FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

The BEP specifically appeals to entrepreneurial minded applicants. Recruiters will put a lot of attention on your proven ability to create, innovate, change and lead. Have your pitch about your past or present projects and ventures ready. Obviously starting something is extremely hard and chances to land a big hit are dim, but this is not the point here. Important is your spirit and the way you brought your ideas forward. 

Also remember that Bertelsmann is a Media conglomerate. It helps if part of your entrepreneurial energy addresses some of the pressing issues a traditional media company is facing. Think digital!

Yes you do! I had, and I am sure others will have too. Your interest in the sector however, should be genuine and well founded. To me it was more of an advantage to be from a different background. Sometimes it helps to have a clear mind about certain things. And especially in the media sector a perfect understanding of the past does not mean that you can architect business models of the future even though old media is trying to do just that.

I cannot tell you the exact number for the 2010 intake but in 2009 four people got hired.

You do. Well, obviously this is not a cherry picking contest. You will always have to network your way through the organisation and sell your idea or input to the divisional management. You are expected to contribute and not just be a silent bystander. But in general terms, there are no limits to where you could end up during the program.

At Bertelsmann this is the top-talent program and enjoys considerable support and status. You are visible to the board and get support from corporate management development. It’s a great way to enter the firm, no doubt. 

I would describe it as a learning and preparatory journey. Your projects usually last 4-6 month and in the majority of cases, have the character of a research project with a recommendation pitch to management in the end. Bear in mind that you always enter existing business structures and teams and that your room for innovation and change is limited. There have been exceptions in the program but in general terms I would say this is a fair judgement. 

So don’t expect p&l responsibility and reporting lines straight away. This might be a challenge, especially if you had these responsibilities in your previous job and expected to build your post MBA career on that.

Yes, the package is above industry standard, about par with renowned consulting firms and round about 50% better than finance jobs these days. (yes, the latter was a joke).

Absolutely!

If you don’t see a downside you might not have done your research properly. In joining the BEP you are joining a traditional media empire that has not yet found and defined its digital future. Make no mistake about it, there are other companies growing at a different pace with a different set of activities. Bertelsmann is still very much a physical media play. Books, Magazines, Retail, broadcast TV as well as print and services dominate our portfolio. You might argue that the distribution part of this portfolio is disrupted, and I won’t argue that, but at the same time this portfolio stands for great content for which we have to find new business models. This is a slow process and it is yet to demonstrate that turning a physical media company into a digital media company is actually going to work. So far we have no real evidence of this in the industry. But if you share my believe that it is possible and that we can do it, you have to join us!