Kaan Akkanat: Diary of a Business Associate Intern – Europe
October 21st, 2013 | Published in Google Student Blog
Diary of a Business Associate Intern - Europe
Our 'Diary of a Business Associate Intern' series is designed to give you an inside look into the life of Google interns based all over Europe. Today, the spotlight is on Kaan Akkanat from Turkey, who is a Business Associate Intern with the Enterprise Large Company Sales team (Northern and Central Europe) in Google Dublin.
Hello World,
I am halfway through my Business Associate Internship here at Google Ireland but before diving into the details; let me first tell you a bit about myself and my pathway towards Google.
I grew up in Istanbul and lived there until I got the inspiration to pursue my bachelor degree abroad. Then, I decided to go to Jacobs University Bremen (JUB) in Germany. I am studying Global Economics and Management and will return to my final year after I complete this extraordinary experience with Google. While I am coming from an extremely international university, I am now experiencing diversity for the first time at a corporate level.
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| EMEA ISA TEAM - Team off-site event/ Bray Cliff Walk |
So, how did I get here? It all started with a visit by Google’s University Programmes team to JUB. After familiarising myself with the company, my next step was creating a team to participate in ‘Google Online Marketing Challenge’ which is an opportunity for students to experience and manage online marketing campaigns using Google AdWords. Following a successful performance in this challenge, I applied for BOLD Immersion Program (Building Opportunities for Leadership & Development) in Hamburg and got the chance to spend three spectacular days in Google Hamburg with other selected students. This experience made me consider other opportunities in Google and led me to apply for the Business Associate Internship at Google. It’s all about staying informed and making the most of the activities you are involved in. I would encourage others to look out for opportunities like this.
I am a member of the EMEA Inside Sales team and I’m currently working on Project Fener (lantern in Turkish). As the name suggests, my task is to ‘shine a light’ by working with companies in the Turkish Market to showcase the various online tools that are their disposal to harness the economic benefits of the Internet. Overall, I have learnt a lot about the sales processes, cultural differences in sales interactions and the dynamics of a multi-dimensional organization.
It has been 6 weeks since I began and in that time I have not had a ‘typical” day. Every new day is a different mixture of: data analysis, proactive sales interactions, playing sports, communicating or identifying opportunities for businesses in the Turkish Market, having fun and meeting new people. Trust me everyday is different! Google is a network-oriented organization and there is no better way to learn and grasp the functions of Google than through networking. You learn from everything and everyone. I do not really know how I can emphasize this more, but I think it is fair to say that learning is a big - if not the biggest - part of this experience.
So, I mentioned fun and sports; how about that? One of many things that makes Google an excellent place to work is that the opportunity it gives Googlers to integrate leisure and work. I usually play pool with my friends at the end of the day right before going to basketball with Googlers. I go to the gym and prefer to run in the great parks and coasts of Dublin during the weekends. I am not even going to mention the TGIF and various other fancy activities (inside or outside of Google) that you can enjoy with your friends.
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| Check out the photo of our Montenegro team which actually contains only one Montenegrin but yes :) This was the spirit which actually helped us get "The Best Newcomers Award" |
Your fellow interns are usually your closest friends since you adapt to this new environment together. It is always entertaining to share your experiences about your projects and activities with others since it actually creates a mutual learning environment. We also arrange trips together to explore new corners of Dublin and attend different activities organised by Google, like the World Cup (Google style).
All in all, I can open-heartedly tell you that interning at Google is an amazing opportunity to grow professionally, to build your skills and expectations and to actualize your potential!
I wish you all a Googley journey to your dreams!
Interested in becoming a Google intern? Fill out this form for further info on the 2014 Google Summer internship programme in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Please note: This is a speculative application. You will be contacted once the application process for next year’s programme goes live.
EEA work authorization is required for roles supporting EEA markets.
For resume and interview tips before you apply, check out this Hangout on Air. Additionally, please find up to date information on all job and internship postings in EMEA on our job site, and learn more about how the hiring process works.
Posted by Tony Nelli, Tech University Programmes