How a Rejection Turned Into My Dream Job

After finishing my Bachelor’s in International Relations in September 2024 at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, I found myself stuck at a crossroads.

I just came back from a semester abroad in Istanbul (Türkiye). Due to delays with my colloquium, I canceled my place at Nottingham University for a business master’s, and although it crushed my dream of wanting to study in the UK, it felt like a silent relief to NOT be stuck with a huge amount of student loan. So I moved in with my mother, who had moved a year before from Heidelberg to Essen, and started to brainstorm my next steps.

As a passionate planner, I naturally came up with new plans—a part-time job, a Master’s degree somewhere in Germany starting in April 2025, and a neat little timeline that should’ve worked. But the job applications I sent out kept coming back with rejections. Most were marketing roles, something I had experience in, but my heart wasn’t really in it anymore. The options for Master’s programs in the summer term were few, and none of them truly sparked my interest.

Then one day, while doom-scrolling through LinkedIn, I kept seeing internship offers from Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) pop up. I ignored them at first. I had a plan, after all. But after yet another rejection email, I snapped. If I wasn’t “qualified enough” for the jobs I was applying to, I’d at least do something I genuinely wanted. So I sent out an internship application to WAZ Essen.

They rejected me too.

And that hit me hard. I’ve been writing stories, poetry, and blog posts since I was twelve. During school, my first internship was at the newspaper Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, and out of curiosity, I did a TV workshop with RTL. Heck, at 20 I even applied to Constantin Entertainment to become a scriptwriter for a judge show. I was editor-in-chief of the student magazine and gave it a whole new touch! Writing is my safe space, my lifeline. So when even that world told me “no,” I started questioning everything.

Then, the next day, I got an email from WAZ Velbert. They wanted me. I didn’t even know where Velbert was—but I didn’t care. I just knew I wanted this.

On my first day, I pitched five story ideas and out of all, they agreed with one. I was immediately sent out to interview kebab shops for a story on the döner crisis. Nerves turned into drive. I got the interviews, wrote the article, and surprised everyone—because they hadn’t expected those interviews to work out. Turns out, I had a knack for this. And my editor saw that too.

✨ Here’s the (German) online article and the print version!

That internship changed everything. I connected with the team, soaked up every bit of feedback and experience, and felt seen. In December, my boss asked me what my next steps were after January, once I finished the internship. I told him I was planning to do a Master’s. He asked if I’d ever considered a Volontariat (editorial traineeship).

I had, but always thought I needed that Master’s first – for my own ego. The conversation we had that day was something I’ll never forget. My explanations turned into a spiraling ramble, and once I was done, I thought he might think I was crazy and return to his office. Instead, he leaned against the opposite desk, crossed his arms, and looked at me all serious. He didn’t push, didn’t judge. He just listened and brainstormed with me. That evening, I felt a shift in my gut. I didn’t need to keep following the “rules.” I needed to follow what actually made me feel alive.

✨ Here’s a Reel we created at WAZ Velbert to recap my internship

I applied for the traineeship at FUNKE with a video CV to show my creativity and passion. I didn’t hear back for over a month. Meanwhile, I extended my internship for two more months (to everyone’s joy), got more bylines, and realized that I loved this work. The interviews, the pressure, the fast pace, the unpredictability. I loved hearing people’s stories and giving them a voice. It was refreshing to know that I wasn’t always stuck at the desk, writing story after story. Almost every second day, I had appointments to interview someone or take part at an event. Every day was different and the thrill of chasing stories was one of the most enjoyful things!

In February, I finally got an interview. It was a one-hour online conversation about the traineeship, current politics, innovative ideas for WAZ and its readership, and my internship experience. At the end, they said they wanted me. I accepted on the spot.

Since April, I’ve officially been a trainee at WAZ. And it all started with a rejection that almost made me give up.