John Gruber, intern for the French-speaking market, has his say
His first name suggests otherwise, but John is half German and he has lived in Paris almost all his life. So no ‘Johann’ or ‘Jean’, but John. For his internship at Spryng, John moved to Amsterdam for six months in early 2021. Among other things, he developed business opportunities in the French-speaking countries of Europe for Spryng. His double hot lunches sometimes caused envious glances from colleagues towards his plate. Yes, John brought ‘Joie de vivre’ to Amsterdam. Or shall we say ‘John de vivre’?
John Gruber is studying International Business, Management and Entrepreneurship at EM Lyon Business School. Every year he has to do an internship of at least five months, preferably abroad. In his third year of study, he ended up at Spryng in Amsterdam. John: “I had high expectations of this internship. It was my first time abroad, far away from my familiar surroundings and family. But I can tell you that my expectations were completely fulfilled. I felt completely at ease within the team from the beginning. Spryng gives you the feeling of being part of a big, close-knit family. Many colleagues I’ve even come to regard as real friends.”
Creative and cheerful
John comes from a musical family and listens to music a lot and loves it. He is also a real sports fanatic. Every Monday morning he would shout “Happy Monday!” at the office for at least an hour. So no Monday morning blues at Spryng as long as John was there! And with his creative design skills, the weekly marketing meeting was a highlight on his list. He is also the man behind the first phase of the Spryng Instagram account. An energetic and creative jack-of-all-trades, John felt right at home at Spryng.
International internships at Spryng
Spryng always employs one or more interns, including those from other countries. The French/Belgian and German interns change approximately every six months. They are responsible for the sales, support and marketing activities within their own country or region. Their tasks include calling leads, providing support via the Intercom and designing, creating and posting blogs or articles. The intern works closely with the respective country manager.
Tools for learning
John: “I found that even as an intern, my voice counted at Spryng. Everyone was aware that I came to learn. I was given the tools, time and support I needed to achieve my goals. But also to develop myself personally. I was able to work in sales, marketing, customer support and even in the human resources teams. Thus, I was also able to develop both professional as personal skills beyond the learning objectives of my internship.”
An unforgettable internship
The months John spent living and working in Amsterdam were fun and inspiring. “I look back on a great time at Spryng and in Amsterdam. The people I met, the great memories, the fun together. Not to mention the nicknames I got, and of course the pancake nights after work. All that made 2021 unforgettable for me.”
Do you have any tips?
“Yes I do. If you have the opportunity to get started at Spryng, go for it!”
