Guest Author: Sophie Bauditz
Internship @Cisco – An e-Skills for jobs 2014 Action
We are 11 pupils from two secondary schools in Berlin: the French Gymnasium and the Berlin Metropolitan School. For two weeks we went on an exploration journey into the internet technology. Everybody in our group is using apps every day, is downloading videos and listening to streamed music. During our internship at the global network company Cisco we learned which technology is behind all that.
Many Cisco employees spent a lot of time with us telling their personal professional story or sharing technical insides about the network technology with us. We continued understanding the technical infrastructure by using courses from the Networking Academy learning platform. We even had the chance to speak with real customers and to participate in the development of marketing material. This was a new experience: Working side by side with the pros. It was surprising how many different functions such an IT company has to offer: Sales, Marketing, corporate social responsibility and of course system engineering. A global IT company is not a place for techies only. But using all communication and collaboration solutions is essential.
Fascinating for me were the perspectives on the Internet of Everything – or IoE as they say and the non-profit partnership with schools and universities: the Cisco Networking Academy. We have learnt and experienced a lot in only two weeks. Our host during the internship, Carsten Johnson, has discussed with us career opportunities in the IT sector and we know now that there is a skills gap. Or in my perspective: Empty seats to fill in the IT industry. An IT-company as an employer? Sure one of the most thrilling options.
As an intern I had the chance to make this great experience. E-Skills for Jobs is a good initiative to support young people like myself. Further IT-companies should participate.
