Changing perspectives - from Online Editor to PR Consultant
I came to Berlin in 2007 after studying German philology and journalism. Back then, I honestly could not have imagined that I’d ever work as a PR consultant in an agency. Far too little of it had to do with journalism. In no way did I see myself as a service provider for a group of (changing) clients. Deep down, all I wanted to do is create content for a single great employer! However, this plan was more difficult to execute than I expected. I soon had to learn that the road ahead was going to be pretty bumpy, and that I would have to pass through all kinds of jobs and experiences before I’d arrive at a point of balance between “work-life-happiness”. This is the abbreviated story of a more than 13 year long journey!
As editorial or journalistic jobs were a rather rare commodity (at least I couldn’t find anything which really appealed to me) I reluctantly started working as a call center agent for a market research company. Various jobs followed: I worked as "office ninja" at the advertising agency DOJO, followed by a position as content manager at one of Berlin’s first official and now largest start-up, Zalando. My transition to actual editorial work started when I found a suitable job at NextPit (formerly known as AndroidPit) where I was first hired as an editor and shortly after became editor-in-chief for the German part of the magazine. From there I was drawn to GIGA, where I worked as Head of Android Department and continued to mainly deal with topics such as smartphones, consumer electronics and entertainment.
The golden age
For me, this was the "golden age" of online editing. Placed somewhere between semi-professional blogs and nationally recognized media, the work was great in an area that was rather special interest at the time. We were able to try out a lot in terms of content and topics. “Buzzwords” such as SEO, SEA, SEM etc. didn’t really interest us much, it was mainly about our own - unique - content. As an Online Editor during this time I got to know the most beautiful sides of the consumer world: Testing the latest products, travelling to events in many destinations around the world, being invited - and even wooed - by companies to create engaging content with their products. What a great time! I learned a lot about online content, from writing for specific audiences to interviewing people up to producing, moderating and editing videos. The learning curve was extremely steep. Especially because there was a lot of movement and development in this area. However, in terms of content the focus was increasing on quantity rather than quality. More and more bloggers were shooting out of the ground, it felt as if influencers were becoming more exciting and relevant than online magazines and content was more and more paid instead of earned. Qualitative and unique content gave way more and more to search engine optimized content, which felt relatively empty to me in terms of substance, but was clicked much more nonetheless. So there had to be a change driven by me. But even now PR was still relatively far away.
Swaying from the editorial desk into the corporate world
Instead, I ended up on the corporate side. As Brand Marketing Manager for Lautsprecher Teufel I was suddenly able to work very specifically for a brand that I personally still value a lot today. It was an extraordinary opportunity for me. I then learned how brands have to be built up and presented in order to be noticed. As a musician myself I was able to connect my job and my personal interests and I could still travel for work from time to time. I even had the opportunity to conceptualize, organize and realize live events for the company in the US. It was another great 14 months before PR entered my life for the first time. In the following six months I gained deep insights into the corporate structures of global companies, as I worked for the PR agency FAKTOR3 on the accounts of Logitech and as “Embedded PR Consultant” for Samsung. Suddenly I had to deal much more with how to communicate between companies on the one hand, the consumers on the other and the agency in the middle of it all. Interestingly, the way companies want to see themselves and how they want to be perceived is sometimes very different from the customer's point of view. This field of tension was extremely exciting. I was now no longer just on one side or the other, but stood in between it all and was supposed to mediate. Real communication! I learned first hand that this can be very stressful and sometimes overstraining, especially when it comes to large global corporations. Yet it was a great and very helpful experience that pushed my personal development further.
PR: Where all my experience is bundled
Looking back, it seems to me that all of my different stations, jobs, and employment relationships (full-time, part-time, freelance and part-time permanent with part-time freelance work) were a piece of the puzzle to the place I’ve now arrived at. Through my jobs I gained insights into virtually all aspects of content management and communication. I’ve spent most of my professional career in start-ups, but also worked in medium-sized businesses and even with global corporations. Working in a communications agency now allows me to bundle all these experiences. Simultaneously, I understand all parties involved better, since I‘ve worked on all of their sides. These 'holistic glasses' allow me to comprehend the needs and wishes of the customers on the one hand, and on the other hand they help me to be a better consultant for clients. Of course, companies, tasks and goals vary from another. But at the core of it, many things do repeat themselves. With Laika I have now found an agency that deals with topics that I find very exciting. This offers an extreme amount of variety, both in terms of content and topics as well as in everyday tasks. In addition, there is a cross-functional and interdisciplinary team of experienced colleagues who are curious and approach life with a great portion of humor. Mutual support and appreciation are just as important as celebrating successes together, personal advancement and development as a team. To be honest, this is ultimately the most important component for me. Just as things themselves change, my view of working as a PR and communications consultant has changed dramatically. Today I am what I would not even have imagined 13 years ago. I am a PR consultant! It's nice how life plays out.