Jennifer Rigo
2021 | Business Administration
Career Development
I already had 2 different jobs before I started my studies, as I had completed an apprenticeship as a businesswoman for office management. During my studies, I was a trainee in Aftersales at the BMW Group in Munich.
I took business administration with a focus on marketing & sales. After my studies, I worked for the first time in Influencer Marketing at a start-up in Berlin and have now been working for over a year as a Social Media Manager at one of the largest IT companies in the world and am currently even working at European level.
What I would like to emphasise here: I haven't lived in Germany for 3 years. I ended up in Portugal because of Covid and started working with the German team from here, only recently I was upgraded to Europe level.
Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days
I really enjoyed studying at DIT, especially the fact that I was able to take something from the most diverse fields of business administration, which helps me to this day to have an all-embracing understanding of complex corporate structures.
My professors encouraged me along the way and actively supported me until the end. Especially in Covid times, when I couldn't be on site, they made it possible for me to complete my studies. DIT offers really great opportunities not only locally, but also internationally. The university is very well networked, which not only makes semesters abroad possible, but also participation in events in other countries and universities. In 2019, I had the opportunity to attend the "Global Entrepreneurship Week in Rotterdam" and expand my network and perspective immensely in just one week. Furthermore, in 2020 I also got to do a semester abroad in Budapest, which was mostly online due to Covid, but I still got to take away many new and helpful impressions.
What advice would you give to today's students?
Keep your minds open to all possibilities. A lot of things will be new and you are often still closed to trying new and unknown things. Use your studies to jump over your shadow, as soon as you do that you start to get to know yourself, your possibilities and your strengths. And you get a little closer to your dream job or your dream career. Very few people know from the start where they want to go, so don't be afraid, trust in the unknown and try it out.
Vanessa Wong
2020 | Business Administration
Career Development
When I graduated, I was lucky to have a job lined up for me and ended up in Talent Management which is the fancy term for Recruiting. It's a long story on how this was possible but of course relevant to everything I'm writing here.
My first internship was in Recruiting at FlixBus in Munich. I initially wanted to land an internship in Marketing but was constantly overlooked/rejected as I didn't have any prior experience in the field. Since people and culture were an interest of mine at the time as well, I thought, "hey, let's give this job a try" and it paved the rest of my career for me. Quite literally.
Initially my focus during the internship was to learn as much as possible in hopes that I could transfer anything I learnt in Recruiting into a career in Marketing. But as I finished my first month at FlixBus and was given more responsibilities outside of Recruiting, that was when I discovered Employer Branding, which is the best of both worlds. I was able to create content, go to career fairs and even host events/Stammtisch for the interns in my cohort.
When my internship was about to end, my Manager at the time took notice of me and offered me a Working Student job with them. Which I'm am eternally grateful for as fast-forward 6 months, I ended up in limehome as a Working Student in People and Employer Branding with her when she left FlixBus. After graduation she/they offered me a full time role as a Junior in the company in the same department allowing me to continue building my knowledge in Employer Branding and People.
Then... COVID strook, we all moved to home office and like others this was when the thoughts in my brain started to chatter. Do I want to stay in Recruiting, do I still want to pursue something in Marketing. Don't get me wrong, I was happy at the time at limehome cause my colleagues were great. I was also doing cool tasks like, branding materials for the employees, content for our LinkedIn page and I even got a chance to design the company job site. But something about the many lockdowns just got me thinking.
Fast forward again to 2021, HubSpot found me on LinkedIn and I gave them a shot because like they say, never say never. Which leads to my current role now as a Program Manager. Where I'm no longer recruiting and I'm responsible for university events and partnership. Sharing real life experiences with students like you so that you know what to expect when you graduate. Which was a direction that helped me shift away from recruiting and move more towards Employer Branding.
Moral of the story is, no matter what your major is or what you decide to study, your career can look completely different and do a 360 flip without your consent. Just keep an open mind wherever you end up.
Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days
Something I really enjoyed about studying at DIT is the community you'll have. Being someone who moved to Germany, had to learn German and studied completely in German (mostly Bavarian/bairisch ;) ) , I managed to make a home for myself in Deggendorf during my studies. There were no regrets from my side choosing a German course, as that allowed me to interact with the locals. I was also involved in and did many extracurricular activities which allowed me to mix and mingle with international/exchange students that came to DIT.
I even took advantage of the fact that DIT had many partner universities all around the world and did an exchange semester in Seoul (Kookmin University) where I met friends from all over, the Nordics, US, Canada, and we're still in touch even to this day. Needless to say, I always have a place to stay whenever I travel to these countries which is a huge bonus for me since I love travelling.
Doing a German Bachelors helped me maintain great German speaking skills (yes, I'm patting myself on the back but it's to make a point!) which opened doors for me and helped me land the jobs I mentioned above. Which is why I highly encourage international students who are contemplating between an English or German Course to take a risk and go towards BWL instead of studying IM. It was a struggle for me, even with C1 German but I can promise you, it's worth it if you want a future business career in Germany.
What advice would you give to today's students?
There's always 3 main things I share with students whenever I do my events.
1. Network, network, network: I mean, hey, I'm a shy kiddult (kid addult) too but my statement above already proves why it's important to start networking now and building your community. Be genuine when reaching out to people, don't just connect because you need something. Say hello, congratulate people for their achievements, you never know what doors you could open!
2. Trial and error: Don't be afraid to make mistakes in life. For me, I deal with mistakes and failures by seeing them as learnings. Because without making them, you would never learn and never grow, which is not helpful when it comes to working life or life in general.
3. Follow your passion, not money: Yes, money is important but keep in mind after uni, you'll most likely be working for 40 years or more - in case you're planning to work until retirement of course. You don't want to be stuck doing something you dislike even if it's for good money because trust me when I say, it will drain your soul and your personality - wow that's a bit deep, sorry peeps. If you can find both, way to go you!
And a bonus! - It's never too late to do/start something new. So get off your bottom and flush that fear/concerns away and try something new ;).
Julian Spieleder
2020 | Business Administration
Career Development
After the bachelor's degree (dual) with training and employment as a bank clerk (IHK) at Raiffeisenbank Ortenburg-Kirchberg v.W. eG came to an end, I already knew that it was not yet over in terms of studies. Therefore, I decided to pursue the Master's degree in Business Administration - FACT: Finance, Accounting, Controlling, Taxation & Business Law at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. By doing so, I wanted to further develop my methodological and technical knowledge in the commercial areas for my future career path. Because I already enjoyed dealing with both paragraphs and numbers before, this was the right decision. While I was still studying, I also got involved as a trainee and later as a working student at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in the auditing department in Munich and worked, among other things, on the annual financial statements of what used to be the largest DAX company. In my last semester, I completed a semester abroad at the University of Vaasa, Finland. The digital forms of learning there have left a lasting impression on me to this day. After finishing my Master's degree, I started working as a tax assistant at the law firm Wolter & Musselmann Steuerberater Rechtsanwälte. In this area, I am responsible for annual financial statements and tax returns of medium-sized companies and self-employed persons as well as for business management consulting fields. In addition, I am writing my dissertation as an external doctoral student at the chair of ABWL, in particular business taxation of Prof. Dr. Reinald Koch (KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt).
Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days
Starting a dual study programme at DIT was one of the best decisions of my life. There I found not only companions but also friends, took part in inspiring events and developed enormously.
My highlight was being able to hold tutorials on investment management and corporate finance for 2nd semester Bachelor students. Lecturing on topics and thus conveying content in a variety of ways is undoubtedly something I will always look back on. It was also through this that I discovered which path was suitable for me. In addition, I worked on an online course on the topic of finance as part of my studies, where we also shot an instructional video in addition to creating digital content. What I wouldn't want to miss during my time as a student is the exchange with fellow students after lectures or in the form of "coffee dates" during breaks, excursions and evening events. Ultimately, it was these moments, the exchange with fellow students, that made studying so worthwhile. I still value the resulting team spirit at DIT very much, which is why I always look back on my time at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology with pleasure.
