Finding Community and Comfort at Albemarle: 20 Interns in Budapest

Finding Community and Comfort at Albemarle: 20 Interns in Budapest

Kata Rácz was nervous on her first day of work. As a new intern, this was, as she called it, "her first serious workplace," and she didn't know what to expect.

However, Rácz soon found her colleagues to be helpful and friendly, and a welcome event put on by the site leadership for 20 new interns helped her learn more about the company and each other. Kata is a current intern studying International Business at the Budapest Business University of Applied Sciences.

Like Rácz, other interns who attended the Welcome Event found value in the collaboration and networking available by having so many early-career students in one place. "We, as interns, really need an opportunity to bond with one another. It's almost necessary to find others with the same questions, and the event helped support the building of my community," shared Benedek Vitéz, a supply chain intern studying International Business at Corvinus University in Budapest.

In addition to building their community in the first few weeks, the interns found comfort in the transparency from leadership through events like the welcome event and town halls. Rácz spoke about her chance to hear leaders, such as Eric Norris and Netha Johnson, talk about Albemarle, "They were transparent about company matters, which was a surprise to me at first, but I very much appreciated it."

The time each intern spends at Albemarle is a foundation for their future career decision, and it's critical that they feel integrated as an essential part of the company. That's what makes events such as the Budapest Welcome Event impactful.

When asked about the intern program, Zsófia Ménesi-Ünnep, the HR Intern Program Lead, said, "I truly believe that interns are the future of Albemarle. Interns offer a 'fresh look' at our company's operational model while gaining experience in their field of interest. They can learn from our business, and we can learn from them."

Budapest currently has 41 interns who work in various job functions, from finance to supply chain.