After graduating in Marketing & International Management, Ulrike could not find a job she wanted in her native Germany. So, despite having neither the fluent French nor the work permit required for a Carlsberg marketing graduate scheme vacancy in Switzerland, she decided to go for it – and joined Feldschlösschen as a supply chain trainee!
"It may seem a strange change of direction, but deciding to join the programme was the best decision I ever made," she says.
Ulrike had studied in the Netherlands, so what really attracted her to Carlsberg was the opportunity to work internationally. She explains "There’s so much going on in the world, being stuck in one country or market is just boring, so I was really happy to get the job that I thought was best for me."
Language and cultural training
Ulrike spent her first year in Switzerland as a sales forecaster, then moved to Denmark to work in the deployment and procurement departments.
"Moving abroad makes the learning curve steeper, but I had excellent bosses who were always looking ahead to what I needed to learn next and came up with projects to meet my development plan," she says.
"I also thought Carlsberg managed the international aspect better than other companies. For example, we received language and cultural training months before moving abroad so that we could add value to our new teams much quicker."
Competitive advantage
Ulrike returned to Switzerland in 2004 and is now Head of the Forecasting department in Feldschlösschen. Her international experience has already been called into play as she has been working closely with Carlsberg Italy on the implementation of a new demand planning system as well as having been involved in various other international assignments.
She says: "The Graduate programme helps you to appreciate how different cultures work and take decisions. It’s very valuable experience that gives you a competitive advantage career-wise over people who have only worked in one country."