A childhood fan of famed racer Sebastian Vettel, SETU BA (Hons) in International Management graduate Martina Langen never thought her dream of working in motorsport’s top tier would become a reality. That’s until she bagged a role as an intern press officer for Formula 1 team Scuderia Alpha Tauri as part of her course placement.
"Working with the team as a junior press officer was a dream come true. My core task was to help organise the media schedule for drivers Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda ahead of race weekend."
SETU and Munich UAS Gradaute, Martina Langen
BA (Honours) in International Management as a path to F1
I’m from Wörthsee, which is close to Munich in Germany. I studied business administration before applying for the Munich University of Applied Sciences (UAS) and South East Technological University (SETU) joint BA (Honours) in International Management. It was always a dream to work in motorsport, and I saw International Management as the best option to help me gain a foothold in what is a highly competitive industry.
Moving to the sunny south east
One of my proudest achievements was being able to follow the classes no matter what the Irish accent was! That was a huge challenge as a non-native English speaker. I made friends with so many people during my year in Ireland, be it classmates or those in the wider Irish community. Studying and living with so many cultures during my time at SETU allowed me to develop a deeper understanding of other cultures, which allowed me to hone vital skills such as intercultural communication. This will hopefully give me an edge when applying for jobs outside my home country.
Scuderia Alpha Tauri placement
Before coming to SETU, I completed my internship in Faenza, Italy with the Formula 1 team Scuderia Alpha Tauri. Work placement is a compulsory part of Munich UAS and SETU’s joint BA (Honours) in International Management. Working with the team as a junior press officer was a dream come true. My core task was to help organise the media schedule for drivers Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda ahead of race weekend. I also worked on creating content for the Alpha Tauri website. While working there, I travelled to two races: Monaco and Baku in Azerbaijan. The experience was nothing short of amazing. I met and worked with Pierre Gasly and Yuki Tsunoda and, due to the track-side work, saw all the other F1 stars, from Max Verstappen to Lewis Hamilton.
Flourishing in a challenging work placement environment
The paddock was so exciting, but it was also an intimidating place for a newbie like myself. In the beginning, it was overwhelming to work with so many nationalities as every culture tends to have its unique quirks. However, that soon became refreshing as soon as you realised that this presented an opportunity to interact with others in new ways.
Key takeaways
The most important learning from my BA (Honours) in International Management is not directly subject-specific, but the fact that there is always a solution, no matter how big the problem. You just must kick on, whether it's studying for exams or searching for your next dream job. Communicate with people honestly and clearly and it will almost certainly work out.
For more information on SETU and Munich UAS' joint BA (Honours) in International Management, tap here.
