If you take care of it very early (about 12 months before), you can try it at the “big ones”: Thyssen, Philips, Beiersdorf, Siemens, Airbus, EADS, HEW etc. try. In these companies, internships are usually very well supervised and the training opportunities are wide-ranging.

Small or medium-sized companies can also be approached. This also works at short notice. However, it may not be possible to adhere absolutely and exactly to the requirements of the internship regulations. This is not necessarily a bad thing (see How strictly are the internship regulations interpreted?). The easiest way to find out about companies in your area is to check the Yellow Pages (German) or similar business directories. You can also find a list of companies on the dual@TUHH page (German); We are currently working on a list of companies, that have accepted TUHH Students before. If you have successfully applied somewhere, please let us know how- and for what you apllied.

In our experience, the following procedure for small or medium-sized companies is lengthy, but promising:

Before you go to the trouble of writing an application, writing your resume, and copying or scanning old references, the first thing that helps is a quick call to suitable companies. Introduce yourself briefly and ask about opportunities for basic internships. Most people you catch on the phone will spontaneously say “No!” at first. Especially if the no comes without a reason, it is worthwhile to ask again. But be sure to be polite!

You may have to make a few phone calls before you find one or two companies where you have a chance. Then you can discuss whether you should come directly to the interview or whether they would like to have a written application with the usual documents.

Alternatively, you can also go to the companies in person. You may be less likely to be turned away on the spot than on the phone.

Most large companies, on the other hand, want a written application by mail or online right away. It still doesn't hurt to call to see if there are any openings.

Large companies in particular pay interns a small stipend. With most other companies, you can be out of luck: You're on the internship, and in return, you're doing work for the company.

The internship regulations are interpreted quite “flexibly”. If you have done some of the activities from all of the above points, the times are approximately correct and you have completed your 10 weeks in full, the internship is usually recognized.