Life after TIAS: working at Zalando in Berlin
March 4, 2020 | 2 min read
How are our alumni doing since graduating from TIAS? Which carrier path did they choose and at which organization did they end up? And what advice do they have for current and potential TIAS students? Find out in this blog!
This blog post is written by Paula Bevilaqua Vilhena de Carvalho from Brazil | MScBA alumna 2016-2017.
My international job search adventure
After graduating with the specialization in Business Analytics I decided that I wanted to work in the field of e-commerce. Therefore, I focused my search on e-commerce businesses and e-commerce in multinational companies. I saw one vacancy for Junior Manager Category Planning & Analytics in Berlin. Moving to Germany was not in my plans, but since it was at Zalando, one of the 8th largest e-commerce organizations in the world I decided to take on this new adventure in a new county at a new company.
How I got the job
To start, TIAS’ workshops about career development were really important for me to understand more about myself and what I wanted for my future.
I narrowed down my research to e-commerce companies/areas using LinkedIn. In the applications, I used the tips and strategies from the career workshops to write my cover letters and participate in the interviews. I got the opportunity to be a sales analyst of Zalando’s private labels in Amazon.
After almost one year working there, Zalando decided to change to another strategy and discontinued their business. It was a shock, and something that I never experienced before, but I was determined to continue in the company since it is a wonderful place to work at. I searched inside the company, areas that matches my profile and interests and through an internal process I landed in the Category Planning & Analytics’ team as a junior manager.
What does my job entail?
I am part of the team that is responsible for the controlling of the planning of all categories in Zalando. We analyze the planning per season, according to the strategy, forecast, and historical data, before starting the season, during and after. Making sure that the assortment planning is right for the customers and company. I love my job, because I can have a good overview of the company and it never gets boring since there are so many variants and every day is a new challenge.
My advice to you
Searching for a job is a two-way road, it can be very frustrating, with lots of letters, tests, interviews, and negative answers. However, this is very normal and part of the process. Remember to always look for companies and positions that appeal to you and that have values that you believe in. Ask questions, contact current and past employees before deciding where to go. There are also many resources on the internet you can consult (LinkedIn and Glassdoor for example).
Be curious and open to changes! In a fast-paced environment, everything changes in a minute so it is really important to be aware of what is happening around you. Not only the things you do now at work, but to have a holistic view to understand the impacts and how this can change your work. Be open-minded towards changes that can happen in a fast-paced business nowadays.
Best,
Paula
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