TOWA: An internship that pays off

Looking for an internship with great development opportunities? Faye talks about her experience as a design trainee at TOWA and how she was subsequently taken on.

After almost three months, my time as a user experience and user interface trainee at TOWA is coming to an end. But before the internship is finally over, I'd like to summarise everything I've experienced and learned during this exciting time.

How did it all start?

After completing my multimedia degree in graphic design, I looked around for a digital agency where the following points had to fit:

- The option to be taken on as a full-time employee

- A high potential for further development (be it practical experience, expertise or personal growth)

- A great and open team

After a job interview and the trial day at TOWA, I knew that this agency was the one! "Around 90% of interns are taken on by us," says Tanja at the interview, who started as an intern at TOWA herself and is now Tribe Lead. This meant that 2 of my requirements had already been met: The option to be taken on afterwards - check and a high potential for further development - check .

The only thing missing was the last point: What is the team like? During the trial day, I was able to get a clear picture of the working atmosphere and my colleagues. I was even able to get to know my colleagues from the head office in Bregenz via Google Meet. I immediately felt at home because they made me feel like I was already part of the team. And so the last requirement was also fulfilled - check .

P.S.: Compared to other agencies, interns at TOWA are also very well paid - just by the way In addition to the good salary, there are other benefits, such as premium hardware in the form of a company laptop or mobile phone. Yes, even as an intern you get a laptop of your choice!

Ready, steady, go

The onboarding process was very structured and smooth. On my first day, I was welcomed to my desk with my new MacBook, including a mouse, sweets and a daily agenda. For the first few weeks, Tanja put together a Trello board with various UI/UX resources, courses, exercises and challenges. Learning, applying, presenting, feedback - almost all tasks were structured in this way.

My assigned buddy Jacqueline always helped me with questions or tips and tricks. In this way, I was able to learn a lot in a very short time, such as the Figma program, which is now one of my favourite UI/UX software. I am a thousand times grateful for that!

Subsequently, I have already been able to work on customer projects. Thanks to Julius, I have been able to work directly on many projects, such as the creation of: Newsletter templates for trade fairs, a landing page for a browser extension as well as on internal projects such as designing Power BI dashboards, social media posts and PowerPoint slides in the new TOWA brand was also part of my remit. So I never got bored!

Thanks to the constructive and appreciated feedback from Julius, I was able to continuously improve. However, you have to have the will to develop yourself! TOWA's biggest enemy is stagnation. As my motivation and values matched those of the agency, I was taken on as a result.

My top 3 highlights

01 Flexible working hours / personal responsibility

What impressed me right from the start were the flexible working hours and the freedom to choose where and how to work. TOWA attaches great importance to personal responsibility and mutual trust. Even as an intern, I enjoyed this freedom. You won't find clichéd tasks such as making coffee, filling up photocopiers or organising documents during a TOWA internship (luckily ).

02 I am part of it!

I particularly like the fact that interns are treated as full team members and are assigned specific and meaningful tasks. I never had the impression that I was "just" the intern. I was sometimes invited to important meetings - even to the photo shoot for the TOWA website, although at the time I wasn't sure whether I would stay with the company long-term.

03 team events

I have also been lucky enough to take part in many company events and make friends with colleagues and other interns. During my internship, I have already been able to experience 4 events:

Two breakfasts together, a games evening and, to top it all off, the ski event. Yes, I was able to take part in TOWA's very first big ski event. We were in Silvretta for two days (plus an optional extra day)! There I got to know my colleagues from Bregenz in person. We ate, partied and did sports together! It was a really great experience.

Conclusion

My dream is coming true thanks to TOWA - I have always longed to work for an agency that is truly committed to society and actively promotes equal opportunities for all. For the very first time, I feel like I belong at a company: the team, the corporate philosophy, the motivation to develop, big dreams and goals, the creative/flexible way of working, etc. Everything just fits. - Everything just fits.

Now I have the rare opportunity to try out other areas besides UI/UX design, such as project management or social media. I am excited and looking forward to my future path as a Junior UI/UX Designer at TOWA.