What advice would you give to today's students?
"Be active, take opportunities and use them to find out what you want to achieve in your life." This is how I would describe an appropriate mindset that may help some during their time at university.
When things don't go so well, it's important not to let setbacks get too close to you and still draw the right conclusions from them so that you can push forward with your further development.
As far as I'm concerned, my professional career would probably look different today if I hadn't studied at DIT and got involved there. I would like to thank the people who accompanied me on my way.
Tamara Heinz
2015 | Business Administration
Career Development
When I think about the common thread that runs through my CV, it is definitely the passion for marketing, developing helpful solutions for people and the opportunity to independently drive topics forward. So in my search for my own projects, I got stuck on the idea of founding a company and every day I‘m excited about the opportunity to be involved in our project with “Little Snooze”. I love our philosophy of making the stressful and noisy world we find ourselves in more pleasant and relaxed for the youngest among us. How we plan to achieve this? Feel free to check out our website :-)
Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days
I have very fond memories of my time studying at DIT. I particularly appreciated the family atmosphere on campus and the International Office‘s commitment to the students. I can only recommend that everyone take advantage of the opportunities and spend at least one semester abroad. I went abroad twice - for an internship in Spain and for a semester abroad in Scotland. I wouldn‘t trade that experience for anything.
What advice would you give to today's students?
Try out different things, be brave and don‘t let anyone talk you out of or down on your goals. Self-confidence, perseverance and strong intrinsic motivation are.
Sabine Blindzellner
2010 | Business Administration
Career Development
I came to Deggendorf because of the focus on tourism. However, after my compulsory internship, I already realised that I was attracted to logistics. That's why I chose to major in Purchasing and Logistics and Technical Marketing and Sales Management. A perfect combination, as it turned out. To round off my profile, I then decided to do a Master's degree in industrial engineering at KIT. Here I was able to deepen my knowledge in logistics and combine it with my enthusiasm for technology. After various internships and working student jobs in the automotive industry and at Bosch, planning IT systems in intralogistics and material flow automation seemed to be the perfect job for me. Various projects, including again at Bosch and at Zalando, led me to want to go deeper into consulting. The decision was made to get a brief taste of consulting. This idea turned into 7.5 years at Accenture and the intralogistics projects became full scope greenfield SAP S/4HANA transformations in various industries. As the projects grew, so did the responsibility, the team and the career level up to Managing Director.
Currently, I am responsible for the area of supply chain management in IT at Knauf and supported Knauf with my team on the path to digitalisation. It was simply time to leave consulting behind me.
Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days
I always enjoyed my time at the DIT. From the cool fellow students to the great events, excursions, trips and factory tours. But especially my time at consult-it! and the preparation for my future professional life. There were already a lot of offers during my time and I always tried to take advantage of everything and was able to take a lot with me. The great mix of theory and practice has created a very important basis for me.
What advice would you give to today's students?
Take advantage of what DIT has to offer, especially if you can exchange ideas with Alumni, mentors or professionals. But don't take your career planning too seriously, planning is important, but contacts and a bit of luck are simply part of it.
Thomas Hofbauer
Business Administration (dual)
Thomas Hofbauer still loves to visit the town, which functions as the door to the Bavarian Forest and thinks back to his exciting days as a student with a smile on his face.
Career Development
After graduating from high school, I decided to do a dual course of studies at DIT. In the course of my business administration studies (dual training as Bachelor & Banker) I acquired extensive knowledge of service-specific relationship processes in a regional bank. This also prompted me to develop further in the psychosocial field in addition to my business administration studies, and so I enrolled for a master's degree in business psychology at the FHAM Erding.
