EXPERIENCED BY JEAN LETOURNEUR

more than an internship - a human adventure

My name is Jean, I’m a French 22-year-old boy, and I did a 3-months internship in TBF. As I’m studying material engineering, my projects were more linked to LEAN manufacturing.

To explain the context, when I came for my first day of internship, I already knew TBF because I’m familiar to the surf and sup world, however I didn’t know anyone who works there, and I had at that time no ideas of what my work projects could possibly be. While all my friends who were doing an internship at the same time were already precisely aware of their internship projects, I must admit that I was a little bit worried about this point.

But finally, I quickly understood the reason behind, and I now consider that this is strength of an internship in TBF: it belongs to us to build our own projects. For example, my first week of internship was pretty much observation, understanding of the factory operation, and discussions with colleagues about what my skills are, which ones I would like to develop, and depending on the actual needs of TBF, how I could help them with it. And so, they quickly came to me with a first project.

Finally, with a little bit of hindsight, I feel like we are responsible of our internship quality. Creating strong relationships with our colleagues, earning their trust, showing our motivation, proving what we are capable of, give us the opportunity to work on more and more important, interesting, and high responsibility projects. So, in my opinion, it is important that the internship lasts at least a few months to be really interesting.

And don’t worry to be bored there or to feel alone during that time, because I must say they are masters in terms of integration. Between the sunset after works on the beach, the trips to the most beautiful places of Thailand, the parties, the lunches, and dinners together every day, the surf sessions together (waves almost everyday during rain season!), I never had the opportunity to feel alone during my stay. There is a true and strong familial spirit at TBF, and we quickly feel at home when we arrive here. The atmosphere of the factory is so good that I even spent some of my free days there! And they now have a fucking crazy good skatepark just in front of the factory...

To finish, crossing the world to work somewhere you don’t know anyone during months is not easy and can be scary, especially if you are not comfortable with English. But if you are curious, voluntary, ready to leave your comfort zone, and more than an internship, you are looking for a human adventure, I strongly recommend you this internship. And if on top of that you are passionate about surfing or skateboarding, don't even hesitate, it's paradise for you here!