Saturday, February 9, 2019, 6:30 p.m. The starting whistle is blown in the Allianz Arena to kick off the game of FC Bayern Munich against Schalke 04. Among the 75,000 spectators are 58 Deutsche Telekom employees who – dressed in white – form the Telekom T together. I was one of them.
The first stage of the day was the six-hour bus ride to Munich. On board: 58 Deutsche Telekom employees, most of them young talents. Together with the organizer Massimiliano Meneguz, a cooperative student himself, they were all looking forward to an exciting evening of soccer.
I also had the good fortune to be part of this group and, looking back, see this event as an effective team-building measure and one of the many benefits that Deutsche Telekom offers its young talents, as well as its regular employees. Several weeks ahead of every FC Bayern Munich home game, there is an opportunity to apply to help symbolize the iconic "T". If you're one of the lucky chosen few, you dress up in a white rain poncho and a white fleece cap.
Garbed all in white, we entered the red-illuminated Allianz Arena, which already makes a spectacular impression on you from the outside. Our seats are in sections 124 and 125, between rows 2 and 12. It's so close to the action, it's almost like being on the playing field. During the game, I often found myself glancing at the large screen under the arena's roof, to see the impressive "T" from the bird's-eye perspective. The final score: FC Bayern Munich won 3:1.
On our way back to the bus from the stadium, many people were excited to talk with us. The fans thought it was great to finally find out who sits in those seats. Many inquired with interest about our functions at the company and how they could get tickets. Of course, we were happy to answer: Apply to Deutsche Telekom as a trainee, cooperative student, or recent graduate – then you might get the chance to support FC Bayern Munich at a home game, too.
At around 2:30 the next morning, we were back in Darmstadt, pleasantly exhausted from the eventful day. Was it the impressions that characterized the day? The interesting experiences with other young talents, who we don't see every day? One thing is certain: Deutsche Telekom is an employer that provides experiences that are truly out of the ordinary and that connect people – regardless of what position they hold at the company.
