German Grad Will Rogers Thriving in His Medical Sales Position in Germany

Dear Students and Friends of the CSB/SJU German Department,

I never knew what I was going to do with a German major, but it was one of the best decisions I ever made.  After college I packed up my car and moved to San Diego where I took the first job I could find, but I was continuously looking for a way to get back to Germany or Austria. I became a German major because of my family history and my love of travel. After the Salzburg program, I knew I had to go for the major. While in San Diego I connected with a friend whose company was looking for a German speaker. The interview went well, so I quit my job and shipped over to Germany immediately.

I have been living in Germany for over 4 years now. I work for a medical device manufacturer and supervise all of our business development in Central Europe. I spend a majority of my time working in Gemany and Austria, but have also spent time working in Italy, Spain, France, Switzerland, England, Belgium, Poland, Malaysia, and Turkey.  I currently live in Frankfurt, Germany. I'm not throwing out the option of staying here permanently, but regardless I will always want a job that gives me access to travel in Europe.

All of my new friends have been Germans, which has really helped progress my language skills. My German is now better than I ever thought possible. If I would have some advice for students taking German who would like to live in the country after college, the first step is to just get over to Germany. Find an internship or an English teaching position. Once you hit the ground, you can start networking and find a more permanent position. If you want to go for your masters, regardless of your major, a majority of graduate programs in Germany are taught in English and are far less expensive than in the USA. So don't be nervous if your German isn't perfect. You're young, just go for it! Let me know if I can help you further!
 

All the best in your studies,
Will Rogers