At the same time, as head of the e-commerce department at VR-Bank Rottal-Inn eG, I was responsible for the topic of digital sales and innovation and gained a great deal of knowledge in the areas of online marketing, online strategy and social media advertising through my certification as head of online business at the Academy of Bavarian Cooperatives. Since the main focus of my master studies, marketing and coaching, gave me a lot of pleasure, I decided to turn my back on the world of finance and orientate myself elsewhere. Through an assessment centre I acquired the position of deputy press spokesman in the district office of Rottal-Inn and was also responsible for the digital media presence. Since the middle of 2018 I am now office manager of the district administrator of Rottal-Inn. As office manager, I am in charge of the District Administrator's office (e.g. assignment of tasks and personnel management of the employees in the District Administrator's office). As personal assistant to the District Administrator, I am responsible for the coordination of the District Administrator's business and the preparation of appointments for the office management as well as the management function of the management level of the District Administrator's Office. In addition, I coordinate the preparation of the content of the meetings of the District Council and its committees and take part in almost all meetings.
Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days
The time of my studies in Deggendorf was legendary, and I still think back often to that time with a smile on my face. The town of Deggendorf is just the right size, it offers the nightlife of a big city, but you feel safe like in a village, everything is within walking distance. The cultural diversity that the campus offers has broadened my horizon immensely and has enabled me to make many intercultural friendships, some of which still last until today. I still enjoy visiting the city, which is the gateway to the Bavarian Forest, and think back to a unique time of study. Does the phenomenal currywurt still exist at Otto's?
What advice would you give to today's students?
The most important thing during the study time is, besides the lectures, self-organisation and a sensible time management to divide the learning material and to use synergy effects by learning together with fellow students. And above all: do not push exams! That will certainly catch up with you. If you do reach your limit, I can only advise you to seek direct contact with the professors. Especially the professors at DIT are not sitting in an ivory tower, but are there for the students when they need them - I have always appreciated that. And last but not least: even if you miss a mark - don't let yourself down, much more important are the contacts and networks, the experiences as well as internships and projects and these can be built up and maintained very well at DIT.
Thomas Dannerbauer
2009 | Business Administration - Former board member of AlumniNet e.V.
Career Development
In my rather colourful resume, I simply start where I think it might be interesting: After graduating (Quali) I did an apprenticeship as a specialist for employment promotion at the job centre, which made me realise quickly that the job market is not always a walk in the park, but also that I am interested in many other areas in the economic sector and therefore outside the job centre. Therefore, I had no other choice than to bite the bullet and take the technical baccalaureate in Deggendorf. After a short detour to the vocational academy at the discount store Aldi I finally ended up at the TH Deggendorf...and that was a good thing!
I studied technical business administration in Deggendorf from 2005 to 2009, which opened up a quite broad spectrum of professions. My first job after my studies was in the aviation industry at MTU Aero Engines in Munich in technical purchasing. I really enjoyed the daily contact with suppliers in the U.S. and Mexico, with the employees in the highly complex production and with the experienced quality engineers. But at first I was completely blank in terms of content, and my colleagues often heard me say, "What's this metal thing here?
In 2012, it was time to go one step further and I became Global Commodity Manager at BSH (Bosch's home appliances division). There I was responsible for global strategic purchasing for electronics in the small appliances division of the Household Appliances division. As it turned out to be a very exciting and dynamic field, I spent almost five years traveling the world for BSH. Parallel to my job, I trained for over three years in continuing education and completed my NLP Master and NLP Trainer (NLP - Neurolinguistic Programming) in 2017. This resulted in a job at BSH headquarters as a global lean management coach and trainer for indirect areas, where I have been working since July 2017. I help colleagues to question their working methods across cultural boundaries. I offer them methods and techniques to independently create improvements in terms of collaboration, effectiveness and efficiency.
Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days
Time... that was something, contrary to today, I had. It was a great time of trial and error and of looking beyond the horizon. Thanks to the various seminars, events and the cool leisure activities offered by the university, you could quickly make contacts and it never got boring. As a semester speaker and member of various university committees, I also had the opportunity to experience more internal affairs. My "job" as a board member of AlumniNet e.V. was also very exciting and showed me what it means to keep several balls in the air. Four months of an internship abroad in a small company in Madrid finally brought my Spanish language skills to an acceptable level. Right after the internship my wallet was empty, so that I also worked in marketing at a solar company as a working student. Since I was already used to working, I wrote my diploma thesis at MAN in Munich in the purchasing department and dealt with the optimization of value flows and relocation back to Germany, among other things. After seven semesters I received my diploma in business administration.
