Clara, Trainee Product Management Spain

Hi, I’m Clara, and since April 2024, I’ve been a trainee in Product Management for Hotel Spain at CHECK24. Before that, I studied for my Bachelor’s degree in Leisure and Tourism Management in Stralsund and my Master’s degree in Sustainable Local Development in Almería, Spain. I moved to Münster specifically for the job, but I’m originally from Freiburg.

The Hotel Comparison product for Spain is still in development. Since we currently have very few product managers, we need to cover a wide range of areas that the Hotel Comparison team in Germany handles with dedicated teams. That’s why I’m participating in the trainee program—it provides great insights into these different teams.

Tasks arise wherever the Spanish Hotel Comparison is not yet as advanced as the German one. These gaps need to be identified, and the missing features implemented and activated—whether in the app, desktop, mobile, or post-booking areas. This means a lot of variety and that I’ve quickly collaborated with many different teams at Hotel Germany.

In addition, my tasks range from preparing translations to managing controlling assignments, as well as handling my own small projects for Hotel Germany. Specific responsibilities for Product Management Spain include understanding the Spanish market environment, adapting language, supporting controlling efforts, and staying tuned into the projects happening at Hotel Germany to bring them to Spain.

I find it truly impressive how much time and expertise is invested in training us as trainees. We’re taught complex structures, programs, and processes in detail, and over the course of two years, we’re progressively and comprehensively onboarded. At the same time, we’re given responsibility from day one, with our own tasks and projects where we can immediately apply this knowledge.

There’s also a lot of creative freedom, and requests for projects or additional trainee rotations are taken into account. Between rotations, there are “Insight Weeks,” where we have the chance to explore completely different areas and teams, such as customer service or performance marketing, for a week. As a trainee for Spain, there’s also the added bonus of visiting the Madrid office.

I was actually quite undecided when it came to my career choice. My fields of study open up a wide range of job opportunities, so after graduating, I applied broadly. What initially attracted me to the position at CHECK24 was the connection to Spain, as I had lived and studied there for some time, as well as the variety that the role promised.

What was new and challenging for me was the high IT focus of the job, which often overwhelmed me at first with its terminology and complexity. However, I enjoy taking on challenges like this and learn something new every day. It’s been incredibly helpful that all my colleagues are open to answering questions, offering support, and providing constructive guidance. Overall, I feel very comfortable here because of the many amazing people I’ve met.

I spent my first six months in the App team. Since this was also my starting rotation, I learned many basics here, such as writing tickets and conducting extensive testing, but I also managed my first own projects. I’ve now rotated to the Marketing team and am currently diving deeper into the world of SEA and SEO. I still have two more rotations ahead of me and will be moving on to the Provider and Post-Booking teams.

What I really enjoy is that in a short time, I get to see how the different teams work and experience various work dynamics in the process.

I’d love to be a debugging oracle that always instantly knows where and what the error is. That would save my colleagues and me a lot of time and nerves—especially on Friday afternoons!