Don´t know which graduate programme track to apply to?

When I applied to the graduate programme I wasn`t entirely sure about which track I should choose. During my university studies I started liking marketing as this is the area where everything comes together from what consumers aspire for and how the economy is developing to what the abilities of the company are, however I have always been in between a commercial and a more analytical interest and I was not sure whether Global Marketing was the right choice for me, therefore I also applied to European Business Management.

At some previous job interviews I have been questioned sort of suspiciously about my background as in many cases they doubted that I would fit for marketing as I have “too much interest in macroeconomics and finance for a marketer”. I have been struggling to find a program where I could find both my interests. Now I know it is not impossible, so if you recognize yourself in this situation don´t give up.

After having signed my contract with Novo, I received the details of my first rotation in the beginning of July. When I first read that I would be in Market Access and Commercial Excellence to be honest with you I wasn´t really sure what that would mean. So as any person nowadays seeking the truth, I googled it (in a crappy hostel in Thailand with really bad internet connection) and came across a job offer from my department with the description of the tasks. This was the point when I got really quite excited as I realized that my job would be very much focused on analytics and marketing strategy.

Coming to Insights and Forecasting (my department), I found out that the department consisted of two different units, namely Customer Insights and Strategic Analytics. I have been involved with both teams and had the opportunity to work on market research projects and consult different brand teams based on our findings but also to work on analytics projects across the portfolio in line with our long-term forecasts and collaborating with other departments to e.g. facilitate investment decisions.

In my case I think they managed to find a very good place in the company and I am glad I insisted on my original interests, but of course it is hard to see in advance from the outside what one programme might offer over another one. In my opinion, try to limit your applications to a reasonable number and hand in (different!) cover letters for the tracks you would be interested in and then let your reviewers see which track you would be better suited for.

If there is any learning from my story, I would say that you should always be honest about what you would really like to work in as if you try to fit into expectations instead you might end up not being chosen or even worse doing something you don´t really enjoy. At the same time I would like to point out that the marketing organization in the company is really extensive so I believe there is much space to find your specific area of interest from brand management and launch planning to value communication, event management or strategic analytics like myself, therefore if you are interested in the field in general I would encourage you to take your chances.

As a closing note, sorry for the late blog post, I will make myself more active and available from now onJ Also, don’t hesitate to comment on the post so I can answer any questions that you might have!

Take care,

Lilla