Nina Schwarting

My professional life has been a rollercoaster ride. When I was 16, I didn't feel like going to school anymore, and looked for an apprenticeship instead. My teacher told me I was making a mistake – which, of course, made me even more determined to take that step.

By the end of my apprenticeship, I developed a strong wanderlust. So I decided to spend four months in Australia, where I could improve my English while traveling. In the end, however, it took almost seven years before I returned to Germany with a Bachelor's degree and some work experience.

My next stop then was at IU International University of Applied Sciences, as both an employee and a student: I completed my MBA here via online studies, while also working as a project manager.

I chose to pursue an MBA due to its practical relevance, especially the case studies, which were particularly exciting for me. I really enjoyed working in peer groups, because I got to meet great people from completely different professional fields, and got to learn new approaches by working together. Thanks to IU’s flexibility, I was able to combine my studies with my job, where I was often able to apply what I was learning.

After graduating, I worked as a management consultant, at a start-up and, finally, I began working for my current employer, the Otto Group, where I work as a Digital Learning Senior Manager.

For many people, education has negative connotations due to their school experiences, where they were punished or criticised for making mistakes, and were faced with learning and teaching methods that were not challenging or engaging enough.

That is a shame, because learning has changed so much in recent years. There are great new learning formats and strategies. And let's be honest: lifelong learning opens up new career paths and job prospects. You can now shape your own career more freely than ever before, as job profiles are constantly changing. That is why we need to acquire the right skills faster and faster. That’s my professional mission: show people how to turn learning into a lifestyle.