Admittedly, the trainee program is not necessarily the classic way to start a career for humanities graduates, as many companies primarily demand economists, computer scientists or engineers. If there are offers, they mainly concern the areas of press work or human resources. However, here are four examples where a leadership position in business can also work.
Creative Management Program | Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann introduced a trainee program specifically for humanities scholars in 2016, which is unique in Germany. The Creative Management Program lasts 20 months and is intended to prepare you for a future management career in the group.
The potential young managers oversee individual projects in Bertelsmann's German subsidiaries. In order to gain a broad insight into the media, service and education company, which is active in around 50 countries around the world, the trainees complete positions at Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, Verlagsgruppe Random House, Gruner + Jahr, BMG and other Bertelsmann -areas. Economic and entrepreneurial knowledge is imparted in seminars.
Master's graduates in the humanities, social sciences, politics, media, language or communication sciences, sociology or journalism courses can apply. The program starts in April and the application deadline is November.
By the way: Some of Bertelsmann's top managers also began their careers with a humanities degree, including Julia Jäkel, CEO of Gruner + Jahr, and Bernd Reichart, managing director of the TV station Vox.
Management trainee program | Federal Employment Agency
There are no restrictions regarding academic background at the Federal Employment Agency - anyone who would like to apply as a trainee should ideally have a master's degree, have at least one year of professional experience and have knowledge of labor and social policy. The trainee program lasts 24 months and is intended to prepare you for a future management position, i.e. a position as a department manager with management responsibility for up to 120 employees. Hiring takes place on April 1st and October 1st.
JOPP | Lufthansa
Even at Lufthansa, you don't necessarily have to have studied business administration to have a career opportunity. The JOPP (“Join our Practice Program”) program is aimed at career changers from the natural sciences, humanities or social sciences. Business know-how is imparted “on the job”: Within 24 months, participants get to know the work of a specialist department from the ground up, work on specific projects and gain a comprehensive insight into the world of the airline industry.
Mini MBA | McKinsey & Company
Management consultancies are generally considered to be very open to all fields of study - including humanities scholars. What is particularly in demand is their ability to work on problems and tasks in an interdisciplinary manner. At McKinsey&Company, you can get started with a “mini-MBA” lasting several weeks, which teaches the basics of business administration before your first day of work. This gives you the tools you need for later project work, which for humanities scholars can be in the public sector, for example.
Although it's more of an exception than a rule, there are also trainee programs for German students etc. here and there.
