Franziska
"Dual student" in Marketing & Communication at Droemer Knaur
„The variety of tasks and the always new campaigns and books, my two contacts and the great colleagues make me feel really comfortable and in good hands!"
Navigating the world of literature and marketing
Franziska combines the best of both worlds at Droemer Knaur
What's your name and what do you do at Droemer Knaur (VDK)?
Hi everyone, my name is Franziska (or simply Franzi 😊) and I'm a dual student of business administration and service management with a focus on media, sales and communication at DHBW Stuttgart. Dual means I change my location every three months from my university in Stuttgart to my company, Droemer Knaur Verlag in Munich.
Why did you decide to join Droemer Knaur and take part in the "dual study program"?
I've been interested in the world of books since I was in kindergarten and have always loved reading and writing. When I faced a choice after graduating high school, I chose to combine theory and practice and opted for a dual study program (Duale Hochschule) at the DHBW. After I found my study course, while searching for a company for the practical side, I came across Droemer Knaur Verlag and was immediately enthusiastic, because I already knew many of the authors who write for the publishing house. So one thing led to another and now I'm here!
What are your tasks as a dual student in the marketing department?
As a dual student in the marketing and communications department of the publishing house, I have a varied range of responsibilities and have been able to learn a lot of new and exciting things about marketing a book during my two practical phases. Having that broad of an array of tasks is really cool, because I can get a taste of all kinds of areas and help out a lot. From creating social media story templates, to crafting graphics for the respective posts, to writing magazine articles for our homepage, a campaign, or even the conception and construction of various landing pages, it's really all there. The marketing of our books via Amazon also plays a big role in my field of work. This includes creating additional content for our book pages- the conception and implementation of the page via the design of various graphics, etc. In addition, I get to be involved in the implementation of various campaigns and help from the first drafts, planning and concretization, to implementation, monitoring and later analysis. The planning and implementation of raffles or blogger boxes is also part of my job.
What has been your favorite project to work on?
I would say that our summer campaign this year was a super exciting project. I was able to work on all kinds of tasks and it was really interesting to be able to accompany and help with a campaign from the initial drafts to implementation, monitoring, analysis and evaluation. I really learned a lot and am already looking forward to the next upcoming campaigns.
What does the study program at VDK look like and what experience have you gained so far?
A dual study program at the DHBW Stuttgart consists of a three-month alternation of theory and practice and aims for a bachelor's degree in 6 semesters. By alternating between theory and practice, you can put the knowledge you have learned from theory directly into practice, which is super helpful when learning.
What do you particularly appreciate about working at Droemer Knaur?
Everything! The variety of tasks and the always new campaigns and books, my two contacts and the great colleagues make me feel really comfortable and in good hands!
What advice would you give to others who are interested in a dual degree program?
Perseverance, ambition, discipline and simply biting through! You should not underestimate the theory part at the university, because they demand a lot from you. You basically learn the material of a normal study in half the time, which does not mean that the material is compressed, but you have to acquire most of the knowledge yourself. The lecture days are very long and you always have to stay on the ball to get through the exam phases well. In addition, I would recommend the degree program more to those who have already had economics as an advanced course in high school, were at a business school, or have completed a vocational training in the commercial sector. The first semesters are predominantly basic business studies and only in the higher semesters do the modules become more subject-specific.
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