From intern to expert at Bechtle

In conversation with Bob Lourdaux, Anouk Clerix and Yirko Cuyvers, we discover what it was like for them starting out at Bechtle and how Bechtle NV gave them the support they needed to grow both professionally and personally.

When did you start out at Bechtle?

Bob: "I did an internship at Bechtle from February to June in 2023. I developed tools and mapped processes during Bechtle's reorganisation, merging three entities into one."

Anouk: "I joined the marketing team as an intern in February 2022, offering general support until the end of May. I stayed on during the summer as a working student before replacing a colleague in October. I was given a permanent contract a year later and since October 2023, I’ve been working with Mieke Libert in the vendor team, becoming a vendor manager at the start of 2025."

Yirko: "Before joining Bechtle in 2023, I did an internship at an accounting firm. I quickly realized  that a commercial career was more my cup of tea so I decided to switch to sales as I wanted to have contact with different customers and businesses every day and I’m really happy I made that decision. My internship at Bechtle was just four weeks long, but I was given the opportunity to stay and started as an account manager in the sales team back in August 2023."

What was the most memorable moment from this time?

Bob: "The best was definitely getting to visit Living Tomorrow in Brussels. It’s an innovation centre where you can experience the future of living with smart devices and technologies demonstrated in mock-up rooms and flats. For example, a mirror that suggest facial treatments depending on the weather."

Yirko: "For me it was the team building events as that got us out of the work environment so you can better get to know your colleagues and meet with those you might not normally have contact with."

Describe your internship in three words.

Anouk: "Challenging, educational and groundbreaking."

Bob: "Educational, freedom and fun."

Yirko: "Instructive, intense and enlightening."

Describe your experience as a Bechtle intern.

Anouk: "It was great to be able to help out in the beginning as it allowed me to experience a little bit of everything. It was a bit of a challenge to start with because IT isn’t the easiest industry. Even now, I find myself in meetings in which terms are used that I don’t really understand, but everyone is really helpful and tries their best to explain. They also don’t mind when you say you don’t understand something. Everyone is very open and the atmosphere is great as the colleagues are very friendly and we work well as a team. As an intern, I was very well looked after and that was great."

Bob: "I was quite uncertain to start with because I didn’t have a specific job, but I was well-supported. It was also a little strange talking to people, but I soon learned the questions I needed to ask. I am quite entrepreneurial myself, so that helped. Johnny Hu and I created a new team which had a lot of freedom when it came to choosing interesting new projects and the project I worked on then now serves as a kind of guideline and helps us reach the right people quickly. At Bechtle, you get a lot of freedom, which makes the company unique."

Why should interns choose Bechtle?

Anouk: "First and foremost, the colleagues. You have a close-knit team and are immediately welcomed and supported. I would also recommend it because you can learn an enormous amount in a short period of time, no matter if you want to stick with IT or not. The experience you gain will be with you forever. There are also multiple opportunities for advancement and you get the chance to experience other departments and join other teams, for example sales."