Klaudia Ostrowska

Compliance Officer at an International Corporation
Even in her final year of high school, Klaudia knew that the legal market was highly saturated. With such intense competition, there is little room for following conventional paths and repeating the same patterns, because that road is already overcrowded. This is what led her to choose the Polish-German Law Program, which she saw as her recipe for success.

(Fun) fact: She was so convinced that this was the right choice that she did not apply to any other university program!

Plan A: Viadrina. Plan B: There is no way Plan A won't work.

How did Klaudia learn German, and did she feel confident using the language at university?
Klaudia had been learning German since primary school, but her real language development began at a bilingual high school in Warsaw. She took her secondary school leaving examination (Matura) in German at the bilingual level and also passed the DSD II exam. The DSD II certificate, confirming German proficiency at the C1 level, opened the door to studying at a German university. At university, she generally felt confident, although when she recalls her first Strafrecht (Criminal Law, GK I) classes, she says that her notes mainly consisted of key words she managed to catch during lectures. It is important to remember that legal language is essentially a foreign language in itself, whether in Polish or German, and it takes time to master it.

Why did Klaudia choose the Polish-German Law Program instead of another degree?
She attended high school in Warsaw. While the capital offers countless opportunities, when it comes to legal studies it is not significantly different from other cities. This is why she decided to leave the big city and spend five years in Słubice and Frankfurt (Oder). After graduation, she returned to Warsaw, a city she had missed greatly and where she feels most at home.

What does Klaudia do on a daily basis?
Today, she works as a Compliance Officer at an international corporation.

In her current role, she is part of the central compliance team, which is primarily responsible for designing and defining the compliance management system for all companies within the group worldwide.

What does a Compliance Officer do?
A Compliance Officer ensures that an organization operates in accordance with applicable laws, internal policies, and ethical business standards. More specifically, the role involves implementing and maintaining an effective compliance management system. It is important to note that responsibility for compliance itself ultimately rests with all employees of the organization. This, however, is a very broad definition. Depending on the industry, the size of the organization, and its structure, the duties and responsibilities of a Compliance Officer may vary significantly.

Why did Klaudia choose this career path?
The belief that the legal market was oversaturated stayed with her throughout her studies. She did not want to follow popular career paths in the hope that "maybe it would work out." She knew very early on that she would not pursue a legal traineeship, at least not immediately after graduation. She was drawn to the market, the business world, and practical challenges. Her knowledge of two legal systems, combined with advanced foreign language skills and her first professional experiences, opened the door to the world of compliance. She soon discovered that these competencies are highly valued and sought after in the corporate environment.

Advice for students choosing their career path
“Ask yourself what you want to do in life, and then pursue it with full commitment! It is worth exploring the career opportunities available in the field that interests you and choosing the path that fascinates you the most. Whether you find a niche for yourself or follow a more traditional career route, the most important things are passion for what you do and a clear vision of your future. In my experience, universal skills have proven especially important: excellent foreign language proficiency, strong analytical and logical thinking skills, and creativity, including the ability to think outside the box. Gain practical experience as early as possible. In the end, what matters far more is what you have already seen and experienced, the mistakes you have already made and learned from, and the solutions you have helped develop, rather than how many points you scored on an exam four years ago.”

Looking back on her student years, Klaudia especially fondly remembers studying together with fellow students while preparing for exams, working as a student assistant (SHK), attending compliance conferences and events, and trips to Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmarkt).