Michael Sopp completed his traineeship at redRobin in September 2024 and has since joined our team in Frankfurt as a Junior Consultant. In this interview, our colleague tells us how he ended up in financial communications after studying to become a teacher, how an interview became his “aha”-moment and why he loves the unpredictable.

Question: Michael, you successfully completed your traineeship at redRobin a few weeks ago and are now a junior consultant. Take us with you for a moment: What situation did you find yourself in after your studies?

Michael: I initially studied to become a teacher, but quickly realised during my practical semester that this wasn't the right path for me. Instead, I completed my bachelor's degree in Political and Social Sciences and English and applied for a job at redRobin.

So as a teacher, you switched to the agency world – how did that come about?

Standing in front of a class as a teacher has a lot to do with communication, so I could well imagine working in an agency. And as a career changer, a traineeship was the next step for me. I then looked for opportunities and was very happy when I saw the advert from redRobin. At first, I was a little apprehensive because redRobin specialises in financial communications and I only had a rudimentary knowledge of the subject. But after the first conversation with our agency manager, Susanne, I was hooked! And now I know my way around when it comes to fixed income, M&A, private equity or ESMA (laughs)

What was it like for you to start fresh?

My colleagues really gave me excellent support here. My mentor put a lot of time aside for me to explain, for example, how networking with journalists works, what makes good content and what nuances are important when contacting customers. In addition, redRobin gave me the opportunity to visit external training courses – from basic asset management to professional storytelling. This allowed me to quickly familiarise myself with the topics. What's particularly cool, of course, is that we are right in the centre of Germany's financial industry hotspot here in our Frankfurt office. Most of our international clients have a branch here and many publications – such as Handelsblatt, Börsen-Zeitung, Wirtschaftswoche and the FAZ – are also based here. So, I was able to attend live events like media days early on.

Was there a personal highlight for you during your traineeship?

A very special highlight was when I arranged my first interview. I had already spoken to many journalists. In short, there was little interest – and then I realised that an editor-in-chief of a respected business magazine had just written about the topic. I called him and didn't have to convince him for long. It worked out perfectly. It was an aha moment and a great feeling that I wish I had every day (laughs).

You stayed with redRobin after your internship and have been a Junior Consultant since September. What makes the agency special for you?

The overall package is just right: I really enjoy my job because there are new projects, journalist enquiries, topics and challenges every day. That brings a lot of variety. Agency life also suits me. I like working in small teams with flat hierarchies. We work together across locations with our colleagues in Hamburg and can also work flexibly from home. My colleagues are always up for a bit of fun, and we also enjoy doing things together after work. The people simply fit together, and I think that's very important.

What advice would you give to applicants who are considering starting a traineeship in financial communications?

Just do it (laughs). Seriously, the traineeship at redRobin was the right path for me. Everyone has different talents – and I can only recommend to anyone who has a flair for communication and enjoys developing strategies, or a talent for developing texts and content – to take the step. We are currently looking for young talent in Frankfurt and Hamburg. So just apply!

Thanks for the insights, Michael!