Aliana's path into the world of numbers
Aliana Görz started her studies at Paderborn University in 2017. After completing her Bachelor's degree in International Business Studies, she graduated with a Master's degree in Taxation, Accounting and Finance in 2023. Immediately afterwards, she immersed herself in professional life. In her job at AGCO (Fendt), everything revolves around numbers and data, just like in her studies.
The perfect combination of language and numbers
It's 2014, the 10th grade is just over and the next few years are all about the Abitur. But Aliana has wanderlust! She grabs her suitcase and sets off on a great adventure at the age of 17. Her destination? The capital of the USA - Washington, DC. Here, the former student goes to high school for a whole year and gets to know American life. She even accepted the fact that she would have to repeat the school year in Germany afterwards.
Her experience abroad awakened Aliana's enthusiasm for the English language. But she also has a second passion: "I've always liked working with numbers and really wanted to deepen this in my studies. That's why, after leaving school, I thought about how I could best combine the two - language and numbers." With the Bachelor International Business Studies, the native of Lower Saxony found the ideal degree course for her, where she didn't have to compromise on anything. After several applications, Paderborn was chosen as the place to study. "What appealed to me most about Paderborn was the program. I liked the flexibility of being able to choose courses early on and learn a second foreign language at the same time." Another advantage? "At two hours away, Paderborn was close to my home (Verden near Bremen) and yet far enough away," explains the graduate.
In addition to her language modules, Aliana gained further international experience during a semester abroad in Canada. Thanks to a focus on Controlling and Taxation, Accounting and Finance, she also had a lot to do with numbers, which she liked more and more. "During my Bachelor's degree, the Master's in Taxation, Accounting and Finance was developed. It was the perfect fit for me. That's why I specifically chose it after my Bachelor's degree instead of continuing to focus on languages." And the Master's was also convincing: "I remember Prof. Kosi, Prof. Sievers and Prof. Ebert as a trio of professors. Ms Kosi in particular became my favorite professor thanks to her way of lecturing." Aliana's time as a student was crowned at the end by the recognition of her Master's thesis on "The effects of firm transparency on the insolvency process: Evidence from Germany" as an outstanding final thesis by the Unternehmergruppe Ostwestfalen e. V.
From clear career ideas to direct career start
During her master's degree, Aliana worked as a research assistant at the Chair of Business Administration, in particular External Accounting and Auditing under Prof. Dr. Urska Kosi. But "it was always clear to me that I wanted to work in practice after graduation. That's why I completed a six-month internship at AGCO (Fendt) in Plant Controlling." Aliana headed south to Asbach-Bäumenheim in Bavaria. There she was able to gain her first professional experience, build up background knowledge, analyze data and prepare key figures. And the best thing about it all? Following her internship and after completing her studies, she was offered a permanent position in the company. This made it much easier for the graduate to start her career, as she was already familiar with the company and its structures.
Within the Group, the site where Aliana works is responsible for the production of cabs and hoods for Fendt tractors. Aliana's tasks here? Monitoring deviations in key figures, creating cost reports, managing contracts and assigning cost types. "I benefit enormously from what I learned during my studies - working with key figures and analyzing data. I was able to easily transfer this into my job and into controlling."
University sports and living in a shared flat characterize her time at university in Paderborn
When the now professional looks back on her studies in Paderborn, she doesn't just think about lectures and career preparation: "I made great use of the university sports facilities during the semester and the semester break. I can't even remember all the courses I took: Badminton, power fitness, volleyball, handball and probably a lot more." The 27-year-old also has fond memories of living in a shared flat: "I lived in a three-bed flat. I could get to university in 10 minutes by bike and the city was also really easy to walk to." Aliana particularly enjoyed the beer pong rounds in the shared apartment and getting to know different people. "I liked sitting together with my flatmates in the shared kitchen. There were often groups of friends from the others and you could always get to know new people that you would never have met otherwise."
And what makes Paderborn University so special for Aliana? "It was always a really informal atmosphere. You knew a lot of fellow students and often met up with them in the canteen. And you also knew the professors well - at least if you did a lot in the same field."
Aliana's tips for anyone studying at UPB or interested in studying at UPB?
- For students: "Only take the courses that really interest you and not just the easy ones. That won't do you much good and that's what studying is for."
- For prospective students: "Be open to everything. Even if you don't yet know exactly what you want. Take your time for the first few semesters and be flexible - because the degree course is also very flexible."
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Discover the diversity of economics in our Bachelor's degree programs. Each course usually lasts six semesters and prepares you for a career start or a Master's degree.
More Information
- on the Bachelor's program International Business Studies
- on the Master's program Taxation, Accounting and Finance
