that everyone was very helpful — I could ask anyone a question, and we worked step by step on everything to show how things needed to be done. I was glad that they didn’t just throw me into the deep end right away.”
What was your biggest fear at the beginning?
“I was a bit afraid that there would be very strict expectations of me, but since I didn’t have any work experience, I was really diving into the unknown.”
Were you able to apply what you learned in school? How did you do that?
“I was able to apply some of what I learned in class, but I really understood transportation and logistics here. I have a much better grasp of volume utilization, like how to calculate cubic meters. At school, for example, we filled out a lot of CMR forms and waybills, so I was able to apply that knowledge here as well.”
How do you think you will incorporate the knowledge you gained here into your studies?
“Next year, there will be more complex calculations, which will be easier after this. I think my learning will go more smoothly because I have insight into both the theoretical and practical parts, allowing me to connect the two.”
What was your biggest challenge?
“Calculating cubic meters.”
Can you share a success story?
“I can independently send out the orders, which means a lot to me.”
Overall, how do you view the workflow after three weeks?
“I now have a better understanding of the processes and I understand much more about how and why things happen. For example, I know how orders are structured and what questions I need to ask the client to ensure we can transport their goods smoothly.
I enjoyed my time here, and I plan to keep coming back after school. I want to work in this field, primarily at INCON. With my knowledge, I’ll do everything I can to help others, and I’m eager to take on challenges.”
Finally, I asked Máté how he found his time spent here.
How did you end up at the company?
“I worked here last summer as well, and I wanted to come back. I knew it was a great place, and I’d be happy to work here when school isn’t in session.”
What was your first week at INCON like?
“I’m not studying in this field, so everything around me was new — the environment, the people, and even the tasks. Despite that, I found it all interesting. I jumped into a new world, but I was excited because it allowed me to get to know a different profession.”
What was your biggest fear at the beginning? What was your first impression?
“Because of my perfectionism from sports, I aimed to perform everything perfectly, so I was worried about even the smallest mistakes at first.”
How do you find the work here, even though it’s not your field?
“Patience and perseverance have been incredibly useful for me here because this isn’t my field. Still, I managed to complete everything well, and there were no issues with my performance. I was also able to apply and improve my language skills.”
What was your biggest challenge?
“The biggest challenge was preparing the carbon footprint report, where I had to log all the data. For example, how many empty kilometers were traveled, how much fuel was consumed, how much CO2 was emitted, the weight of the cargo, and the cubic meters and weight. I gathered all the related data and then recorded it in an Excel spreadsheet.”
Can you share a success story?
“Perhaps the fact that I never made a serious mistake while writing the shipment orders, and I also wrote the follow-ups flawlessly.”
Overall, how do you see the workflow now?
“Entering a lot of data was really overwhelming, but at least I was doing meaningful work, and I was able to create the CO2 database for the shipments. I contributed to the company’s development, which makes me happy. Overall, I enjoy being here at INCON.”
Did you like our blog post? If you’re still a student and are interested in an amazing internship opportunity in the logistics industry, feel free to reach out to us! Write to info@incon-logistic.hu and we will get back to you!