As a tradition, once during the 2 year program we visit Reykjavík, Iceland for an entire week. The gathering is a perfect mix of business and pleasure, and I'll give you some snapshots in today's blog.
The week started with a 2 days course in rhetoric and presentation technique. Each of us had prepared a presentation on a chosen topic, and then had 15 minutes at our disposal. Thorough feedback from the audience helped us become aware of our stronger and weaker points. Takeaways: IQ, BQ and EQ will get you far. Include rhetoric figures, and the sky is the limit!
Next up was a visit to Elkem Iceland. The plant is located at Grundartangi, Akranes, a 30 minutes drive from Reykjavík by car. Here we were given a presentation of the current EHS (environment, health and safety) situation and a general presentation of the plant, including an in-depth explanation of why power intensive industries have good conditions in Iceland. The visit closed with a tour of the plant and lunch.
Then it was time for some heavy duty sightseeing. Our knowledgeable tour guide Alf took us through The Golden Circle - i.e. Geysír, Gullfoss and Thíngvellír, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:
The week started with a 2 days course in rhetoric and presentation technique. Each of us had prepared a presentation on a chosen topic, and then had 15 minutes at our disposal. Thorough feedback from the audience helped us become aware of our stronger and weaker points. Takeaways: IQ, BQ and EQ will get you far. Include rhetoric figures, and the sky is the limit!
Next up was a visit to Elkem Iceland. The plant is located at Grundartangi, Akranes, a 30 minutes drive from Reykjavík by car. Here we were given a presentation of the current EHS (environment, health and safety) situation and a general presentation of the plant, including an in-depth explanation of why power intensive industries have good conditions in Iceland. The visit closed with a tour of the plant and lunch.
Then it was time for some heavy duty sightseeing. Our knowledgeable tour guide Alf took us through The Golden Circle - i.e. Geysír, Gullfoss and Thíngvellír, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:
When in Iceland you are obligated to visit the famous Blue Lagoon. Sadly, due to heavy workload, I missed that. Everyone was relaxed and soft as babies because of the minerals in the water and the white mud when the came back. My impression though, was that the tourist attraction has become a bit too touristy and perhaps the "heítur pottur" scattered around the island could be an even better alternative. I'll find out next time!
Throughout the week we did our best to contribute positively to the Icelandic economy through shopping, clubbing and dining out. Reykjavík by night, and especially Kaffibarínn, is highly recommendable. The same is true for the Icelandic cuisine. Cod - yum-yum.
Conclusion: The week we shared was truly an experience and definitely something to remember!
I've just started my third and final trainee period - market intelligence in the Silicon Materials division. Very excited about that! Hectic days ahead, but I'll try to post a new blog in the near future.
Take care,
Cecilie
PS Are you or someone you know interested in a trainee position in Elkem? If so, check out this link: http://www.elkem.com/
Throughout the week we did our best to contribute positively to the Icelandic economy through shopping, clubbing and dining out. Reykjavík by night, and especially Kaffibarínn, is highly recommendable. The same is true for the Icelandic cuisine. Cod - yum-yum.
Conclusion: The week we shared was truly an experience and definitely something to remember!
I've just started my third and final trainee period - market intelligence in the Silicon Materials division. Very excited about that! Hectic days ahead, but I'll try to post a new blog in the near future.
Take care,
Cecilie
PS Are you or someone you know interested in a trainee position in Elkem? If so, check out this link: http://www.elkem.com/
