Post-Studies

I always wanted to use my Masters degree to get into advertising, but I had doubts whether or not that was even possible. I was lucky to have the opportunity to do the Master of Advanced Anglophone Studies because I could focus my studies on areas that would interest and, more importantly, benefit me in my career. Particularly advertising is a field that actually encourages people from different backgrounds to start a career in advertising, as there is usually no direct way to get there. Specifically soft skills such as presenting and analyzing texts are extremely helpful in the world of advertising. I always liked to be creative and follow my passion while studying and I enjoyed that the courses offered were so diverse. Therefore, I was able to focus my studies on areas that interested me the most, such as popular culture, TV and movies, as well as literature. In most of my classes I could even write essays on or do presentations about advertising. I even wrote my Master thesis about new forms of advertising on a popular television show. I also tried to stay ahead by joining a student marketing initiative at the university. I did my internship abroad at Bosch in Chicago and learned marketing from a company’s perspective, which was very interesting and eye opening. After my studies I did another internship at a large advertising agency in Düsseldorf and was able to learn the trade from the ground up. To get into advertising is not as hard as it sounds, since, as I mentioned earlier, they are always on the lookout for new talent. After the internship, I was offered a full-time position as Junior Account Manager for a large international corporation. 

I successfully graduated from the Master’s program of Advanced Anglophone Studies as one of the first students in October 2009. I like to think back to the time of studying and to my professors who were always helpful all along. I really enjoyed studying the MA AAS because it enabled me to specialize academically, but also to develop personally and professionally. Already during my BA I did several internships in the field of marketing and I continued in this field during the MA by doing an internship in the field of marketing in London. I learned a lot when organizing a Summer School as part of the "Independent Studies" module. This project was an experience that helped me for my future job as well: Working in a team, I learned to set up a one-week series of lectures and seminars for which I was responsible for a wide range of tasks e.g. writing newsletters, creating posters and a program, as well as supporting teaching staff. In addition to the MA AAS I took classes as part of a distance learning program in the field of business administration and business management (BWL).

Getting started in the working life was a challenge and needed courage and endurance in order to quit uni and to start a new beginning. Thanks to the work I did and the experiences I gained through the Independent Studies classes, I managed the new start with a temporary employment in the web-department of the Deutsche Messe AG for six months. In November 2010 I managed to make the move into a permanent position as an assistant for media relations in corporate communications of the Continental AG. By now I am a Junior Manager of Media Relations.

Towards the end of my studies I already knew that I wanted to pursue a PhD, particularly because I really enjoyed writing my MA thesis. My internship at the Goethe Institut in London which I completed as part of the international module of the MA AAS, encouraged me to take a gap year abroad in Scotland. Only a few days after defending my thesis, I started teaching German language and literature at the University of Edinburgh as a DAAD stipendiary, travelled through the Highlands and enjoyed the vibrant cultural scene in Scotland’s capital. Many hours in the wonderful libraries in Edinburgh also reasserted my wish to continue my studies of British literature and culture. One year later I returned to Hanover in order to take up my new position as research associate at the English Department for the academic year of 2011/2012. During this time I presented papers at various (inter)national conferences, started publishing articles and, most importantly, managed to write a proposal for a PhD project in order to obtain long-term funding. In autumn 2012 I accepted an offer for grant from the Bielefeld Graduate School of Linguistics and Literature ('LiLi-Kolleg') where I am currently working on my PhD project, provisionally entitled ‘Constructions of Childhood in Contemporary British Fiction’. As part of my PhD programme, I also teach in the British Studies Section at the University of Bielefeld.

After my graduation in 2011, I moved to Cork, Ireland, for a year, where I taught German language and literature at University College Cork's German Department. The position was funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Before moving to Cork, I completed a three-month internship at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland where I gained teaching experience. 

I am currently researching for my PhD project and contemporary British and Irish poetry. I have also taught German as a Foreign Language in various institutions in Germany and am presently working as a Lehrbeauftragte for Gender Studies at the English Department of Technische Universität Braunschweig.