ESMT Berlin

Master in Management | Part 1


Henning · 2019 - 2021

Published: 16 November 2021 | by Henning

What did you do before the MIM program?

Before I started my MIM at ESMT, I completed a corporate study program, studying Business Administration and Logistics at the Berlin School of Economics and Law while working for Deutsche Post DHL Group at the same time. Friends always told me I traded my spare time into working-time, which turned out to be true, but the decision paid off. During the three years of my studies, I gained work experience in different areas in the company. Thanks to great people, I could not only work in logistics but also in internal consulting, IT project management, and in classic divisions like HR and controlling. This helped me a lot to understand how big corporations function and what career goals I want to pursue – and in the choice of going to ESMT.

Besides studying and working, I found an interest in taking part in extracurricular activities. Being involved in social projects, for example helping homeless people and refugees, allowed me to understand how lucky I am, having had a normal childhood. We should not take this for granted.

Why did you decided to participate in the MIM program?

Coming from a management background, I wanted to continue my studies in this field since I am very interested in working in strategic projects. The MIM program refreshes my knowledge from the Bachelors studies from multiple points of view but also enhances my entrepreneurial and strategic thinking by offering courses like Negotiation and Judgement and Decision Making.

Since the MIM program is open to graduates from any field of study all around the world, I study with prior engineering, law and art students. This was one reason I chose the MIM, although I did not study much law nor engineering courses, I now can have an insight while talking to those peers.

During our MIM program, we will complete two internships before graduating. Therefore, ESMT gives us the opportunity to gain more working experience. This is a real benefit before applying to a full-time position, it allows me to test my hypothesis for a job I pursue.

Why did you chose ESMT?

Since I have lived in Berlin for a while, I can say for sure that ESMT is located in the middle of the city and in a very nice building which I did not want to miss. The vibrant city offers many activities and its start-up scene is, for me, one of the best cities to be a student in.

ESMT is an excellent accelerator not only for my career but also for personal development. Coming from a public university, I wanted to gain in depth knowledge taught by the best professors with professional experience within Europe.

What I have experienced in the first term brought me much further to achieve my goals. The business school offers not only interesting courses but also has a wide range of additional courses voluntary to participate in. For example, the course Strength Finder opened my eyes, helping me to understand what I wanted to pursue. Sounds cheesy and I would not believe it if I did not experience it by myself.

Another reason why I chose ESMT is the diversity aspect. There are so many international students in my class, 82%! Living in Germany, my home country, and experiencing so many people is just amazing. We have students from 40 nations. Getting to know different cultures, planning trips to their home countries, meanwhile showing them around in Germany and Europe is a great opportunity for both sides. The diversity helps with group assignments when we brainstorm about a case; it is great to have those different peers in the group, making the discussion more interesting and the solution more creative.

Thanks to good connections to companies, we can gain insight into corporates and start-ups. During visits, I can ask my questions regarding internships or full-time positions directly to the employees. Having the chance to talk to people helps me to find the best fitting internship to my profile.

In my decision process, I cared about finding a private school with not only smart but also team-working, fellow students. It was very important for me to talk to current students and alumni in the MIM program. Finding them was easy since I used LinkedIn a lot. I invited them to connect and wrote a small message in the invitation. After having a few conversations, I could not only ask first questions, but also found out that ESMT has a spirit that almost every student is helping and supportive, whether with group assignments and study questions but also with career plans and mentoring.

How was the application process?

Before deciding to accept the offer from ESMT, I visited a few private business schools around Europe. I strongly suggest this, as long as you can do that, because this is the best chance to get to know the school. If it is not possible, a scheduled phone call will also help to ask the few first questions and get to know the admissions team.

Before applying, I attended an open house class on campus. The visit helped me to see the building, and I could gain the first impression of how a lecture at ESMT feels like. The course was really well prepared and coming from a public university, I was truly impressed with the engagement the professor showed by involving us “students”.

As I applied at the end of October, the process was fast. Being prepared is the key. I took my time and wrote my heart down at the essays but also thought about whom I wanted to ask for my two recommendations. It is important to go for people who know you and can judge your abilities and your learning attitude.

Within the next week or two, the admission manager contacted me to schedule an interview. I was super happy about making the first step towards the MIM program. Being prepared about your internal motivation is very important to make use of the interview and present yourself. The call via Skype was very well structured, and I did not feel being interviewed, rather having a normal conversation, since I could clarify all of my remaining questions. This allowed me to evaluate if ESMT is the perfect fit for me and vice versa.

Within the next two weeks, I received the confirmation in the middle of November during a Finland trip with friends. I woke them up by screaming of pure happiness through the cottage. It was worth it.

How was the first week in the program?

Thanks to ESMT, the incoming students could connect through an internal platform before the program started. Therefore, everyone knew someone, we already felt like a class, and no one was alone from the first day on. In the first week, nearly every conversation started with: “Where are you from? What did you do before? Oh, and… what is your name?” Which was funny and you had to memorize a lot of names and faces.

Having such a diverse class, during the week we found out that maybe our background is different but our mentality and our motivation is not. During the ESMT organized welcome-week, we found out that we have common interests and similar opinions, no matter where we are coming from.

The first week was full of small events during the day where we could get to know our classmates, the school, and its rules. At dinnertime, we meet up to get to know each other outside of school. I do not want to spoil a lot but there are a team building events, which will be something you do not expect to do in the first week at a business school. However, no worries – it was very cool and fun to get to know your future classmates while paddling on a lake.

If you would like to know more about the way to become a student and the life at ESMT, please do not hesitate to contact me via LinkedIn or via my e-mail address: henning.moebius@mim2019.esmt.org

Your Contact at ESMT Berlin

Stephanie Kluth is Head of Admissions at the ESMT Berlin. She would be happy to answer your questions, for example on ESMT's Master program or what it's like studying at ESMT. Stephanie Kluth strongly encourages you to request more information.

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