What advice would you give to today's students?
For me, studying means trying things out, getting a taste of the topics and above all leaving one's own comfortzone to see what's out there. Be committed and use the time to broaden your horizon professionally, but also personally. What else...hmmm...have fun, enjoy the many opportunities in Deggendorf and make friends (maybe) for life!
Christian Liebhart
2009 | Betriebswirtschaft
Career Development
In 2009, I graduated in Deggendorf with a degree in business administration (FH), specialising in human resources and marketing. In economically difficult times (economic crisis 2008-2009), it was impossible for newcomers to start a career despite several internships, so I decided to deepen my expertise in human resource management by studying for a Master's degree in Human Resource Management. In 2010, I completed my studies in Regensburg and my practical Master's thesis with the "Introduction of a target agreement and remuneration system for managers" at the company Otto Dunkel GmbH (electrical industry) in Mühldorf a. Inn.
After my studies, I started as a personnel officer at the Schreiner Group in Oberschleißheim near Munich. Here I was responsible for supervising executives in all personnel-related topics. After two and a half years in the printing industry, I moved to the automotive industry to MANN+HUMMEL in Marklkofen. As HR Business Partner and Deputy HR Manager, I was responsible for seven years for supporting and advising executives on all strategic and operational HR topics as well as implementing HR projects. At the end of 2019, I moved to my home town of Mühldorf a. Inn to Belimed GmbH (medical technology), where I was responsible for HR management in Germany as HR manager, authorised signatory and member of the management team. In addition, I was active as a trainer at the Belimed Leadership Academy and supported managers in their development and all daily management challenges in business coaching. Parallel to my job, I am training to become a "Westerhamer Business Coach (IHK)" - one of the most profound and comprehensive trainings in business coaching in Germany.
Since 2022 I have been working as a freelance business and leadership coach. I offer solution-oriented and customised business coaching and training for employees, managers and teams. I support the development and self-reflection of my clients, accompany them in solving problems and try to make possible actions visible, which they can then take into their own hands. I take responsibility for the framework and the process and the client/coachee for their personal goal. I am a sparring partner, feedback provider, active listener, motivator, supporter and temporary process facilitator. What counts for me is to proactively shape the client's development for sustainable success in the company.
I also combine my work as a coach with my second mainstay - I am the owner and manager of a business and event location - the HENNETSBERG near Mühldorf a. Inn. The premises can be rented for conferences, celebrations and weddings and I use them myself for my own workshops, team events and business coaching.
Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days
My time as a student in Deggendorf was very formative for my personality and simply a wonderful time with nice friends. I deliberately moved to Deggendorf in 2004 to my first own flat in the new student residence in Schaching. I wanted to concentrate completely on my studies and start a new phase in my life after my Abitur and civilian service. This also made it easier for me to integrate into a new local life. I quickly made connections in various clubs and in life outside of my studies. At the university, I was mainly involved in three areas: As the spokesperson for the scholarship holders of the Hanns Seidel Foundation, I organised various events at and outside the university. As a board member of the alumni association "AlumniNet", I was instrumental in building up the alumni network and organising many company visits, such as Daimler in Stuttgart, Trigema in Burladingen or the Allianz Arena in Munich. And as the first chairman of the student convention, I shaped the distribution of student fees at the university together with the student council team. All great experiences in preparation for my professional life.
And of course, there was no shortage of partying and enjoying student life. Whether it was partying in the student pubs, chilling by the Danube or barbecuing on the roof terrace of the shared flat...it was a great time that I look back on with pleasure.
What advice would you give to today's students?
