Internships at the Dow Chemical Company

The DOW Chemical Company Internship Programme 2008

EmployAbility in partnership with Dow Chemical is pleased to bring you brand new international internship and graduate opportunities. Dow is a leader in science and technology, providing innovative chemical, plastic and agricultural products and services to many essential consumer markets. With annual sales of $49 billion, Dow serves customers in more than 175 countries and a wide range of markets that are vital to human progress, including food, transportation, health and medicine, personal and home care, and building and construction, among others.

Committed to the principles of sustainable development, Dow and its approximately 43,000 employees seek to balance economic, environmental and social responsibilities. Dow Olefinverbund GmbH is part of The Dow Chemical Company, which owns 4 production sites in the Halle/Leipzig area. Production sites are located in Schkopau (ca.1800 employees) Boehlen (ca.600 employees), Leuna and Teutschenthal.

If you are curious and creative, readily embrace change, are able to adapt quickly and are looking for the chance to grow through challenging work, the opportunities at Dow might just be right for you!

Dow are offering internship opportunities in a number of different functions including: Maintenance, Research & Development, Manufacturing & Engineering, Human Resources, Finance, Purchasing, Public Affairs, Supply Chain/Logistics, and Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S)

What’s in it for you?

• Possibility to work for a global leader in the chemical industry
• Working in a diverse international environment with a high degree of people interaction
• Interesting and challenging projects
• An internship at Dow gives you the opportunity to work in a real work environment, to develop yourself, to get to know Dow as an employer and to show your capabilities in relation to future job opportunities
• Highly competitive compensation for your internship/contribution
• Freedom and flexibility in designing your workweek
• The chance to maximize your career potential

Qualifications

To qualify for the above opportunities you must:

• Be studying towards a BSc/BA or Masters degree or any other type of university degree
• Have ability to communicate in English, and preferably have some basic knowledge of another major European language (e.g. German, French, Italian or Spanish) skills will be considered useful
• Have high initiative, ability to work independently in a multi task environment, willingness to work in teams and strong technical skills are very important aspects.

If you are interested in applying for internship opportunities in any of the function areas mentioned above, please download, fill in and return this application form with a copy of your CV to EmployAbility at info@eability.org.

Download Application Form (MS Word)

If you are not able to access this form or need it in a different format, please contact Sarah Denness on tel: 07852 764 684 or email: sarah.denness@eability.org

Please note: the closing date for receipt of applications to this programme is Friday 30th May 2008.

Please follow this link for further opportunities with the Dow Chemical company. These opportunities are on offer in the following areas: Environment, Health & Safety, Manufacturing and Engineering, Research and Development.

"A Fresh Face at Dow"

Thomas Christen is a new face at Dow Europe. Having completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing Communication from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts in December, 2005, and most recently gaining valuable work experience as Brand Executive, GAULOISES at British American Tobacco S.A, he joined Dow in October, 2007 as Commercial Development Assistant, East Europe Growth Region.

Like Dow’s other university graduates Thomas possess many of the same characteristics that make them unique: He is young, well-educated, energetic, and at the start of his career. With one important difference: Thomas was born with Spastic Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral Palsy refers to a group of non-progressive, non-contagious disorders that involve a loss of movement or other nerve functions. These are the result of damage to the motor control centers (the cortex) of the young, developing brain. Damage can occur either during pregnancy (5%), child birth (75%) or some time thereafter (15%).

In Thomas’ case an abnormality in the tightness of his muscle tone and a lack of muscle strength exists. As a result, his lower extremities are most visibly affected. Having engaged in rigorous physical therapy and a wide variety of sports, hard work and discipline are nothing new. They have become routine. Thomas has not let his disability hinder him in any way and this determination and dedication are reflected in his work ethic and his attention to detail. “Not once while working with Thomas, have I ever considered him a person with disability. He maintains a high level of performance and accountability, pressing on regardless of obstacles. I think of him when I am frustrated or overloaded and try to follow his example,” says Giuliano Tomassi, Business Development Director for the E.E.G.R and Thomas` supervisor.

So why did Thomas choose Dow as a potential employer?

Having gained sound communications experience at large, multi-national firms, Thomas looked set to stay within a “traditional” brand marketing environment. And although initially hesitant, the move, he says, “came quite naturally”. Thomas, who has always been close to Dow and its lifestyle comments, “I was excited about the possibility of traveling the globe and about the idea of working for a company with such a solid reputation as a world leader. At Dow you can fully realize your potential and establish a career.”

Thomas also mentioned his first experiences with Dow Europe as a deciding factor in his decision to join Dow. “After having submitted my application I was contacted by Gabriele Badini, Diversity & Inclusion Director, to see if any special arrangements needed to be made. Having not indicated my disability on my C.V the phone call pleasantly surprised me. They took their time to study my qualifications, assess my potential and reach out to me regardless of my disability.” EmployAbility provided Gabriele Badini with valuable over-the-shoulder advice in preparation for the interview process and have supported other initiatives at Dow such as delivering a Disability Awareness Training to an international group of HR professionals.

As Dow strives to attract, develop and retain the best, individuals like Thomas are vital to the success of our strategic themes. Using Dow’s internal employee networks, such as the European Disability Employee Network (e-DEN), as a platform, Dow is able to further its corporate and business strategy and aim towards strengthening its people centric performance culture.