Expert Skills Development, Amazing Places, Lifelong Friends

When I started my internship, I was initially worried about being out of place as a mere intern in a company that hires some of the world's best designers, and engineers. The reality was that I was entering an office with interns who like me, moved across the world to enter a job they didn’t entirely know what to expect from.

In Munich there were always other interns who were going through the same experience, so as an intern at BMW TechOffice I was never alone. When I first arrived, I moved in with 2 other design interns Lewis, and Darcy, and I was quickly acquainted with Munich and the life I would have there. A life filled with discovery, joy, and unforgettable memories.

I have to say that when I started at TechOffice, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect work-wise. I knew making assets and animations in Blender and Omniverse would be common, although it’s the freedom and variety of tasks that made going to work fun every day. At TechOffice I wasn’t discouraged to experiment during projects, so for a while I worked at becoming proficient with Blender’s node system, which I used to make many interesting renders and animations. This paid off when my manager at TechOffice was impressed enough with my work to allow me to turn some of my experimental renders into full blown animations made for LinkedIn. From there I continued to improve my skills, ending my time at TechOffice with a slew of animations, and renders I look back on as impressive stepping stones in the improvement of my skillset. I was especially proud of myself when BMW themselves posted some of my work on a LinkedIn post advertising the work we were doing at TechOffice.

So, when I say I didn’t entirely know what to expect at TechOffice, what I really mean is that I didn’t know just how much I would be able to do at TechOffice. The opportunities the internship gave me didn’t stop there. Munich itself is a great location with amazing day trip opportunities, castles, hikes, lakes, cities, it’s all nearby for a weekend trip. But the true highlights were my longer trips; Italy, France, Austria, Czech, and Switzerland. With my 15 days of leave I was given ample opportunity to explore more of Europe. One memory I won’t forget was the time I got no sleep on an overnight bus only to be rewarded with the welcome sunrise across Northern Italy’s beautiful countryside with the sunrise peeking over the top of the mountains as the bus passed misty farmlands.

So how do I end this? My internship at BMW has been a life changing experience, one which I couldn’t recommend more for anyone even mildly interested. I’ve seen amazing places, made lifelong friends, and experienced a side of the world I wouldn’t have if I’d stayed in Australia. Just don’t forget a neck pillow on the flight!

Tristan Smitka
BMW Group Design Intern, 2025