Internships at GACCoM

The German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest (GACCoM), located in downtown Chicago, is offering two different traineeship programs:

J1-Traineeship for German students or graduates

The mission of GACCoM is to further, promote, and assist in the expansion of bilateral trade and investment between Germany and the United States. The minimum duration of the traineeship is eight to ten months, however, longer internships of up to 18 months are preferable. Traineeships can start at any time, year-round.  All traineeships 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.  The main requirements include solid research skills, strong communication skills, self-motivation, proficiency in English and German, a great interest in working with an international team, and a high motivation to help GACCoM accomplishing its mission. German students or graduates will need a J1-visa in order to intern in the United States. Once you have been accepted into an traineeship, we will provide you with leads on how to apply for a J1-visa. All J1-Trainees also receive support to get settled into Chicago.

Traineeship for US students or graduates

The mission of GACCoM is to further, promote, and assist in the expansion of bilateral trade and investment between Germany and the United States. The minimum duration of this traineeship is six months, however, longer traineeships are preferred. The main requirements include solid research skills, strong communication skills, self-motivation, proficiency in English and German, a great interest in working with an international team, and a high motivation to help GACCoM accomplish its mission. Typically, traineeships are done either as a summer or semester hiatus from college, or upon completion of a degree program, in order to gain German-American business experience prior to entering the workforce.  Most commonly, US traineeships are in our Consulting Services department, and provide a way for US trainees to gain first-hand business experience working with German companies in their US market development. 

We are offering positions for traineeships/internships in the following areas:

Member Services:

The trainee will  work with the Manager Member Services and gain valuable experience in the production of German American Trade, the Chamber’s national magazine distributed throughout the German-American business community, ChamberBrief, a monthly e-newsletter, the upkeep of our website, event management, as well as marketing to new and current members.  Major events where trainees are typically involved include political visits from Germany, planning our annual events like the Merlin Awards Gala, Wine Dinner, Economic Forum, CEO Speaker Series, Young Executive Committee events, and networking events.  In addition, the trainee will be involved in staff meetings, Member events, and general telephone inquiries.  Candidates for this type of traineeship should have excellent organizational and project management skills, exceedingly high attention to detail, and an understanding of communications and PR.  Prior experience in event management, public relations, graphic design, or web development are particularly helpful.

Consulting Services:

The trainee will learn first-hand about bilateral trade between the US and Germany from the practical perspective of handling inquiries about the U.S. market, received from companies interested in expanding their transatlantic sales.  In addition, the trainee will be involved in several projects, from support of German business delegations visiting the Midwest to the search for business partners for German companies in selected areas of business.  Trainees often have to opportunity to manage the virtual office of one or more German companies in the US.  For this traineeship, a strong technical aptitude is necessary.  While technical or engineering experience is not expected, a trainee should have an interest in learning more about new technology, its applications, and working with companies to identify the most appropriate strategies for bringing their products to market.  Typically, the most common projects involve renewable energy, architecture and energy efficient building technologies, automation and machinery, automotive-related technologies, and medical devices, though a wide range of other technologies and industries are addressed on an ongoing basis such as nanotechnology, specialty chemicals and coatings, software, electronics and consumer products.  Very strong English skills are an absolute requirement.

Christkindlmarket Chicago:

The trainee will gain experience by helping organize one of the world’s largest holiday markets outside of Germany, and will primarily assist on event planning and coordination, with some event marketing.  The trainee must be at least 21 years old to assist at the Market.  During the year, the trainee will focus on pre-event planning and administration as well as sponsorship acquisition.  In November and December, the intern will help outside at the Market and at the on-site office handling customer relations, sales and vendor administration. Knowledge of the German language is NOT a requirement but would be helpful.  For more information on the Christkindlmarket Chicago, please visit www.christkindlmarket.com.

Compensation:

The compensation for the first three months is 500 USD per month. After this period, the remuneration will be gradually increased. Please note, that the minimum intern-/traineeships duration is 9 months, preferably longer.

Contact information:

To learn more about our traineeship opportunities and vacancies please contact Sabine Klensch at klensch(at)gaccom.org.