Meet Nick - Holtzbrinck Careers

From Student to Junior Marketing Manager

Nick Reports on How His Studies Prepared Him for His Job

Why did you decide on joining ZEIT ONLINE after your studies?

During the three and a half years of my dual studies, I had the opportunity to get to know the individual work processes in all the commercial departments of ZEIT Verlagsgruppe and to be part of them. Since I developed an interest in (online) marketing in my university lectures, and also wrote my bachelor thesis on the topic, it was obvious that I would choose this career path. The agile and digital work style was also a reason, as well as the team and the topics.

What did your "dual studies" at ZEIT Verlagsgruppe look like and what experiences did you gain?

My "dual studies" (combining academic studies with experience in a company) at ZEIT Verlagsgruppe were definitely quite exhausting but also very exciting. I was able to get to know a new facet of the publishing group in each department and I met lots of great and interesting people. From cold-calling in the advertising department, via researching new magazine ideas through to independently organizing events in the Corporate Communication and Events department, I had a lot of exciting experiences. The weekly editorial meeting was always a definite highlight, but my best experience was the fact that after the end of my time there, I had gained an overall understanding of the processes in such a large publishing house, really knowing the products and being able to actually classify information.

What are the most important skills required to do your current job?

Learned theory has its limitations in my work. It is important to be able to quickly adapt to something - I was able to practice that a lot during my training. What has changed now is that I can work on tasks and projects longer. For example, I am busy familiarizing myself in the field of SEA and email marketing and am able to implement long-term concepts here. Otherwise, it's important that I am interested in what I do and stand behind my products - both the job markets and ZEIT ONLINE.

What was the most important project for you?

That's not easy to say, because I have worked on different projects in different departments. Outside of the work in the departments, we, the trainees and students have been driving a joint project for a long period of time: We introduced the Mystery Lunch to ZEIT Verlagsgruppe, where two colleagues are randomly raffled to go for a joint lunch. The project has proven very popular with the employees and many new friendships were formed between colleagues, who would never have met at work otherwise.

What do you especially value about your work at ZEIT ONLINE?

During the recent corona months, I mainly worked from home. ZEIT ONLINE's and my team's concept of always communicating, proved itself. Projects made good progress and everyone was committed to working together. I enjoyed the flexibility. At ZEIT ONLINE, I have the opportunity to work digitally and in innovative teams. I also have the feeling that I am learning a lot, both from my colleagues and also through the versatile tasks and responsibilities.

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