Note to applicants:
Interns in the Consulting Services department of our organization will work out of the GACC Midwest office in Chicago. As such, applicants must either currently reside in the Greater Chicago Area or be available for relocation, before the start of the internship.
Compensation: $2825/month
Duration: 9-12 months
The mission of the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest (GACC Midwest) is to promote and assist bilateral trade and investment between Germany and the United States. All internships offer the opportunity to gain work experience in a truly bilingual and bicultural environment, with support from colleagues that can help speed the learning curve of understanding intercultural differences and nuances. Read more about our organization at www.gaccmidwest.org.
With a wide range of support requests and research duties, the single client support team is able to assist client companies through targeted research aimed at meeting all of our client's needs. Ranging from researching and analyzing market potential to establishing distribution channels, assisting with site selections, mergers and acquisitions, and searching for business partners, our team does it all. Apply and be a part of a dedicated consulting team that supports and manages virtual office accounts for small to medium-sized German-headquartered enterprises from across a broad spectrum of industries including manufacturing, renewable energy engineering, and consumer products. For detailed information on the efforts of our single client support team and our general market entry services, please visit: https://www.gaccmidwest.org/en/services/market-entry-usa/
What does this internship entail?
- Supporting and managing virtual office accounts for small to medium-sized German-headquartered enterprises, as they enter and expand their business in the US. These organizations come from across a broad spectrum of industries including manufacturing, renewable energy engineering, and consumer products
- Research & identification of and outreach to potential business partners in the US (sales and distribution partners, potential clients, network partners etc.)
- Primary and secondary research to gather market intelligence for client companies.
- Providing weekly to monthly direct report of day-to-day business to virtual office account executives as well as regular strategic meetings for continuous updates strengthening strong professional relationships throughout our clients.
- Assist with developing our clients’ sales and marketing strategies for the United States.
- Support clients’ marketing activities in the US by preparing social media posts (B2B marketing) and assist with content plans and localization of marketing content.
- Assist in responding to initial inquiries from German companies on topics such as import and export regulations, product certification in the U.S. market and more.
- Participate in meetings with clients, to get in-depth industry knowledge and how the client companies operate in their US-Market expansion.
- Supporting the consulting department’s business development activities with target client acquisition as well as by cross selling relevant German American Chamber of Commerce products and services to further develop existing clients’ businesses in the US market.
- Support and participate in international trade, industry, and networking events.
Who are we looking for?
- High-level proficiency in the English language as well as advanced German language skills
- Strong research and communication skills (verbal and written) with attention to detail and a strong work ethic
- Strong understanding of fundamental business concepts
- Experience in B2B marketing, LinkedIn, and basic graphic design skills are a plus.
- Excellent project management and prioritization skills
- Strong interest in learning more about the international business development activities and expansion of German companies throughout the Midwest region of the United States
- A great interest in working with an international team and a high level of motivation to help GACC Midwest accomplish its mission
Why join GACC Midwest?
Our organization, GACC Midwest, strives to provide our interns with an environment that allows them to succeed in every aspect of their role. Our interns have the opportunity to gain the ability to put new things into practice and network and meet key members in our extensive membership base while learning more about German American business efforts happening day in and day out.
With a beautiful state-of-the-art office space in the heart of the city overlooking Millennium Park, interns are able to easily navigate throughout Downtown Chicago and experience the rich culture the city has to offer – such as complimentary German lessons offered by the Goethe Institute specifically for our employees. Within our office building, all GACC Midwest team members have access to the fitness center with free classes being offered regularly as well as general community events as planned by the building staff.