Left to right: Maik Boeckmann, product manager, and Leo Pellizzari, manager finance & administration, both of Miele Limited; Prof. Jeff Peck, past director CCGES; and Stephen Caldow, senior business analyist, Miele Limited
Finding your dream job immediately after graduation is no easy feat, but with determined planning, strong networking – and a York-aided internship – it can be done, says York IMBA grad Stephen Caldow.
After a three-month internship with the Canadian subsidiary of German home appliance manufacturer Miele Limited, Caldow received a permanent position as a senior business analyst. But securing the job, he says, wasn’t simply a matter of being at the right place at the right time.
“I laid the groundwork to get this position for many years,” Caldow says, “by learning to speak German through my work experience and my studies, and by making the right networking connections through the Canadian Centre for German and European Studies.”
One of the requirements of the IMBA program (for International Masters of Business Administration) at York’s Schulich School of Business is fluency in an international language and one year of study abroad. Caldow fulfilled both requirements in Germany, with the connections and support he received from York’s CCGES as part of its Graduate Diploma Program.
“Although the IMBA program was already well-rounded,” Caldow said, “the CCGES Graduate Diploma Program allowed me to deepen my understanding of Germany, which is a must for someone intending to leverage his intercultural knowledge in a tight job market.”
Upon his return from Germany, the CCGES facilitated Caldow’s internship placement with Miele Limited Canada, where he worked on a pilot project involving an analysis of the upscale appliance market in North America.
“What they were expecting and what I delivered were very close,” Caldow says. “My business skills and cultural knowledge enabled me to get up to speed and make productive contributions at Miele very quickly.” Jan Heck, president of Miele Limited, decided Caldow’s contribution to the company was too valuable to lose and a new position was created specifically for him.
To Caldow, who has a passion for domestic devices and international business, internships are an excellent way to bridge the gap between commerce and academia. “I’m exactly where I want to be,” he says. “I couldn’t have scripted it better.”