Sometimes life paths change and – above all else! – the desire for new tasks comes to the fore. I admit, this happens to me a little more often than to others.
After graduating from secondary school, I didn’t really know what to do with myself. So I bought myself some more time and took the vocational baccalaureate. Yet, – what a surprise -, after that I was still no further along with my career choices.
At some point I found my way into the pharmaceutical industry: first I trained as a Certified Pharmaceutical Clerk, then as a Certified Pharmacy Technician. The desire to study pharmacy arose and so I obtained my general university entrance qualification at the BOS and plunged into my studies.
It soon became clear: this is not what I wanted. But what did I want? To find out, I planned to do the decision-making during backpacking in Australia, Sri Lanka, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, the Caribbean …
Finally, 2019 brought along one of my last changes: after the longer time abroad, I started in the advanced marketing specialist training at the IHK Academy in Munich, which I – short spoiler – I also successfully completed in May 2021.
The second, sometimes third educational path comes in very handy. This was a way to quench my seemingly endless thirst for knowledge and still cope with everyday life with all the little and big problems one has as an adult (admittedly: sometimes more, sometimes less well).
At the beginning of the pandemic, I was less successful at mastering everyday life. I had just started in PLANWORX’s event team and there was hardly any time to get to know my colleagues or really find my feet in the company: two weeks later, we were sent to the home office. Short-time work was called.
So I surrendered to the lethargy of the pandemic for a long time, wallowed in self-pity at length and, as the highlight of the day, dragged the accumulated waste glass to the container. Eventually, though, I got off my ass and used the extra time to focus on my additional business administration degree. Short-time work as well as home office offered me the opportunity to participate in classes and learn in a relaxed way from home: at least a small pandemic development, that played into my cards!
Despite the advantages I was able to draw from the situation, in retrospect it was also often a very lonely time. Of course, all of our lives have been turned upside down in the past 1.5 years. In addition, the last winter was decidedly dark and cold. But this is what makes me proud! Despite loneliness, worries, work and stress, I have learned a lot and mastered the advanced training. Now I can call myself a marketing specialist! 😊
I can recommend the second and third educational path to everyone. There is so much out there to learn. One must – and perhaps should? – not carve one’s own future in stone right after school. The flexibility and possibility to reshape and change one’s own life means quality of life for me. And everyone should take it!
For the moment, I’m done with further education and training.
At least until I find something new that I really want to learn … Until then, I also like to invest a lot of time in my very youngest second leg and will gradually tattoo all colleagues. Stay tuned 😉!
Stefanie has since left PLANWORX to move to Cologne as a self-employed tattoo artist. Follow her on Instagram at @splitterfasernackt.jetzt
We wish her all the best!
