I was actually still in the middle of writing my master's thesis when I stumbled across the job advertisement for a social media manager at Cybertrading. Wrong time, right job? No, I didn't want to miss the opportunity. So I decided to take a chance and submitted my application documents. Luckily, I didn't have to wait long and actually received an invitation to an interview straight away. But working full-time and writing my Master's thesis - is that possible?

The application process

Job interview

I turned up for the interview a little nervous and was greeted by the HR manager. The interview took place together with the Head of Marketing. My nervousness quickly turned into surprise. Despite the size of the company, I was greeted in a relaxed atmosphere. We had time to get to know each other, talk about the job and the general conditions, but also about my previous professional experience as a trainee in online marketing. My situation as an "unfinished" Master's graduate was not a problem, instead it was dealt with understanding. At the end, I was given the opportunity to creatively explain why I was suitable for the position. 🎨 In a subsequent feedback session, I was told straight away that they wanted to invite me to a trial day.

Trial day

The trial day began with a tour of the office building, the technical department and the warehouse. During the day, I had the opportunity to get to know the entire marketing team and their various areas of responsibility and thus learn more about my potential future colleagues. We were able to get to know each other better over lunch in the cozy common room.
I accompanied the department through their day for a total of 5 hours and was given a small task at the end with the aim of giving the marketing team a little insight into my approach and working methods. In a final meeting with the HR manager and the head of department, we talked about the day and clarified the job conditions.

Onboarding

Less than a week later I got the job offer and after just two more days the employment agreement was in the mail. I could hardly believe how quickly I had gone from "not looking for employment" to "I GOT THE JOB!" 🎉 Shortly afterwards, the next surprise arrived in the mail. A Cybertrading welcome package with a letter, T-shirt, chocolate and other goodies such as a notepad, pen, drink and snacks. All in a fresh brand look, of course. On 02.01.2024 it started - my new job at Cybertrading as Social Media Manager.

CW 1 - CW 2

The first two weeks in a new job are always intense. There is a lot of input, many new faces, new programs and structures. However, my team took me by the hand very well. All the programs were set up together and explained to me. I had various sessions with my colleagues in which I was introduced to the different areas of work.

Our Head of Marketing, Lisa, explained the general work in the team, the structures, the possibility of webinars and further training, as well as the work processes and the general company structure. I was also given the opportunity to attend two webinars related to my field of work. I went through all the social media tools with our media designer and social media manager Christine. She explained the current content plan, concepts and strategies to me and defined my first to-dos 🖊🗒 Our team lead and SEO expert Marie introduced me to content creation, SEO-optimized writing, imagery and photo requirements. This is where I was given my first major task: writing a blog post. I also wrote a text for a print ad and shot the first social media videos together with Christine.

In addition to my first tasks and getting to know the company's guidelines and programs, I also got to know the various departments. I spent a few hours with the sales team and the brokers. Over the next few weeks, I was supposed to spend time in all the other departments as well.

CW 3 - CW 4

The third week promised to be even more exciting. As part of the workplace health management and to improve work-life balance, a health day was on the agenda. I was allowed to accompany it photographically 📷 In addition to image editing, I also took on the textual design of the content for Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn. I also took on tasks in the area of content research, creation and implementation and finished writing my first blog post.

I spent a day in the warehouse and got to know the people and processes in logistics and technology. I was also able to accompany my colleagues in eCommerce and IT through their day-to-day work. Thanks to my visits to the other departments, I was able to quickly get to know the entire cyber team and gain an overview of the internal work processes. These connections and background knowledge should make teamwork easier for me for future projects with other departments. I quickly got to know the faces behind the names and titles and knew who to contact for certain topics.

CW 5 - CW 6

In the 5th and 6th weeks, I slowly got into a routine with my regular tasks. The quarterly team breakfast was also on the agenda 🥪 For this, we ordered delicious food from Vanillekind. I also got to know the work processes in Purchasing and Support, as well as in Accounting, and thus completed my induction into the other teams. The highlight was when Lisa announced that she had bought us tickets for CMCX, a social media marketing conference in Cologne.

My tasks

So what exactly am I doing as a social media manager? The most obvious part is looking after the company's own social media channels. This primarily involves researching, planning and creating content in the form of texts, photos and videos 📷🤳🏼 In addition to organizational tasks, such as coordinating with other departments, the evaluation and analysis of our performance on the respective channels is also part of the job. The preparation and implementation of competitions and community management are also part of these tasks. The second field focuses on writing SEO-optimized specialist articles for our blog ✍🏼 This includes researching, writing and translating the article, as well as creating images. The blog must then be integrated and published on the relevant websites. The third and final field of responsibility is made up of various tasks, such as accompanying internal and external events with the camera, image editing, preparing website content or employee shoots.

What happened so far...

A lot has happened since I joined the company. In addition to organizing a major giveaway, we produced our first viral videos as a team and gave our strategy and channels a refresh✨ There was also a second health day with sight and hearing tests. Our marketing team finished the company's Easter challenge in 3rd place - there is definitely room for improvement next year 🥇 The first joint team event was also a complete success. After eating at Maison Lê, we attended the most entertaining coffee seminar Magdeburg has to offer, leaving us blissfully happy and highly caffeinated at the end of the day.

What's still to come...

What can I expect at Cybertrading in the next few months? Exciting projects, new competitions and, above all, my first business trip to the CMCX Social Media Conference in Cologne. Together with my colleague, we can hopefully learn a lot there, exchange ideas and start more exciting projects with new insights. However, things don't get boring in the company either, so the company relay, a summer party and our Oktoberfest and carnival in the fall are on the program. And my Master's thesis? I'll finish it in the summer. During the whole time, I always received understanding from my superiors and that was the only way I was able to cope with this double burden. I'm already looking forward to being able to focus completely on my creative work at Cybertrading in the future.

My tips for career starters

1. Have the courage to apply for jobs that you like, even if you don't fulfill them 100%. Despite not having completed my degree, I got the chance to prove myself!
2. If the company does not offer a trial day, then ask for one. That way you can get a feeling for the team mentality.  Believe me, it's a win-win situation for both sides. 
3. Be authentic, this is the best way to find out whether the company and its culture suit you.

Summary

Right from the start, I was warmly welcomed at Cybertrading and supported along the way. Creative sparring partners? Check! Varied tasks? Check! Room for my creative development? Check! Writing your Master's thesis alongside a full-time job? No problem, with a supportive team and a little discipline of your own. But also the encouraging words of my colleagues and the possibility to flexibly plan vacation days made it a manageable challenge.

By the way: our cyber team is still looking for support - maybe the right job is waiting for you?