In brief:
- Fully integrated into the team and day-to-day workflows after just six months.
- Those who want to take on responsibility are given the opportunity to do so.
- Strong focus on professional development in PR, finance and communications.
I joined Kerl & Cie six months ago. After completing my bachelor’s degree, one thing was clear to me: the best way to start my career was by gaining practical experience. After two interviews, I spent a trial day at the office – and felt comfortable from the very beginning. What convinced me most was the open and supportive atmosphere.
When I started, my financial knowledge was still fairly limited – but I immediately felt that I had come to the right place. Financial communications is a highly specialised field, and the expertise it requires is equally specific. So during my first few weeks, my main focus was getting up to speed. Cryptocurrencies, brokers, traditional banks – the client portfolio covered a broad range.
My first tasks
Once I had familiarised myself with the topics and understood the internal processes, I was able to take on my first responsibilities: preparing newsletters, writing social media copy and distributing market commentary to journalists.
I also got involved in reporting early on, documenting media clippings and preparing them for clients. Over time, I took on additional tasks and clients – particularly in the crypto sector, where I supported journalist briefings and helped prepare and follow up on workshops.
Before long, my days were filled with meetings, to-dos and coordination. That left less time for the occasional spontaneous crypto explainer video – but there has always been room to keep learning and stay up to date.
What helped especially in the beginning was the fact that every trainee is paired with a mentor. Mine has been with the company for a long time and supports me with questions, challenges and during stressful periods. It makes the transition into the role noticeably easier – at no point do you feel left on your own.
360-degree communications really does mean 360 degrees here
With one new client, our work expanded beyond PR, social media and media buying to include events as well. From the outset, I was involved in the onboarding process, contributed to pitch presentations and researched options for a Christmas event. The client wanted to celebrate its successful launch in the German market together with partners and guests.
I was able to put my previous event experience to good use, supporting guest coordination, invitation management and on-site hosting. Events are a particularly valuable part of working in our industry: you get to meet journalists and build contacts across the finance and media sectors. And beyond our own events, trainees often get the chance to accompany senior consultants and management to external finance events.
One thing has become especially clear to me during this time: if you bring your own ideas to the table and want to take on responsibility, you will be given the opportunity to do so. Suggestions are taken seriously. And much of what we do only works because the team supports one another – that is exactly what makes working here special.
Agency life: varied, intense and beer pong
We also enjoy spending time together outside of work. At lunchtime, we often head to the supermarket together and then eat on the terrace. Summer parties, Christmas celebrations and after-work beer pong are just as much a part of agency life as client meetings and events in Frankfurt.
The atmosphere within the team is particularly enjoyable. Many colleagues are around a similar age, so it is easy to find shared interests and things to talk about. At the same time, there is a great deal of experience within the team, and you know that when things get stressful, people have your back. Those are often the moments when you learn the most.
Agency life is certainly varied: no two days are the same. Sometimes one meeting follows the next, sometimes there is a trade fair to attend, and sometimes a topic needs to be communicated at very short notice. That variety is what makes the job exciting – even if things can, of course, get stressful from time to time.
Then there are the little quirks of everyday agency life: squirrels dropping by during lunch breaks, or the office dog greeting you rather loudly at first before eventually becoming just another part of the team.
Responsibility grows over time
By now, I have fully settled into agency life and take on significantly more responsibility than I did at the beginning. I lead regular client meetings, plan content for the week ahead and give my assessment of which financial topics are currently gaining traction.
For some clients, I am now also responsible for reporting. Most mornings start with newsletters and financial podcasts – staying informed makes a huge difference in day-to-day work at Kerl & Cie.
My work also includes pitch presentations and content strategies, journalist interviews, trade fairs and events. This combination of communications, strategy, organisation and creativity is what makes the role so varied.
In social media, I continue to plan posts and write copy and captions; tools such as Metricool have long since become part of my routine. Alongside PR and social media, I also gain insights into media buying and marketing – and can independently set up and manage collaborations with magazines, influencers and other partners.
A large part of the job actually happens via email. As a result, you quickly learn how to write professionally – whether it is a contributed article, a market commentary, a press release or editorial adaptations for media outlets.
Learning never stops
The traineeship at Kerl & Cie also includes training with dapr. In addition to the fundamentals of PR, the programme provides a great deal of practical knowledge on press releases, interviews, pitches and communications strategies.
What I found particularly valuable was the exchange with experienced professionals from the industry who shared their perspectives and insights. The training also made me realise just how much I had already learned during my first few months at Kerl & Cie – many of the topics already felt familiar.
My conclusion after six months
The past six months have gone by incredibly quickly. Looking back, I have learned an enormous amount in a short period of time – professionally, organisationally and personally.
What matters most is being open to new topics, being willing to dig into them and having the motivation to take on responsibility. If you are interested in finance and communications and enjoy varied tasks, you can learn a great deal here in a relatively short time.
I feel very well supported at Kerl & Cie – and I see plenty of opportunities here to continue developing both professionally and personally.
Best regards,
Your K&C Trainee
