From Hamburg to Shanghai: Three months service adventure for our trainee

Daniel, how did you come to Eppendorf?

Two things came together: My grandfather had always told me that Eppendorf would be an interesting employer for me. And then my girlfriend found the trainee vacancy at Eppendorf. After my Bachelor's degree in International Business Management East Asia, which had already taken me to China, and my Master's degree in Economic Geography and Mobility, the international nature of Eppendorf was a real incentive for me. After my application at the end of November 2022, things went very quickly. The entire application process took just 3 weeks. On December 21, I already had the signed contract in my hands - that was a really great Christmas present.

Why is internationality particularly important to you?

For me, internationality is like a great adventure. When I was about 15 years old, I had the opportunity to spend a year in the USA as an exchange student. This experience sparked my interest in other cultures and languages. In 2013, I moved back to my family in Shanghai, China.  I went to school there, graduated from high school and started studying Chinese. During my bachelor's degree, I moved to Nanning for a year to continue my language studies. I just love the exchange with people from other countries because I always learn new things about myself and try to integrate them into my daily life. In addition to my interest in foreign cultures and languages - especially Asian ones - my passion for soccer in China has brought me into contact with many great people from a wide variety of cultures. That enriches me personally immensely. Internationality therefore plays an important role for me, and not just in my private life.

What is your task in Global Service?

My job is to learn and understand everything about Service at Eppendorf. This includes questions such as: Which service products are sold? How is service training structured for a specific product? What kind of things make the life of a Field Support Engineer easier when an Eppendorf centrifuge needs to be serviced or repaired? I started my traineeship in Business Management and then switched to Technical Support. In the 7 months I worked in Business Management, I was given responsibility for a project such as Global Service Product Harmonization, which I continue to manage.

What do you like most about the traineeship at Eppendorf?

As a trainee, you enjoy very high visibility in the company because you can build up a really good network through the various departments and responsible tasks and introduce yourself everywhere, e.g. in the form of discussions and meetings with managers or also in cross-company (Management Board) projects. And as a trainee, I also have all the learning opportunities that Eppendorf offers: LinkedIn Learning, Kaizen events, centrifuge product training, project management training, storytelling and so on. I do this proactively and feel supported on my learning journey at Eppendorf.

The exchange with the other trainees is also really great! We meet every week, exchange ideas and help each other. It's like a little family. I particularly appreciate the international exchange and the opportunity to work abroad to gain valuable experience. From May to July 2024, I spent three months in Shanghai to support the service organization there. It felt like coming home.

What tasks did you have during your stay in China?

I went through many stations: Firstly, I spent a few weeks in the laboratory and familiarized myself with all the processes there. I was also able to take part in an audit at the Eppendorf calibration laboratory in Guangzhou. It was exciting to see how this works and what is required. Then I spent a few weeks travelling to customers with Field Support. I was impressed by the companies that use Eppendorf products and how well known we are at universities. For example, we organized campaign days at Zhejiang University in Hangzhou. During this time, the students were able to have Eppendorf pipettes and dispensers serviced and calibrated. In two days, the colleagues serviced an incredible 4,000 pipettes. During this time, I was able to get a good impression and talk to the students.

What were the biggest challenges?

Although I studied Chinese, the language barrier was enormous at the beginning. The deeper you got into the subject matter in meetings, the more difficult it became. The technical terms were particularly challenging, as terms such as centrifuge or combi-tips are not part of the standard repertoire of a Chinese language course. Fortunately, most of the local Eppendorfers also speak English, so I got on well overall. Of course, it helps if you know a little Chinese.

Do you have any tips for young talents such as students or trainees?

You can really learn and experience a lot at Eppendorf. You have the opportunity to get to know many different areas and there are great opportunities for further training. That's really a big plus! So always stay curious and open to new things! Take every opportunity to gain experience and learn from your colleagues. And if you get the opportunity, spend some time abroad. This will not only help you on your CV, but you will also learn a lot about yourself.