Many students in the humanities are familiar with the anxious question of their professional future. The cliché of ending up as a “taxi driver” persists even today. What actually comes after graduating from Department 10? Many students ask themselves this question by the end of their studies at the latest, especially when their career path isn’t clearly mapped out from the start. Dr. Jascha de Bloom’s career path shows that reality isn’t always predictable in advance. In this interview, he talks about his journey from university to his professional career.

From Political Science to Linguistics

Jascha de Bloom’s path turned out differently than he had imagined at the start of his studies. After switching from political science to a teacher training program in German and geography during his first semester, he realized during an internship that this path wouldn’t be his final one either. However, he discovered his passion in the field of linguistics. His path took him from Bochum to Bremen, where he first pursued a master’s degree and then wrote his dissertation on colonial linguistics. During this time, he also taught at the university, something he misses in his current profession. 

Getting Started in Content Marketing

Although the academic field of colonial linguistics may seem far removed from the private sector at first glance, Jascha de Bloom found his way into online marketing, even though he hadn’t initially planned to work in this field after completing his university education. Today, he works in the field of SEO (search engine optimization) at his company. There, he ensures that content is visible on the internet so that users end up where they are looking for information.

How his studies helped him

Looking back, it’s clear that not every seminar directly prepares you for a specific career. However, in addition to the subject-specific knowledge gained during his studies, Jascha de Bloom says that studying German language and literature taught him many soft skills, often without him even realizing it. The ability to write in a structured and independent manner, as well as analytical thinking, helped Jascha transition into his career more easily. In addition, he learned during his studies to quickly familiarize himself with topics on his own and thus deal with new challenges more flexibly. These skills are in demand in many professions, alongside subject-specific knowledge. 

And then?

Then many paths are open: academia, teaching, publishing, or perhaps online marketing.

Jascha de Bloom’s career path shows that professional paths after graduation rarely follow a linear course. Many decisions are made along the way, and new perspectives open up. Above all, it is important not to let common clichés unsettle you, but to follow your own interests—and who knows what other opportunities will emerge thanks to new technological possibilities. His connection to the University of Bremen has not been severed either. In the winter semester of 2025/2026, German studies students were able to benefit from Jascha de Bloom’s diverse practical and theoretical knowledge as part of a course titled “Linguistics of the Search Engine.”

Micha Berghaus is a student at the University of Bremen in his fifth semester of the bachelor’s program in German Studies and Aesthetic Education, preparing to teach at high schools and secondary schools. This article was written as part of the seminar “Text Types and Formats of Online Journalism.”