Carina Panzer lives in Kerken and is in the second year of her bachelor Marketing at Fontys University of Applied Sciences in Venlo. Previously, she did a three-year internship as a commercial employee in the industrial sector and worked in the human resources department of a Krefeld-based company in mechanical engineering.

After your internship and practical experience, why did you start studying in a different field?
I was not very satisfied with my work and I assume that in the future more and more tasks in the commercial sector will be carried out by means of technology. I already had marketing in my profile during my vocational training and because I am still very interested in the subject, I chose this field. Moreover, marketing experts will continue to be needed in the long term in order to find creative solutions.

Why did you choose to study at Fontys in Venlo?
I got to know Fontys through my boyfriend, who followed the bachelor’s programme Logistics Engineering at Fontys. After visiting the open day, I was very excited!

What are you currently working on in your studies?
I am currently in my second year and I am participating in the Crosslab project of the Start-Up Factory of the Fontys International Business School. I applied for Crosslab because the project is about working together with companies. I am working on the project “Learning Tomorrow”. This is a network of different institutions working on anchoring the theme of circular economy in education; sustainability and recycling should be taught to pupils. Our group consists of 6 students, three German and three Dutch students, from different fields of study and with different competences. This simplifies the communication with the different contact persons in the project. At the moment we are talking to a football club for which we can develop a new business plan focused on the circular economy and developing ideas for the practical application of Cradle to Cradle.

How do you experience your studies so far?
I am very happy to be studying in the Netherlands. We can contact the staff at any time and can also make an appointment with the teachers at short notice. I really like this personal contact with the teachers. Through the contact with students from all over the world, I also get to know other cultures and ways of thinking. The way of studying also appeals to me: Projects like the Start-Up Factory have a high practical value. I also think it makes sense that we can write our bachelor thesis at a company in the form of a bachelor internship. In this way we can already make many useful contacts for later. At Fontys, a lot of emphasis is also placed on personal development and social skills. Here in the Netherlands, for example, I learned a different approach to conflicts in the work environment. I often found professional conflict situations in Germany very difficult and I am learning a completely different way of dealing with them here. The differences in mentality between Germans and Dutch people are really bigger than you think.

Do you want to stay in the region after graduation?
Yes, I am not an adventurer and I am also privately tied to this region. I am not quite sure yet whether I want to take a Master’s programme. In principle, I can well imagine working here for a medium-sized company, where there are also opportunities to grow. I am also completely open to start working at a Dutch company.