Sonja B., M.A.
Current job:
Key account manager e-commerce Germany
Studies in Mannheim:
Culture and Economy – Spanish
Highest degree:
Master's
Career
I completed a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Culture and Economy at the University of Mannheim. In the meantime, I gained professional experience through internships and working student jobs in marketing and sales. Through an internship, I also ended up with my current employer, a global leader in hygiene and healthcare, and I have been with the company ever since. I wrote my master’s thesis at the company and started working there as a sales representative. After 1.5 years, I switched jobs and began working in the company’s brand management department. For two years, I was responsible for regional as well as global brands in various countries in Europe. I then got my current job in customer management and have been working as an e-commerce key account manager ever since. My job is to support various small and large online customers.
Tips for starting your career
You can still acquire expertise and processes in your professional life. At university, you should learn how to absorb a lot of information in a short period of time. If you have this skill, it is not as important if you pursued the program that seems perfect from the outside. Many skills can be acquired regardless of the subject chosen. In my field, you have to be an all-rounder and that’s definitely what my program has taught me to be. It can also be really helpful to start thinking about what you want to do for a living early on. But sometimes it doesn’t hurt to look left and right to see what else is out there.
Relevance of the studied program
The bachelor’s and the master’s program in Culture and Economy offer a comprehensive education to become an all-rounder. This is what my role is about. I also became flexible in my thinking, which is indispensable in times of agile management. I also learned the necessary marketing tools in my studies, which I use on a daily basis.
Last updated: February 2023
Credit: Katrin Glückler