I find the Gulf region really interesting for civil engineers and intend to focus on construction IT at university, and so I decided to apply for an internship with HOCHTIEF ViCon in Qatar. Once I had applied online and completed a telephone interview, I was accepted for a 6-month internship in Doha.

Even before leaving Germany, I had got in touch with other interns in Qatar. When I arrived in Doha, I found it helpful that a more experienced intern told me about the city and its cultural characteristics. This made it easier for me to adapt to life in this Muslim country. During my first week as an intern, I was invited to participate in the BIM User Day organized by ViCon. I listened to many talks which helped me freshen up what I knew about Building Information Modeling.

Thus set up for a good start, I spent the following weeks immersing myself in the Lusail City project team. In the beginning, I had sufficient time to familiarize myself with the project, its processes and the new software. After that, I had many different tasks in modeling and visualization as well as coordination and planning. This also gave me valuable insight into the daily work of a BIM Manager. The staff provided me with regular feedback, which meant that I was able to develop my skills. Communicating with my international colleagues also helped improve my English.

I liked the fact that I was integrated into the running project quickly and really appreciated that I was responsible for my own tasks. Life and work in Qatar was an amazing experience and really helped me prepare for my future job as a civil engineer.