Katja

Q%Was KISD the only university you
attended, or did you study elsewhere as
well?

A%No, I spent a semester abroad at a university in
Taiwan. I also participated in international projects.
In Tel Aviv, we worked with a design university.
Additionally, I studied at Chiba University in Japan.
Since becoming a research assistant here, we’ve
also had collaboration projects with other
universities. I completed my bachelor’s degree at
KISD in 2018 and am still enrolled in my
master’s program.

Q%How long was the period between your
graduation and your first real job? How
long were you looking for a job?

A%I first went on a one-month trip. After that, it took
about three to four months before I started
working at Denkwerk. I stayed there for half a year.

Q%And did you get the job through a standard application process, or did you
have contacts?

A%I applied like anyone else. But a lot of KISD students
work there, which made it easier.
Denkwerk is a big agency, and it was a good starting
point. But at some point, I wanted to grow further.

Q%What surprised you most about working-
life after graduation?

A%During my studies, I thought I had to be able to do
everything because KISD covers such a broad
spectrum. But most jobs are specialized. Critical
thinking, conceptual work, and the ability to ask the
right questions are much more important. It’s also
reassuring to know that working life is very human,
and teamwork during your studies prepares you well
for it.

Q%Would you say that KISD particularly
prepares students well in terms of soft
skills?

A%Yes, definitely. Independent work, teamwork, and
the ability to adapt to new topics are among KISD’s
greatest strengths. At KISD, you have to manage
your own projects, find the right people, and take on
responsibility. This helps enormously in professional
life.

Q%Would you say that your work is fairly
valued financially?

A%Well, first of all, the financial aspect is not my main
priority. I think I could earn more elsewhere, but
that’s simply not my focus. At KISD, I don’t even ask
myself that question. We do a lot of projects with
the city, and ideally, all citizens benefit from them.
I enjoy working on these projects with students, so
my sense of purpose is fulfilled at KISD. Financially,
however, the situation in higher education in
Germany is really not ideal. Very few academic staff
have permanent contracts, and even then, they’re
often part-time—50% or 60% positions. So really,
you do it out of passion.

Q%Which of your projects are you
particularly proud of?

A%I’m especially proud of the city projects because I
think we’ve already accomplished a lot. They serve
as a bridge between the city administration and
KISD. It’s really nice to see how students’ ideas
take shape and how I help implement them. And
things actually move forward, even if it’s slow and
takes weeks.
In the fall, we had a presentation with a thesis
showing what we’ve already achieved.
I also presented to city administrations, and I
always found it really cool to put everything together. The highlights of these projects made a huge impression. It was nice to see how much our work is
appreciated.

Q%What advice would you give students regarding their career entry?

A%Well, I’ve gotten all my jobs through my network.
It’s a multi-generational network of people I’ve
mostly met as freelancers over the past three or
four generations of KISD graduates. This network
is incredibly valuable. You don’t have to “kiss ass”—
nobody expects that. But I definitely
underesmated how valuable the KISD network is
and how unique it is compared to other universities. The community aspect is so strong, with all the events and working groups. You don’t even
realize it while studying, but later, it really benefits
you because you know so many people.

Q%And how do you integrate into these
networks? By studying at KISD, you’re
already part of it, but what should
students do?

A%Well, you’re already part of it just by being there.
The professors aren’t the most important factor. But
of course, how you perform in group work makes a
big difference. If people enjoy working with you, they
might reach out to you later. That’s also why I work
with my former KISD team—we already collaborated during our studies. We know what works.
There are always people who act unprofessionally, and of course, that stands out. I wouldn’t recommend that approach.

Q%What challenges did you face when
starting your career?

A%Well, I still remember when I first thought that a
40-hour workweek would be exhausting … You have
to design your daily work schedule yourself, decide
how many projects you take on, how many meetings
you have, and set your own rules. Flexibility is key. I
don’t have to be in the office every day.

Q%To what extent does that limit you?
Isn’t it rather liberating to be able
to disconnect from work at five and not
think about it anymore?

A%Yes, it depends on how you structure your self-employment. In extreme cases, you might have to
schedule meetings or do something on the weekend.
It’s a matter of time management and organization,
but you can avoid that. For me, after six o’clock, I
stop working.

Q%What were your fears after graduation?

A%My fears? I was always aware of the difficult economic situation. The workload wasn’t always steady,
and you never knew when things would improve. It
was tough. But in the end, you always find something. On the other hand, this situation allowed me to start
a private project with a partner—I simply had the
time to work on it. We received a grant and secured
additional funding to move the project forward. It’s
actually connected to KISD.

Q%So, are you opmistic about the future,
or at least about your current
professional situation?

A%Yes, I’m in a good position. On one hand, I’m involved
with my freelance work, still connected to KISD, and
also active in the city of Cologne. There’s a lot of collaboration with the innovation office. Something will
definitely develop in a certain direction, and right
now, this combination is perfect.

Q%But isn’t it too much for you?

A%It’s a lot, but only if everything happens at once. You
have to be organized. I divide my days—Tuesdays
and Thursdays are for KISD, no freelance work.
Mondays and Fridays are for freelancing, and
Wednesdays are split.

Q%Did you know from the beginning what
you wanted to do, or were you unsure?

A%At first, I had no idea. I just wanted to earn more
money but didn’t know what that meant. Then I
slowly started to find projects I liked. It’s an up and
down process.

Q%Well, you always find your way somehow.

A%Yes, you realize what you’re good at, and then you
find what’s fun!