“I would advise every young person today to live on another continent at least once—whether during their studies, through a work-and-travel program, or for an internship. This change in perspective is invaluable,” says Barbara Wittmann, Country Manager and Senior Director of LinkedIn Talent Solutions at LinkedIn DACH—and she speaks from experience.

For her MBA studies, she moved to the U.S., an invaluable and formative experience. In 1999, she applied for a position at Dell Technologies in Texas, later building up the company’s location in Halle/Leipzig as Managing Director from 2005 onward. She worked at Dell for a total of 15 years.

Barbara has now been with LinkedIn for over eight years. She was already convinced by the platform long before joining it—LinkedIn, with around 1 billion members worldwide, has become a trend barometer for the job market. The digital network helped her stay connected with contacts in the U.S. and the U.K. For Barbara, LinkedIn had long been her dream employer. “In my opinion, the entire business world benefits from LinkedIn products,” she says enthusiastically.

“Skills first!”—that is her firm belief. Companies benefit from taking a skills-based approach to talent search rather than focusing solely on job titles. The same applies to employees. “Talents also need to ask themselves: What skills do I have now? Where do I want to go—and do I have the competencies I will need there?”

A focus on skills also means continuous development. “Lifelong learning means engaging with trends, reading studies, trying out new apps and AI, or attending networking events,” Barbara explains.

What advice does this expert on the global job market have? Take time for ‘Me-Time’—in a career context! Schedule appointments for mentoring sessions or exciting events and exchange ideas with others.

Barbara is happy to engage in discussions on topics such as international experience, SaaS, career planning, leadership, and diversity.

A post by herCAREER
posted on LinkedIn on 29.01.2025

 

Frauen des Jahres 2024/2025 (available only in German language)
Link to the book