Back to top Close Light Download image Go to slide [COUNT] Dark Next slide Previous slide Scroll left Scroll right Reset search input Submit search Share Stock exchange is momentarily closed
Download image

What did you study?

Gesine Biehler: Business administration.

Download image

How did you find out about EnBW and the trainee program?

Gesine Biehler: I wasn't happy in my previous job; I missed the targeted development opportunities and the culture didn't suit me either. That's why I decided to apply for a position where further development was guaranteed, preferably at a company that matched my values – and yes, I thought on LinkedIn that the trainee program in the energy industry was perfect for that.

Download image

Which locations in Germany have you been to? Do you have a favorite spot?

Gesine Biehler: That list is long... I started in Cologne at Yello, then moved on to Leipzig, Berlin, Hamburg, Istanbul (so also outside Germany), and then back to the corporate headquarters in Karlsruhe, where I currently work. I think Istanbul was my favorite spot in terms of location.

Download image

What does a typical working day in the trainee program look like – if there is such a thing as a “typical day” at all?

Gesine Biehler: Since the corporate trainee program can be tailored to each individual, I think that's difficult to answer. But what a day usually involves is a personal or content-related sparring session with either the program managers, the technical supervisor, or a fellow trainee. Around that, we continued to work on the project that we were assigned individually during our practical placements and which we usually helped to design ourselves.

Download image

Was there a project that particularly inspired you or from which you learned a lot? What situation stuck in your mind the most?

Gesine Biehler: I learned a lot in the energy industry in Berlin, where I was able to work on the preparation of the Power Plant Security Act. I remember looking at my cell phone in December 2023 full of anticipation, hoping that the law had been passed... and a year later, it still hasn't been passed.

Download image

How flexible is the trainee program? Can you contribute your own interests and areas of focus?

Gesine Biehler: As I said, the program is very individual. There is a framework, e.g., fixed periods of time in the practical assignments, during which you can move around freely. The key questions I kept asking myself were:

  • Which practical assignment suits me?
  • What kind of project am I interested in?
  • What could also play a role for EnBW in the future?
  • What do I want to get out of the trainee program for myself?

For example, at that point, I didn't want to set a focus for myself other than getting to know the entire value chain, and I made good use of the freedom I had to shape my program.

Download image

What was your biggest challenge and how did it help you grow personally or professionally?

Gesine Biehler: In addition to the relocations, the short duration of the practical placements is a challenge. Of course, this gives you the opportunity to see a lot of the company, but at the same time, you are only halfway through your training when you move on to the next exciting project.

But this diversity and breadth of topics, which comes with a high level of input, helps you grow professionally and personally, because a) you can build up a lot of technical knowledge, and b) you're constantly exposed to new people, environments, and requirements, which you learn to manage.

Download image

Where did you go abroad and what was your experience of working abroad like?

Gesine Biehler: I went to Turkey, Istanbul to be precise, and had a great time there. It's exciting to see how business relationships are cultivated differently, how the country is positioned in terms of energy, and why it is so difficult to transfer successful concepts from other countries 1:1. That impressed me.

Download image

What is your relationship with the other trainees like? Do you do a lot together?

Gesine Biehler: We always do a lot together during the transfer weeks, but as I mentioned above, I was hardly ever in Stuttgart or Karlsruhe, where most of the trainees were based. We were simply spread out across different locations, which doesn't always make things easy. However, we have organized weekend trips in the past and are currently planning a skiing trip.

Download image

Would you recommend the trainee program to others, or would you prefer to do one of the new trainee programs? What advice would you give your younger self today before starting the trainee program?

Gesine Biehler: I would do this trainee program again because I find the breadth of the company, the creative freedom, and the topics, especially with the current (political) conditions, very exciting. To my younger self... That's a good question. I think I would say: talk to even more departments when choosing a practical assignment, not because my practical assignments weren't well chosen for me, but because the preliminary discussions we have when choosing a project also provide an incredible amount of new knowledge about the company.

Download image

What are you doing today?

Gesine Biehler: Today, I am an advisor to Colette Rückert-Hennen, Executive Board Member for Human Resources, Legal, Corporate Real Estate Management, and Labor Director, and in addition to my advisory duties, I mainly deal with the financial and strategic issues of the staff.

Download image

Finally, describe the trainee program in three words.

Gesine Biehler: Growth, diversity, creativity.