The change of department is a great opportunity for us third-year apprentices to gain new experiences. For me, this meant leaving the technical routine of software development and entering the creative world of marketing. An exciting change of scenery that allowed me to gain a completely new perspective on the company for a month.
It’s not just marketing that you can choose from. Departments such as project management, product management or sales can also be explored during the change. However, it quickly became clear to me that I wanted to immerse myself in the marketing and sales department – an area that I had hardly had any contact with before. That’s exactly why I wanted to get to know it better and understand how people work here.
A leap into the unknown: My start in marketing
Switching to marketing was a completely new experience for me. Instead of working on lines of code as usual, everything suddenly revolved around creative content and AMCON’s public image. I was allowed to design posts for social media, work on videos and prepare image material – tasks that not only brought variety, but were also a lot of fun.
It was particularly exciting that I was able to contribute and implement my own ideas – from Instagram posts to video editing. I learned how much strategy and intuition is behind good marketing.
A technical look at marketing: website & SEO
My technical background also came into play in marketing – especially when it came to the website. Together with the team, we simplified the navigation and optimized the presentation to make the site more user-friendly and appealing.
Special attention was paid to SEO optimization: we revised meta data, integrated keywords in a targeted manner and thus significantly improved visibility in search engines. For me, this was an exciting combination of technology and marketing that showed how closely the two can be linked.
The diversity of marketing
During my time in marketing, I not only worked on content, but also saw how much planning goes into events. One example: the organization of our Boßeltour. It’s not just about good ideas – structure, planning and an eye for detail are also required.
I have learned how important it is to remain flexible and adapt quickly to new requirements. Marketing is more complex than I would have thought – behind every successful campaign is a well thought-out concept and a lot of teamwork.
Next stop: Sales
After two weeks in Marketing, I moved on to Sales – an area that I could hardly have imagined before. First of all, I got an overview of the differences between internal sales and external sales, which I hadn’t really been aware of before.
In internal sales, I learned how quotations are prepared, orders processed and inventories carried out. What surprised me was that there was very little direct customer contact here – in stark contrast to field sales.
On the road
In the second week, I was able to accompany the sales team – and it was really exciting! I attended customer meetings in Kassel and Mainz and was able to experience how our solutions are presented and explained directly on site.
It was particularly interesting that these were potential new customers. This gave me an impression of how the first contact is established, how discussions take place and how much tact is required. For me as a developer, it was very valuable to see how much effort and planning goes into a successful project launch.
My conclusion
The change of department was a valuable and enriching experience for me. In Marketing, I was able to develop my creative side and contribute my technical knowledge at the same time. In Sales, I gained insights into customer communication and the processes behind the scenes.
I can only recommend every trainee to take advantage of this opportunity. Thinking outside the box not only broadens your horizons, but also shows you how many exciting facets our company has to offer.
