Klaudia Michalska

 
Consultant Compliance in Berlin Industrial Group
Klaudia graduated in 2021 and currently works as a Compliance Consultant at Berlin Industrial Group. She had always wanted to study law, and the Viadrina and Adam Mickiewicz University (UAM) joint program offered the opportunity to pursue two degree programs simultaneously. This is why she chose the Polish-German law program. At the beginning, she was unsure whether she wanted to build her professional future in Poland or Germany.

What does Klaudia’s job involve?
Klaudia is responsible for implementing Compliance Management Systems (CMS) and Whistleblowing Management Systems (WMS).

She serves as the company’s internal reporting channel and organizes and conducts compliance training sessions for employees.

How did Klaudia’s career begin?
During her fourth year of studies, Klaudia decided to work as a Werkstudentin in the compliance department, where she assisted with contract reviews in the legal department. Before starting her job, she already had extensive theoretical knowledge of compliance. She participated in numerous conferences, completed the Compliance Schwerpunktseminar at Viadrina, and earned an additional certification as a Compliance Officer.

Werkstudent/Werkstudentin
A Werkstudent or Werkstudentin is a special form of employment for university students in Germany. During the lecture period (Vorlesungszeit), students may work a maximum of 20 hours per week. During semester breaks (vorlesungsfreie Zeit), they are allowed to work full-time, up to 40 hours per week.

Such positions are usually very attractively paid. They provide valuable practical experience within an organization and, as in Klaudia’s case, can often lead to a permanent job offer.

Advice for prospective students
"Choose a degree program that genuinely interests you!
Stay committed to your goals and be persistent in pursuing them."

One of Klaudia’s fondest memories from her studies is meeting many interesting people and having the opportunity to live and study on both sides of the Oder River.

She is very happy that after five years of study she was able to find a great job and can once again travel without any guilty conscience.