Carola studied bioinformatics at the Free University of Berlin and graduated with an MSc in 2023. She is currently working as a research assistant in statistics at the Robert Koch Institute. She works in FG 37, the department for hospital-acquired infections and surveillance of antibiotic resistance and consumption. Although she is employed as a statistician, she works on many different projects and does more data science overall. Currently, she is working on establishing a surveillance of bloodstream infections and is helping to evaluate pooled data from a tool that connects antibiotic consumption with resistance. She codes a lot in R for this. She also helps with a doctoral thesis and the Applied Epidemiology Program from EPIET, and with anything else that comes up.

Why did you decide on your current career?
The working conditions (TVÖD, home office, part-time) are great, the work is varied, and I learn a lot. It also feels good that I do something meaningful with my work that benefits the public.

Are you pursuing a doctorate in this context? Why did you decide for or against a doctorate?
I am not pursuing a doctorate and have no plans to do so. My master's thesis (and Corona) was a challenging time – the research itself was a lot of fun, but I didn't enjoy writing as much and the supervision was a bit chaotic. After that, I felt the need to start my career in peace and take more time for other areas of my life. One of the greatest privileges after studying is for me to really be able to switch off after work, without constantly feeling like I have to do something else. At the same time, I really appreciate that my job isn't just about "sitting around" but that I can work productively and manage projects that are meaningful and that really create something.

What knowledge or skills did you acquire in your studies that you didn't think you'd ever need?
Working in the FSI helped me learn about the political and organizational aspects of university life. This understanding of different interests and decision-making processes is very valuable to me today, particularly in my work in the public health sector and in collaboration with various universities and institutions. My experience as a mentor has shown me how much joy I get from supporting others on their journey and moving projects forward together. I also benefit from these experiences and skills to this day. I think it's very important not to reduce the study solely to the modules. Many valuable skills and experiences are gained outside of the formal curriculum, such as organizing oneself, setting priorities, and working effectively in a team.

What would you have liked to have done or learned during your studies?
A bit more scripting language like Python/R would have been helpful. It all seems a bit random, depending on which modules you choose and where you do your internship, etc. But I understand the motto that it's more important to learn how to start in languages than to use as many as possible. With LLMs, it has also become much easier to learn and get started with new programming languages. I think more emphasis should be placed on dealing with this, even if it didn't play a big role in my studies. However, at that time, I would have liked to have learned more about machine learning than the 5 LP module I chose.
I would have liked it if there were more opportunities to give presentations on soft skills. The first presentation of my studies was the defense of my bachelor's thesis.This and also scientific posters are used so often that I would have liked to practice more.
I don't want to miss my international experience, but I also know how difficult it was organizationally. I hope this is now easier and more available to people. Finding an internship was also difficult at the time, and I would have liked more support. Even overall, when it came to career prospects, I had no idea where it could go for a very long time. My job now isn't exactly classical bioinformatics, but there's a department at the RKI where many bioinformaticians work. I hope this alumni project helps current students get ideas :)

What recommendations do you have for students who want to complete their studies in a timely manner?
For MA: Don't wait too long to register your master's thesis! It doesn't get easier, motivation doesn't come on its own, and that's also a protection that you'll eventually give up. Keep up with the care. Make regular appointments and a schedule for whatever you need. Write down sources and methods, etc. from the beginning, otherwise you'll forget half of it by the end and have to look everything up again :D
For job searching: The employment agency has no idea about bioinformatics, and a LinkedIn profile is not enough — you have to actively search for jobs. Think carefully about what is most important to you in your job (content/topic, distance from home, colleagues, salary, hours...). As with choosing a major, stay open-minded, try things out, you can always cancel and look for something else. Lastly: If you have the chance, travel, keep learning and take a break, you're only young once and your career isn't the only thing in your life :)