Lana Malinovska

During my dual study programme in Hotel and Tourism Management, I had the opportunity to get to know all the divisions in my training company – and discovered my great passion for marketing. When I started my first full-time job with a travel agency, I quickly noticed that although I enjoyed the tasks, my job prospects were somewhat limited. So I came up with the idea of starting an online study programme in marketing management alongside my job. Many of my former colleagues had studied at IU International University of Applied Sciences and had been very happy with it. I was won over primarily by the flexibility of the degree and the numerous specialisation possibilities compared to other universities.

The flexible degree made it possible to gain professional experience in three cities

At the start of my online studies, I continued to work 40 hours a week in tourism. That sounds like a lot but the extra effort is definitely manageable with discipline and self-motivation. The constant availability of tutors, who supported me whenever I had any questions, quickly took away the worry that online learning would mean I’d have to fend for myself. After a few months, I left the tourism industry and started to work in marketing as a working student – initially at a large out-of-home advertising company and at the end of my degree in another company in social media marketing. The flexibility of the online studies enabled me to gain professional experience in three cities, which I felt was a great opportunity. I took my exams at the sites or also online at home, depending on what worked best. Each job is different, and every person learns at their own pace – that was also one of the main reasons why I chose IU. Because the study programme fitted in well with my jobs and not the other way around.

From tourism to higher education

After successfully completing my Master’s, not only was I very happy with my degree from IU International University of Applied Sciences, I also knew the product and believed in it due to my own experience of it. I saw this as a fantastic opportunity to apply to IU Group, the holding company of IU. Today, I work there as a junior online marketing manager and use what I learnt in my degree in practice every day. The specialisations I chose gave me sound theoretical knowledge in the area of online marketing. This knowledge was necessary to keep up with competition in this face-paced industry – and combined with the professional experience I had gained, it qualified me for my current role at IU Group. To sum it up, my online studies helped me develop both personally and professionally and gave me the opportunity to get my foot outside “my” industry and change career. I was more than won over by the online learning model – or, as you might say in marketing: I went from being a consumer to a brand fan.