Patrick Dillenberger, B.A.

Current job:
Head of Communications at SHARE NOW

Studies in Mannheim:
Media and Communication Studies

Highest degree:
Bachelor's

Career

During my studies of Media and Communication Studies at Mannheim, I was a student assistant at the Institute of Sports where I took care of the social media channels. That way, I was able to gain first experiences as an online editor. I also completed an internship in marketing/PR at the Mannheim start-up zingoo, which today is known as Mannheimer Geschenkgutschein. As the company had just started out, I developed its corporate identity and established a communication process. After completing my studies, I did another internship at Daimler Financial Services AG. I decided against doing a master’s as I was offered a job in the company’s communications department. I was responsible for internal communications for the German market. After one year at Daimler, I was lured away by car2go Group GmbH and got my first permanent contract with them. At car2go, the leading car sharing company, I was responsible for planning, controlling, and creating content for internal communications worldwide. In 2019, car2go Group GmbH merged with DriveNow GmbH & Co. KG, becoming SHARE NOW GmbH. First, I continued working in internal communications and helped launch a globally available app for staff members, among other things. At the beginning of 2020, I also took on the role of PR manager, taking care of press inquiries, planning PR activities, and creating content. On 1 October 2020, I assumed the position of Head of Communications and became responsible for all internal and external communication channels.

Tips for starting your career

I would recommend prospective students and students of Media and Communication Studies two things:

firstly, gain as much professional experience as possible. Completing internships in different areas of media and communications is an asset. You could go into broadcasting, publishing, journalism, or PR, be it in a start-up or a major corporation. The field is diverse like hardly any other. Try out different things to find out, what suits you most and is the most fun.
Secondly, it is not only about the industry you choose, but also about the team leaders in the company. For example, I was never really interested in cars but still decided to go to Daimler after my studies. Why? Because during the interview, I had the feeling that I was in tune with the person facing me. It paid off: my former boss was my mentor for more than three years and taught me almost everything I needed to know about my job.

Relevance of the studied program

One of the most important skills you need in communications is the ability to understand complex issues fast and holistically. Only then can you create communicative content and introduce appropriate measures. This is something I learned at the University of Mannheim, particularly through academic writing in the seminars and lectures of Media and Communication Studies. But also, the network I established and the university’s good reputation were two assets when I started my career.

 Last updated: February 2023

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Credit: Fotofabrik Stuttgart

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