Alena Müller

After graduating, I was hired by Instagrid GmbH and have been working there ever since. We are a rapidly growing cleantech company that develops mobile battery systems. You can think of them as large power banks. Our products are used, for example, in camping equipment, on construction sites, and in the film and media industry. Our goal is to replace gasoline-powered generators with sustainable alternatives. When I started at Instagrid, we had about 70 employees – now we have around 250. Being able to actively contribute to this growth is a particularly exciting experience for me.

I currently work as a People Business Partner. This is comparable to a HR Business Partner role. My focus is currently strongly on restructuring and optimizing HR processes, as we have grown rapidly in a short period of time. For example, we have recently introduced our People Business Partner model and are currently adapting our internal structures accordingly. It is also about how leadership is defined within the company, e.g. when someone actually takes on the role of a team leader. I actively participate in all of this.

I studied international business management with a focus on intercultural communication. Even during my bachelor's degree, I always worked as an intern.

I knew that after my bachelor’s degree I definitely wanted to do a master’s degree, but not a traditional study program that consisted solely of theory and lectures. When a friend of mine, who had studied at SIBE two semesters before me, told me about the study model, it immediately made sense to me. The combination of practice and theory was exactly what I needed – although I must admit that it was more demanding during my studies than I initially thought.

At the time, I worked in the recruiting and employer branding field. I hired many new colleagues – a total of about 70. My final project was the development of an Employee Value Proposition. This was a very strategic topic because Instagrid grew from a 20-person start-up to an international company with a US presence in just a few years.

Another project was the establishment of HR structures for our new location in the USA. The project was challenging because there are completely different labor law and cultural frameworks there. Just the topic of vacation: Our 30 vacation days at Instagrid in Germany were absolutely crazy for the Americans – in a positive sense. I was glad that through the German-US dual degree (M.Sc./MBA) of SIBE I could bring a good understanding of these differences and successfully overcome all the challenges.

I learn best when I can see and apply things practically. That’s why the Experience Based Curriculum was ideal for me and I still benefit from this approach today.

I would recommend this course primarily to people who are willing to do more and to move out of their comfort zone. Yes, it can be very challenging at times. But if you know where you want to go, this course can take you a long way. It also helps if you like to think network-wise and is open to insights into other companies and perspectives. This course is especially helpful for anyone who wants to take on responsibility. For example, I personally looked for my position and partner company myself – that worked well for me.

The exchange with other students from different industries was incredibly valuable for me. Many challenges are simply learned from different contexts and you don’t always have to reinvent the wheel. I still keep in touch with some of my fellow students today, and the network I built during my studies remains important to me. I have less contact with the university itself.

Definitely the Berlin seminar on competence development. It was a very intensive module where we got to know ourselves all over again. We were filmed while delivering presentations, and afterwards we had to analyze ourselves – something we never do otherwise. It really threw us out of our comfort zone, but that’s exactly what was valuable about it. Also, I’ve found such presence events very enriching, especially because many of the modules were held remotely.

Take advantage of every opportunity that offers you to network and exchange ideas, such as mentoring programs, seminars, or networking events. Yes, it can be challenging, but every single experience will help you grow. For me, for example, the Berlin seminar was one of the highlights – and it was voluntary! Often you don’t know beforehand what really helps you. Therefore: stay open-minded, try new things, and dare to do things that are outside of your original plan.