How Cafer is already managing major projects alongside his Master's degree

Cafer only started his degree in Economics at Paderborn University in 2016. Today, he is in the final stages of his M.Sc. in Business Administration, but is already working as Head of PM at a Shopware agency. Cafer told us what drove him to his personal dream job much earlier than his fellow students and what his degree programme has to do with it.

At the beginning of his studies, Cafer particularly appreciated the wide range and specialisation options of the degree programme and quickly realised that he was particularly interested in the field of digital services and smart services. This specialisation was the starting signal for his career in the IT sector. During his studies, he worked on many projects, self-employed activities and in student trainee jobs until he finally, with many valuable experiences under his belt, met one of the managing directors of the Shopware agency 8mylez, where he now works as a project manager. He is now the agency's lead project manager and manages the most important projects alongside his Master's degree. In his position, he has the opportunity to help shape the concepts of the shop systems and contribute to the company's success.

A personal dream job during the Master's programme

Unlike many of his fellow students, Cafer never had a specific career aspiration: "I haven't had a real career aspiration for a long time, but I quickly tried to combine my personal interests with my studies and my professional activities." During his studies, he focussed primarily on finding the right modules for him, constantly questioning his interests and implementing them in project work and working student activities. In this way, the student found his personal "dream job" while still studying for his Master's degree. "I am currently pretty much in my dream industry and can do the work that means something to me and fulfils me. The job offers me just about everything I enjoy. Whether it's contributing innovative ideas for our customers or realising great projects."

Insights, realisations and tips

Along the way, Cafer had to learn a lot and make his own experiences. The biggest insight he gained during his studies was that you need a plan to approach projects in a structured way and complete them successfully: "At the beginning of my studies, I was a bit careless about this, but I quickly learnt otherwise. Learning how to learn in the first place or how to successfully complete a module helped me a lot during my studies and in my day-to-day work." The current project manager is not alone in this realisation. But Cafer has always done one thing differently to his fellow students and colleagues: "I try to set myself realistic goals and then make them a bit more challenging. I've been doing that for quite a long time. Sometimes, of course, I've overreached myself on certain topics and missed the target." This type of goal setting is Cafer's personal secret recipe for professional and personal success. For him, it is very important - and he advises other students to do the same - to always expand and deepen their practical skills alongside their theoretical studies. Thanks to his practical experience in a wide variety of companies, the many contacts he has built up, his passion and his willpower, Cafer was able to take a major career step shortly after completing his Bachelor's degree - from the lecture theatre to Head of Project Management.

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Discover the diversity of economics in our Bachelor's degree programmes. Each degree programme usually lasts six semesters and prepares you for a career start or a postgraduate Master's degree.

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• about the B. Sc. in Economics
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