Freelancers and young trainees at Bertelsmann

Project-related freelance work – especially in the media sector – is becoming an interesting career prospect for more and more people.

Bertelsmann operates in businesses that are often subject to change at short notice. This requires a high degree of flexibility both from the company and its employees. In order to be able to produce quality content on a long-term basis in spite of this, our company employs freelancers in addition to the permanent staff. They support us with their specialized expertise for a limited time – and we fully appreciate this special level of commitment and availability. Therefore, we treat all of our workers with respect and trust – regardless of their contract status. We also create a working environment where they can further develop and fulfill themselves.

The job profiles of our various employees are as diverse as the markets in which Bertelsmann operates.

Gaining initial experience

In addition to the diverse range of courses and dual degree programs, we offer students and people in similar training programs the possibility of rounding off their acquired skills in an internship lasting several months. In this way they can gain practical experience in a professional environment, deepen their technical knowledge and broaden their social and methodological skills.

Bertelsmann is a member of the "Fair Company" initiative and is fully behind the five rules laid down for the protection of trainees. For instance, we do not replace any full-time employees with interns at Bertelsmann. A personal mentor is appointed who looks after interns throughout their internship - and they receive fair remuneration according to their previous experience and progress in their studies.

Outstanding trainees can be nominated by their supervisor for inclusion in the "Student Challenge" trainee retention program, where a group of ten to 15 international top talents participate in a series of workshops in our company for two to three years. Our goal is to get to know the participants better through an intensive exchange in the workshops, and to recruit the most successful ones as employees in the Group when the program ends.

Where possible, we offer applicants the opportunity to perform voluntary internships within the Bertelsmann group. The range of jobs in the newsroom at Gruner + Jahr or the editorial departments of RTL Group channels are as varied as today’s media world.

It is a matter of course for us to treat the next generation of professionals fairly. However, it is also a chance for Bertelsmann to enhance its image, gain a competitive edge, and get to know well-educated and skilled future employees, and to work together to prepare for the future.