Mandatory Internship – Junior Business Development (Market Research Focus)
Remote | 3–6 Months | Unpaid (Pflichtpraktikum)

Company: The Happy Customers (Berlin)
https://thehappycustomers.com/

About Us

The Happy Customers is a Berlin-based company providing multilingual, GDPR-compliant customer support services to startups and SMEs across Germany and Europe.

As an early-stage company, we are building structured and scalable business development systems. This internship is designed to provide academic and practical exposure to B2B market research and growth strategy in a startup environment.

Internship Type

This is a mandatory internship (Pflichtpraktikum) required as part of a university curriculum.

Applicants must provide official confirmation from their university stating that the internship is mandatory.

About the Role

This internship focuses on market research, industry analysis, and structured lead database development.

The intern will support the foundational research work behind business development activities. This is not a sales execution role.

Tasks

• Conduct structured market research on German and European startups and SMEs
• Identify companies based on predefined Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) criteria
• Collect and organize company data (industry, size, location, language needs, etc.)
• Build and maintain structured lead databases in Google Sheets / CRM
• Segment and categorize companies based on business criteria
• Document research insights and market observations
• Support analysis of market trends and competitor positioning

The intern will not be responsible for client communication, sales calls, contract negotiation, or revenue targets.

Learning Objectives

During this internship, you will gain practical understanding of:

• B2B market segmentation
• Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) development
• Business development strategy in early-stage startups
• Structured data management for growth operations
• Research methodologies for commercial market analysis
• How outsourcing and customer support industries operate

You will work directly with the Founder and receive structured guidance and supervision.

Requirements

• Mandatory internship required by university (proof required)
• Enrolled in Business, Management, Marketing, Entrepreneurship, or related field
• Strong analytical and structured thinking
• Comfortable working with spreadsheets and research tools
• Strong English (German is a plus)
• Independent and reliable working style
• Interest in startups and growth strategy

Internship Details:

• Duration: 3–6 months
• Location: Remote
• Type: Mandatory Internship
• Compensation: Unpaid

Benefits

• Direct mentorship from the Founder
• Practical exposure to startup growth strategy
• Flexible remote work model
• Structured learning environment
• Internship certificate upon completion

If interested, please apply directly or send your CV and short motivation letter to:
careers@thehappycustomers.com

The Happy Customers, based in Berlin, specializes in customer support and experience services for businesses across Germany and Europe. We deliver professional, multilingual, and GDPR-compliant support through channels like voice, email, chat, social media, and ticket systems. Our flexible, scalable services are tailored for startups, SMEs, and Mittelstand companies, offering features like SLA-driven quality governance and a 14-day live support pilot. Distinguished by our EU-based operations and founder-led compliance, we help clients enhance their customer service without the challenges of managing in-house teams.

Learn more at:

https://thehappycustomers.com