Interview
Why did you decide to enrol on the Master’s programme in Health Sciences and Management?
I originally trained as a dental assistant. However, I couldn’t see myself doing that job for the rest of my life and wanted to go on to study after all. As I was looking for a Bachelor’s degree in healthcare and also wanted to stay close to my home in the Lower Rhine region, I found the Bio Science and Health degree programme at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. This really appealed to me because it’s a broad-based degree programme, and in the end it was the right decision. However, it wasn’t at all a given that I would go on to do a Master’s degree. I went into the Colloquium and said that was it for me. I already had a job, as I’d completed my Internship semester with an external occupational health management provider in Wesel and had continued working there part-time afterwards. My plan was to enjoy life for a while first and then work full-time.
When I came out of the Colloquium, I said I’d do the Master’s. Professor Renner convinced me, firstly by promoting the Master’s programme effectively and presenting the content in more concrete terms, and secondly by arguing very logically that if you have the potential, you should make use of it, as the standard duration of study is only one and a half years compared to the rest of your working life. In the short term, a Master’s degree can offer tremendous added value, and there is less risk that everyone else will eventually overtake you whilst you fail to develop yourself further. I’d also looked at the modules beforehand and saw that the content fitted in very well with the job I was doing at the time. I did think it might be a good addition, but in the end it was really Professor Renner who convinced me to take this step. I’m very grateful for that.
What was the topic of your Master's thesis?
The title of my Master's thesis is: “Occupational Health Management to Strengthen Corporate Crisis Resilience: Development of a Tool for Measuring and Assessing Employees’ Psychological Resilience”. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, it seemed a natural choice to write about resilience and crisis resilience in organisations. I did, however, take on a bit too much with the thesis – my ambition got the better of me. I was working for the occupational health management service provider, and my colleague, who was also my second examiner, is a psychologist. I developed this with him, and the aim was to create a tool capable of measuring corporate resilience. This tool consists of four parts, which can also be used individually thanks to a modular design. I’ve actually already been able to apply one part of it in my current job with the police. Corporate resilience comprises personal resilience, leadership resilience and team resilience. I developed a questionnaire for each individual component, and together they enabled us to measure corporate resilience. Professor Renner asked me if I was sure I wanted to make it so comprehensive, but I was determined to go ahead with it because it was important to me to produce an output that could subsequently be used in the workplace. Through my Bachelor’s thesis, I had already gained experience in literature research and questionnaire development, which definitely helped me. And where the subject matter was relevant, I was sometimes able to write at work as well, which made the whole process easier for me. I’m very grateful that my boss supported me so much with this. Towards the end, with all the analyses and the detailed description of individual figures and ratings, it became really exhausting and at some point I was feeling a bit burnt out. But I’m still glad I chose this comprehensive topic and saw it through to the end. I still have my Master's thesis at work and can always draw a lot of information from it, so it was worth it.
What happened next in your career after you graduated?
After completing my Master’s, I spoke to my boss about career development opportunities. However, it was quite a small family business, and it became clear relatively quickly that there wasn’t much scope for advancement. With my Master’s, I was simply overqualified for my job. At first I stayed on because I wasn’t unhappy, but I also felt that I wanted to do more. I’d developed a lot personally and professionally through the Master’s and was subsequently a bit underchallenged. That’s why I looked around to see what job opportunities there were in the field of health management near Goch and wrote a few speculative applications. Basically, I was open to completely new roles and hoped to find a position where I wouldn’t just be assisting others, but would actually be able to develop and implement concepts independently. When I then happened to see the job advert from the police, I applied straight away and, fortunately, it worked out.
What is your day-to-day work like?
Varied and exciting. I’m the occupational health and safety officer, sports officer, and occupational health and safety and BEM officer. Occupational health and safety makes up the bulk of my work. At the start of each year, I’m allocated a specific budget, and I can then work within that. I then draft plans and organise a programme, and if no further adjustments are needed, I receive approval for the funds. Then I can put all the plans into action, which is really exciting. In the sports area, I organise the in-house sports programme as well as everything related to sport, such as health days. In occupational health and safety, there are many issues that are very formal and bureaucratic. Sometimes it lacks a sense of purpose, but that’s down to the strict guidelines. However, even in occupational health and safety, I have the opportunity to do a lot of good work. This ranges from ergonomic workplace design and risk assessments to procurement that brings about improvements. My final area of responsibility is the BEM (Workplace Integration Management) discussions. These are, of course, very sensitive and completely confidential, but you also learn a lot from them. So my job is incredibly varied, really exciting and also a very rewarding role, because first and foremost I’m just doing good things for my colleagues.
What do you particularly like about your job?
Freedom, independence and variety! The fact that I can work so freely and contribute my own ideas. Of course, I have to stick to the framework and official channels, but I don’t just get an assignment that I have to mechanically tick off. That’s actually the best part – that I have a free hand and that it’s so varied.
What knowledge and skills did you acquire during your studies that you can put to good use in your job today?
That’s a difficult question. Actually, everything. So, very importantly, of course, in the Master’s programme, the opportunity – or rather the necessity – to stand up and present a lot yourself. That took a lot of effort on my part, especially when it was a topic I hadn’t yet dealt with in such depth, but still had to convey. That was a challenge, but one that helped me grow. With Professor Renner, for example, one of the exam requirements was to prepare a 60-minute workshop. Getting that just right was a lot of work and I often swore, but it was very helpful and I really learnt a lot from it. My biggest gain was my personal development. Of course, I also deepened my subject knowledge, but because the Master’s is even more demanding, you take on more responsibility and make a more conscious decision to pursue this course, it makes you grow up a lot, and I’ve grown immensely as a result.
What advice would you give to current and future students?
The only thing that comes to mind is: just complete enrolment and give it a go! That would be my tip, because I was absolutely delighted with the Degree programme.
What is your fondest memory of your time studying at HSRW?
There are actually a few, but my highlights from the Master’s were the practical elements with the team-building activities at the climbing park and the Cooper test (a 12-minute continuous run to test your endurance). Otherwise, of course, the lovely campus, especially in summer, but also in winter when everything is beautifully lit up. I’m glad to be working next door and always enjoy coming here for a quick lunch break.
Date of interview: July 2024