Stefanie Wilhelm

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What is your name and where do you live?

My name is Stefanie Wilhelm and I live in Frankfurt am Main

What did you study at Saarland University and when was that?

I did my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in English Linguistics at Saarland University from October 2012 to July 2019.

What did you do professionally after graduating?

After my degree, my first job was as a marketing analyst specializing in internal communications. I still work in the same field and am now responsible for corporate communications at a company with headquarters in Dreieich near Frankfurt.

Why did you study at Saarland University? 

I am from Saarland and felt that it was important to support the region's university. Saarland University also offers a great range of study programmes.

Do you have any tips for current students?

Broaden your horizons and do internships in different fields! It doesn't matter if this means it takes you longer to complete your studies. Studying for one or two semesters longer matters less than whether you have relevant practical experience.

What was your favourite place on campus?

There wasn’t really any particular place. But I loved to go everywhere that you could get good coffee.

Why did you choose this subject specifically?

I've always been interested in the English language. I particularly liked the fact that you could gain practical experience in both the Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes. I also preferred to study English Linguistics over studying English as part of a teaching degree. ;)

How did you make the transition to working life?

I was in the fortunate position of having a job offer before I officially graduated and was able to start my career straight away. I had my first job offer from the company where I did an internship during my Master's degree.

What do you wish you had known when you started your career?

How important it is to start thinking about your career direction during your studies and to focus on gaining practical experience, be it through internships or as a student employee at a company. And that it is best to take courses on Office 365 applications such as PowerPoint or Excel as early on as possible.

How would you sum up your time at Saarland University in one sentence?

A formative time that I like to look back on.

How would you sum up Saarland University itself in one sentence?

It has everything you need, including good coffee ;)

What did you particularly like about your studies at Saarland University? 

Definitely my Master's degree. In 2017, which was just after my Bachelor's degree, a Master's programme in English Linguistics was offered as a core subject for the first time. It also offered the opportunity to gain practical experience. I also thought the career-orientation modules were great because there were lots of seminars with a strong practical emphasis.

What would you like to experience again at Saarland University?

The time I spent doing my Master's degree.

What other alumni services would you like to see? 

More networking events for alumni.