Mr. Rudolf Gerlinger, graduate of the Innovation Management program.
What is your career path? Could you tell us something about your career or professional development?
After finishing high school, I wanted to enter the workforce directly, so a practical connection was important to me. In the years that followed, I completed an apprenticeship as a wholesale and foreign trade merchant. After the apprenticeship, I was given the opportunity to take over and strategically align the marketing department in the same company. After successfully fulfilling my role for several years, I realized that higher methodological and professional qualifications were necessary for my career advancement. With this in mind, I decided to pursue a bachelor's degree through distance learning at Campus Zweibrücken, as it could be easily combined with my professional life. This choice proved to be right, as a few semesters later, I was offered the position of project management in a major food conglomerate and spent the next few years working in various Arab countries. This provided me with the opportunity to further develop my language and intercultural skills while simultaneously completing my bachelor's degree. Subsequently, I switched to the family business where I continue to work and also completed my bachelor's degree.
What is your current job?
I work in the management team and have overall responsibility for the business. The location I am responsible for employs approximately 60 employees and is engaged in plastic extrusion.
What does your daily work routine look like?
My main focus is on international sales and product development. However, the intensifying global competitive conditions have shown that, in addition to technical differentiators, organizational and cultural aspects are becoming increasingly important. Therefore, a significant portion of my working time is devoted to organizational development and the use of modern product development and creativity techniques.
Why did you choose to study Innovation Management at Hochschule Kaiserslautern?
I chose this program for three reasons. Firstly, Innovation Management aligns with a significant portion of my existing interests and can be easily integrated into my daily work. Secondly, I saw many opportunities in the modules to further concentrate and refine my skills in a methodical way. Thirdly, I already knew Campus Zweibrücken from my bachelor's studies, where I was very impressed by the campus itself, the online formats, and, of course, the instructors and support staff.
How did the distance learning program work for you in terms of time and organization?
At the beginning of each semester, the study materials were automatically sent to me. In addition to these, I structured the online documents and summarized the relevant material. The university offers several opportunities for students to connect, making it easy to exchange ideas with fellow students from the start. During self-study, I dedicated about 15-20 hours per week to learning, and during exam periods, approximately 20-30 hours per week. From my perspective, this is sufficient to achieve good to very good results. The instructors are very supportive and helpful with any questions that arise. Before exams, on-site events are organized where relevant material is deepened, and practice exercises are provided. In my view, it's essential to organize your week effectively and then stick to it with discipline. After a total of seven years (BA + MBA) of distance learning, discipline is a key criterion.
Is there a lecture or seminar that stands out for you, and why? Which instructors left a positive impression on you, and why?
I was particularly impressed by the Out-Of-Campus event in Florence. It was a unique and truly unforgettable experience, both personally and professionally. All the regular modules were excellent, as the program is very focused, and there was hardly anything that wasn't interesting. I would like to emphasize Prof. Dr. Thurnes and Prof. Dr. Reuter, who were very dedicated in all matters, corrected exams at an unprecedented speed, and designed course content and on-site events extremely well.
What has been the most interesting for you so far, and which content can you directly apply in your professional environment?
The module on organizational development with the techniques practiced during the on-site events.
Has your study or degree allowed you to pursue a different career path or make a career leap?
The MBA program did not have an impact on my career path, as it was not my intention. I completed the program out of personal interest. Furthermore, I consider continuous development to be crucial for success and personally feel the drive for "more."