What's always important to me is to try new things, to try things out and to have new experiences. Whether it's in student associations, exchanges with mentors or internships in companies - it's always important to think outside the box and gain new experiences. For example, I spent a semester abroad in Madrid myself, without much knowledge of the language and without other fellow students on site. I picked up the language, made new friends and gained valuable experience for my personal development.
Another great thing is the Career Service at DIT. I don't think I missed almost a single seminar that way. 😊 These were just great, valuable tips to prepare for my job entry. And so today, as a trainer myself, I regularly conduct various practical lectures and seminars on the topics of successful studying, application and job entry, time management, mindful & successful living at universities and educational institutions.
And I would like to pass on this experience to the students of today and also be a role model: Show initiative, get involved and have new experiences. But also enjoy the free student life. These insights and developmental steps will shape you for life.
Florian Friedrich
2008 | Business Administration
Career Development
After my graduation (Dipl. BWL) in 2008, I began my professional career as a management consultant. During this time, I quickly realised that I didn't want to give up university life just yet and continued to get involved with lecturing and teaching at various universities. I also participated in the Executive MBA programme at DIT with the Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences during this time.
I was able to gain consulting experience in the automotive and manufacturing industries as well as in the financial industry. The latter led me to choose this as my next career step and I have now been working in various roles at Allianz Global Investors since 2013. In my current role, I am responsible for the complete project portfolio worldwide from early origination to completion of projects. I have also been a lecturer at the International School of Management for several years in the Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes in Leadership & Motivation, Consulting and Project Management.
Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days
I have very fond memories of my time in Deggendorf. Not only the experience in the smaller study groups (I was previously at the University of Passau) but also the successes with the DIT football team were formative times. I'm still convinced today that the time spent studying is a time that you should enjoy, because it's also a time when attitudes and values are established that you can draw on and benefit from for a long time. Certainly, I could have invested more in building up a "business" network at that time - honestly, I wasn't aware of the benefits or important enough at the time. That's why even today I still recommend to all students in my courses to use the time to build up their network - you never know when you'll need a contact.
What advice would you give to today's students?
Focus on the things you really enjoy. Focus on your strengths and build on them - these will make the difference at some point.
Peter Pfersdorf
2003 | Business Administration
Career Development
After graduating from high school in 2014, I started studying media technology with a focus on computer science at DIT. This gave me a broad knowledge of different media and technical background. Especially the computer science courses were fun. Thus, I decided to specialise in this direction in the Master's programme.
From 2018 to 2020, I completed the Master's in Applied Computer Science / Infotronics. This is structured in English and is a good mix of programming and engineering topics. It also includes freely selectable modules from the Master's programmes in Electrical Engineering and Media Technology. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to spend a semester abroad in Finland.
Immediately after my Master's thesis, which I wrote at BMW in Landshut, I started as an IT trainee at Allianz AG (insurance industry) in Munich. Here I was able to try out different roles (e.g. project manager office, deputy manager or project manager) and get to know the insurance world.
Since April 2022, I have been an IT project manager in the Workplace Team at Allianz Technology. In addition, I now have the chance to accompany our team into agilisation as a product owner.
Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days
I have fond memories of my 6 years in Deggendorf. I like both the city and DIT itself very much. There is a family-like environment from which you can take many friendships with you for life. How often did we sit by the Danube and enjoy the sun?
In addition, you can really savour the student life at night. The beer toss at Spontan with the most delicious fries was always legendary.
But the university also has a lot to offer: I like to think back to the sports programme and the MovING programme for female students.
I still feel very connected to the university through the AlumniNet network and like to visit DIT again for one or two seminars.
What advice would you give to today's students?
Enjoy your time as a student, because it goes by far too quickly. Don't put off too many exams, try things out and take as much as you can with you for your life. But don't lose sight of your goal.
For the inquisitive, I can give the tip: Take voluntary AWP language courses and career service seminars. I personally found Business Etiquette the best, but it was always booked up quickly. You can also find some seminars on soft skills here.
If you have the chance to spend a semester abroad, take it. Such experiences are worth their weight in gold.
