Justin on his internship at Vivochem
"What does an internship look like when you're doing research and gaining hands-on experience? For his graduation internship at Vivochem, Justin Walsma is researching customer satisfaction while also helping with the organisation of trade fairs. We spoke with him about his work, what he's learned, and what he enjoys most about working at Vivochem."
Could you briefly introduce yourself?
"My name is Justin Walsma; I'm 21 and studying Entrepreneurship & Retail Management at Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen. I'm in my fourth and final year, and I'm in the middle of my graduation phase. I'm doing that through an internship at Vivochem."
How did you end up at Vivochem?
"I actually got here through someone I know. A friend works at Ferr-Tech, a partner company of Vivochem, and through him, I ended up doing an internship there last year. During that internship, I attended the PRSE, where I talked to Ronald Ijzer from Vivochem. I told him I was looking for a company to do research for the next year, and later a graduation internship. In the first half of this school year, I conducted a research project for Vivochem together with a classmate. And now, I am doing my graduation project and working with the team."
Did it feel familiar from the start?
"Yes, definitely. Because I had already been at Vivochem for the earlier research project and knew some people through my previous internship at Ferr-Tech, it didn't feel like I was completely new. That made the transition a lot smoother."
What are your main responsibilities during this internship?
"My graduation research is the main focus. It's all about customer satisfaction. There wasn't really a structured approach to that yet, so I'm now carrying out a study that will help Vivochem monitor and improve it over time."
And how are you going about that?
"I'm writing the questions, deciding on the methodology, and I'll analyse the results myself. It's my project from start to finish."
And besides that, you're also part of the sales and marketing team?
"Yes, I'm mostly involved with everything related to trade fairs. I help organise them, from deciding what goes on the stand to ensuring everything is ordered and booked. At the event itself, I help out by talking to visitors. I support everything around the show to make sure it all runs smoothly. That way, the sales team can fully focus on their conversations."
What makes that work interesting for you?
"The variety. You are working towards something very concrete, which is the trade fair, and in the run-up to it, you are constantly working on something different. One moment, I'm researching something; the next, I'm making phone calls or working in Excel. I really enjoy that mix. There's also an element of coordination, making sure everyone does what they need to on time."
Which trade fairs have you been to so far?
"Aquatech and PRSE. I mostly helped on-site at Aquatech, because I had just started then. However, for PRSE, I was also closely involved in the preparations. Funny enough, I had already helped organise that trade fair last year for Ferr-Tech, so I was already familiar with it."
What's been your favourite part of the internship so far?
"Working towards the trade fair itself. You start with an idea or a concept, and then you see it all come together at the event. It's satisfying when everything runs as planned."
Were there any moments that stood out to you?
"Yes. I enjoy staying over during multi-day events. In the evenings, you go out for dinner with the team and talk about things other than work. You get to know your colleagues in a completely different way. It makes those trade fair weeks not just intense, but also fun."
"Definitely. Especially the chemical terminology you come across. I haven't taken chemistry since my third year of secondary school, so it takes a bit of effort to process all those technical English terms. If I really have no clue, I ask someone with more specific knowledge. That works best."
What have you learned from helping organise the trade fairs?
"That it's essential to have a clear purpose at your stand. At PRSE, we had that in place, and it showed because many people stopped and engaged. A good-looking stand is not enough on its own. If it's not immediately clear what your company does, you'll lose potential visitors."
How would you describe Vivochem as a place to intern?
"It's a fun and educational internship. There are quite a few different departments here, so there's something for everyone. The atmosphere is great. It's fairly informal, which I like. People are helpful and open to questions. The only downside is that I live quite far away. So if I had to give one tip to future interns, it would be to try and live nearby, haha."
What would you still like to learn during the rest of your internship?
"I mainly want to keep improving the way I approach tasks. I'd like to work more efficiently and get things up and running quickly. You learn that naturally, especially when you help organise several trade fairs. I can already tell it's becoming easier."
