Lunch with the CEO: Last week, Martin Weiss exchanged ideas with the next generation of international managers. He personally welcomed the young colleagues of the new Burda MORE International Trainee Programme.
During the Management Graduate Programme, Burda trainees work on a wide variety of projects in various locations, some of them abroad. In “Trainee talk”, they report on their experiences during this time:
Four months in Brazil – four months packed with contrasts, great people, plenty of input, a new language and educational experiences. Four months in which I developed both personally and professionally and had the time of my life.
From criminality to the Brazilian zest for life
Thanks to the Burda Management Graduate Trainee Programme, I found myself on the way to São Paulo! This massive city of 20 million people is becoming Germany’s largest industrial location abroad and is known not just for the Brazilian zest for life, but also for violence and criminality.
Business and social engagement
After a brief introduction in the office, I was involved in budget planning on my very first day. Another important and growing area of my work is Vocational Training, free courses offered to women in social and financial difficulties. The first course began at the start of the year, teaching 20 women how to sew from patterns and how to build up their own small business. The project is financed by aid money and collaborations with NGOs, state institutions and foundations. My task is both to develop and implement a concept to secure collaborative partners and to generate ideas for optimizing, transferring and expanding this approach.
Getting to know the country and people
Outside work, I spend most of my free time getting to know the country and people. And not just in São Paulo and the surrounding area – I’m spending New Year at the Copacabana, celebrating the Carnival in Rio, travelling the poorer north east of the country and even taking a short trip to the beautiful neighbouring country of Uruguay.
My conclusion? Life in São Paulo is only half as dangerous as you might think, but the people and places are twice as enchanting. And Portuguese is not the same as Spanish. Things also work differently at Burda Brasil: It focuses heavily on implementation and customer proximity and is very “hands on” to achieve the best possible result with the resources available. What particularly impressed me was that in Brazil, we don’t just inspire people with our digitalisation expertise and interesting magazines; our courses also give them the chance of a new life.
