Jana Berschneider completed the Bachelor's program in Agricultural Sciences at the University of Hohenheim followed by a Master’s. Today, she is a trainee in sustainability management with the ADM Company.
When it comes to important decisions - ask, ask, ask! E.g. about what to study or specializations during your studies: Friends, older students, but also the professors are happy to give information.
If you want to work in business, then you should start building up networks at an early stage. E.g. with internships or a final thesis with a partner from the private sector.
Be confident. The idea that you “really can’t do anything” as a graduate with “only” a Bachelor’s is not correct.
Sustainability Trainee, ADM Hamburg AG
Studies at the University of Hohenheim 2010-2016
Agricultural Sciences B.Sc.
Double Master’s Program
Job
What are typical activities for you in your job?
I take care of certification systems, for example, or more precisely - sustainability certificates that prove that certain social and environmental standards were upheld in the production of raw goods. I look in particular at the question of which sustainability systems or certificates are applicable to which areas.
When did you decide to take the job?
I knew I wanted to go into the business sector to get to know global trade flows better and understand the political and economic contexts. I started at ADM because of my Master’s thesis. For the thesis, I did a market potentials analysis and focused on the opportunities and limits of European soy production. I interviewed experts, and one of the experts was the Managing Director of ADM. I got the impression that the employees were very open, level-headed, and competent, that they enjoyed sharing their knowledge with young talents, and that these were also supported.
Then I got more information about the company and looked regularly at the online job postings. There I saw the trainee position that fit well with the topic I had in my Master's thesis.
Studies
Why the University of Hohenheim? And why Agricultural Sciences?
That was based on the recommendation of a friend. After completing my Abitur, I didn’t really know what I should study.
My friend told me about the interesting subject combination of economics and natural sciences. I looked more closely at the module catalog and also asked people who had studied it in previous semesters - by the way, they’re always happy to give information.
“Tip for deciding what to study: Students in higher semesters are happy to give information!”
Then I enrolled. At the beginning I wasn’t very confident because I didn’t have a background in agriculture or farmers in my family, so some of the things were new for me. But from semester to semester I discovered that it was more and more fun - being interested in what you do and enjoying it can also help when it comes to learning new things.
What were your studies like?
In my Bachelor’s and Master’s, I went more in-depth into agricultural economic and social sciences. Even before that I was very interested in the combination of economics and ecology. Economy is a good starting point. Specific professional expertise, e.g. more in-depth knowledge about cultivation, is something you can learn later. At least, that was my experience during an internship with a plant breeding company.
After my Bachelor’s I got information about job opportunities, but I didn’t find anything that matched my goals and ideas of what I wanted to do. Because I also wanted to go abroad, especially in a developing or threshold country, I decided to do a Double Master’s Degree in Hohenheim: During my Master’s, I studied in part in Hohenheim and in part at the Chang Mai University in Thailand.
What about experiences outside of the classroom?
During my studies, I worked part-time in a sporting goods store - that didn’t have a lot to do with my subject. But I liked having something different to do and coming into contact with the other students who worked there. I also did internships: For my agricultural internship, I was at the University farm “Unterer Lindenhof.” I can really recommend that. It was a really wonderful time in which I saw and learned a lot. At BayWa, I got to know the intersection between agriculture and trade.
What surprises and challenges were there during your studies?
One of the challenges was organizing the study abroad program - I had to be very proactive, which was something I hadn’t counted on. Another challenge was the math required in my program. I never really liked math. I could have stopped taking it, but I consciously chose to stay with it.
"When you work with fellow students, you can overcome any obstacle in your studies."
Now I’m happy about that decision because it never hurts to be able to think abstractly. And if you work together with your fellow students, then you can overcome quite a few of the challenges.
When I think back on my studies in Hohenheim, I think of...
...a pretty intense time. And a very diverse time in which I got to know a broad spectrum of subjects that I can use today.
