A new language, a new work environment, and the chance to contribute his own ideas: During his internship at HAHN Automation Group, Andrei from Brazil is experiencing everyday IT work at an international automation company. He also brings plenty to the table—around seven years of software development experience and a clear plan for his future.
How do IT teams in Germany work? What goes on behind the scenes to automate production processes? And could Germany one day become a place to build a career? For Andrei, these are questions best answered firsthand.
The software developer comes from São Leopoldo in the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Alongside his professional work, he is studying systems analysis and software development. Through the Goethe-Institut Porto Alegre, he discovered a program that combines language learning with practical insights into German companies. That opportunity eventually brought him to our IT department in Rheinböllen.
From German Classes to Everyday Working Life
Before starting his internship, Andrei focused on the language: From February through July, he attended German courses at the Goethe-Institut Porto Alegre and the Goethe-Institut Freiburg.
This gave him an important foundation for navigating daily life in Germany and connecting with his colleagues. After all, Andrei wanted more than a look behind the scenes. He wanted to find out what working in Germany actually feels like.
“I’m very interested in Germany and its work culture,” he explains. The internship gave him the opportunity to experience it for himself.
Contributing, Learning, and Discovering the Variety
In our IT department, Andrei gained insight into a variety of tasks: from infrastructure with switches and servers to software development with C# and TypeScript to working with Microsoft SQL databases. Another focus was collaborating with a colleague from IT on our company's own AI chatbot. He also learned about our ERP system, in which information from various departments converges. Thus, he experienced how software and AI support the processes in an automation company.
Andrei particularly valued the opportunity to get involved and contribute his experience as a software developer. At the same time, working with his colleagues taught him something new every day.
His perspective also extended beyond IT. Andrei already knew he would be joining a large company, but the variety of HAHN Automation Group’s solutions and applications still surprised him. The technical insights and personal connections gave him an increasingly clear picture of everyday working life in Germany—and helped him develop a more concrete vision for his own professional future.
An Initiative Rooted in a Shared History
Andrei’s stay was made possible by “Volta à Terra Prometida – Zurück ins gelobte Land” (“Back to the Promised Land”), a project run by the Goethe-Institut Porto Alegre in cooperation with the Regionalrat Wirtschaft Rhein-Hunsrück, a regional economic development organization, and its GELOBTES LAND regional promotion campaign. The program combines German language learning with company visits and job shadowing, allowing young people from Brazil to explore career opportunities in Germany and make their first professional connections.
The name reflects a special connection: Around 200 years ago, people from the Hunsrück region emigrated to southern Brazil. Today, the initiative gives young Brazilians the opportunity to make the journey in the opposite direction and get to know the region.
HAHN Automation Group took part in the original pilot project in 2024, welcoming Rafael Lange Rabelo as an intern. With Andrei, we are now continuing this exchange.
Returning to Brazil with a Clear Goal
For Andrei, the experience has reinforced a clear ambition: He wants to move to Germany and work here in 2027. The internship has helped him better understand his next steps in terms of professional skills, language learning, and personal development.
“This internship has brought me much closer to my goal of working in Germany next year.” That is why he strongly recommends the program to other young people in Brazil. His advice: Take the opportunity to experience the country’s daily life, culture, and language firsthand and form your own impressions.
We thank Andrei for his ideas, his curiosity, and the time he spent with our IT team—and wish him every success in his next steps!
