As part of the bachelor's degree program in Social, Health & Public Management at MCI, students complete a mandatory professional internship that prepares them for roles in the social, health, and public sectors. They get to know potential employers, gain initial insights into practical work, and apply the knowledge they have acquired during their studies.
Our students explore a wide variety of activity areas, such as administration, quality management, personnel organization, leadership, and project work. At the same time, students are introduced to direct work with clients, helping them understand the structures required for successful work.
We asked various organizations about their experiences collaborating with our students. Below, Anabel Gschmeißner shares some insights into the work of Terra Institute Austria.
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Please briefly introduce your organization and your work.
Terra Institute is a consulting and educational company focusing on the sustainable transformation of organizations. We support companies, public institutions, and organizations in understanding sustainability not merely as a formal reporting obligation, but as a strategic lever for future viability, risk management, innovation, and economic stability.
Our Austrian subsidiary, based in Innsbruck, works in particular on projects in the following areas:
Our clients come from sectors including healthcare, the energy industry, real estate, tourism, industry, the financial sector, and the public sector.
My own work primarily involves developing and implementing sustainability strategies, consulting on regulatory requirements (such as CSRD/ESRS or VS), and designing workshops, analyses, and strategic decision-making bases. Our goal is always to anchor sustainability in organizations in an understandable, practical, and effective way.
Internships play a central role for us because we want to give young people a realistic insight into a dynamic consulting field. Sustainability consulting is highly interdisciplinary—it combines strategy, data analysis, communication, regulatory affairs, and project management. As our interns, students experience firsthand how these topics intertwine in practice.
What tasks do interns typically take on, and how do you ensure they learn meaningfully and make a contribution?
Our interns do not perform purely administrative support tasks; instead, they are integrated into ongoing projects as early as possible.
Typical fields of activity:
Above all, it is important to us that interns understand the context: What is the client's question? What requirements derive from it? And how must results be prepared to provide genuine utility in practice?
How do you organize supervision during the internship, and which competencies are particularly important?
Supervision is carried out with a strong practical focus. At the beginning, all interns receive a thorough introduction to our topics, working methods, and current projects. Afterward, they collaborate on concrete task packages, receive regular feedback, and can contribute their own suggestions. Open communication is our top priority.
These competencies have proven to be particularly valuable:
Specialized prior knowledge is helpful, but not always decisive. More important is often the ability to quickly familiarize oneself with new topics and make complex content understandable.
What has your experience been like collaborating with interns from MCI?
In previous internships, we have been positively surprised by how quickly students can familiarize themselves with new topics when they bring genuine interest. Many bring fresh perspectives, strong digital skills, and a high awareness of sustainability. It is particularly valuable when students do not just research, but begin to critically evaluate information: What is relevant? What is reliable? What truly helps clients move forward?
The willingness to assume responsibility has also positively surprised us. When students are well supported, they can make independent contributions very quickly—such as in research, presentations, analyses, or preparing workshop results.
What tips would you give to students interested in an internship with you?
Prepare yourself in terms of content. Familiarize yourself with current sustainability topics such as CSRD/ESRS, VS (Voluntary Standard), climate risks, decarbonization, or supply chains before applying. It's not about knowing everything perfectly, but a basic understanding and genuine interest are immediately noticeable.
Show how you think in your application. For us, not only the CV is important, but also how someone structures topics. A good application clearly shows: Why am I interested in sustainability consulting? What skills do I bring? Where do I want to learn? Examples from studies, projects, professional experience, or voluntary engagement are particularly helpful.
Start the team with an open, curious, and reliable attitude. An internship in consulting means tasks can change quickly and you have to dive into new topics. Whoever asks questions, accepts feedback, works diligently, and actively thinks along can learn a great deal and quickly take on responsibility.
In summary, an internship at Terra is particularly well-suited for students who do not just want to look at sustainability theoretically, but want to understand how companies and organizations can shape concrete change. It is an internship at the intersection of strategy, analysis, communication, and transformation—with high learning potential and a direct practical focus.
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