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bertelsmann CREATE YOUR OWN CAREER

The application period for the Creative Management track 2025 has closed. Please remind me when the application period for the Creative Management track starts again.

Remind me!

Bertelsmann Future Leaders Creative Management

Ready to lead with creativity?

Humanities graduates can’t become managers? At Bertelsmann, we see things differently. We value your desire to combine creative ideas with innovative business models. That’s why the Creative Management Track of our Future Leaders Graduate Program will take you exactly where you want to go. We value your fresh perspective and your ideas. Over the course of 12 months, you will immerse yourself into our various businesses, such as: 300 publishing houses, 56 TV stations and a music label. You take responsibility and expand your business knowledge while we support you with tailored training and career coaching.

We offer you

  1. 1.
    Modern working methods and cooperation networks
  2. 2.
    Business training
  3. 3.
    Individual career coaching consulting and targeted trainings
  4. 4.
    Excellent career prospects and a salary of about €45.000 to €50.000 a year
  5. 5.
    Work experience in different cities and multiple teams

What you should bring to be a Creative Future Leader

At Bertelsmann, the overall picture of your profile, not just your degree determines your fit to the program. However, you should meet these qualifications:

  • Master’s degree in humanities, social sciences, political science, media, linguistics or communication
  • Relevant internships in media and/or business environments
  • Fluency in both German and English
  • Excellent analytical and communication skills
  • Willingness to relocate several times

We want to be a fair and inclusive employer and value the different perspectives that a diverse workforce brings to the table. Therefore, we actively seek people who enrich our company through their identity, background and personal experiences, with or without disabilities.

„The graduate program broadened my horizons enormously and showed me that I’m not just a journalist. I now know that I’m also a manager. There is no need to be intimidated as really everything is learnable.“
Mirijam Trunk, Alumna – Chief Crossmedia Officer & Chief Sustainability & Diversity Officer at RTL Deutschland

During our 12-month Creative Management Graduate Program, you will

  • Get to know the different divisions and jobs within our group
  • Work in a variety of teams in cities across Germany and potentially other European countries
  • Take on creative and business tasks
  • Develop and implement innovative business models
  • Change the industry with your creative mind and fresh perspective
  • and much more...

At a glance

  1. Application period: February 3 - March 30, 2025
  2. Start: September 1, 2025
  3. Duration: 12 months
  4. Languages: German (and English)
„The great thing about the Creative Management Graduate Program is gaining hands-on business experience. I got straight down to doing practical work rather than just theoretically learning business administration in a university. It’s the best way to learn.“
Lea Stöger, Alumna – Director Global Strategy & Corporate Development at Penguin Random House

Your application

  1. 1.
    Apply online
  2. 2.
    Take part in an online ability test
  3. 3.
    Prove your potential in an assessment center
  4. 4.
    Start as a Future Leaders trainee

Get to know our trainee Jana

I'm Jana Burnikel and I studied German, English and American Studies in my hometown Saarbrücken, but later I also took modules in Entrepreneurship and Economics. I was able to further strengthen the business side of things through an internship at a beauty tech start-up in New York and by founding my own company. Before starting the graduate program, I worked as a business development manager in an IT security incubator. Moreover, I did a Ph.D. on "AI in Anglophone Media Products" at Saarland University and also taught on that subject.

Jana found her perfect match in the Creative Management Track, which she successfully completed. She is now working as a Management Associate at Penguin Random House.

 

Learn more

Our Future Leaders Trainee Program has been awarded the Fair Trainee Program title for the second year in a row.

Trendence Award for Fair Trainee Program 2024
Trendence Award for Fair Trainee Program 2023

FAQ

  • Bertelsmann Future Leaders | Creative Management

    • What are the eligibility requirements?

      For the Creative Management Graduate Program, we are looking for master’s graduates who have completed their degree within the standard period of study and are among the best in their field. Fluency in both English and German is required for the position. Other selection criteria include the knowledge and experience you have gained during your academic career, as well as internships or projects. However, the overall picture of your profile, not just your degree or your resume determines the fit to the program.

    • I have a minor in business administration. Will that be an advantage?

      We welcome any knowledge of business administration. The focus of your studies, however, should be on the humanities.

    • How important is practical experience?

      We welcome it if you have already gained some practical experience in business, for example, during a longer internship.

    • What divisions will I be working at?

      During the 12-month graduate program, you will get to know a wide range of different divisions within the company. Deployments focus on the RTL Group, Penguin Random House as well as BMG. Rotations in other divisions of the company are also possible.

    • Is this a paid Graduate Program?

      Creative Management trainees receive an annual salary between €45,000 and €50,000.

Contact

Do you have further questions?

Get in touch with Steffi Heldberg (s.heldberg(at)bertelsmann.de).

Please note that we do not consider applications submitted by mail, fax, or e-mail.

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