By Susan Sachse
Vanessa Mai (30) has been at home on the Schlager stage for over ten years. She almost took a completely different career path!
In the podcast “All roads lead to fame” by influencer photographer Paul Ripke (41), Andrea Berg’s step-daughter (55) now revealed which jobs she had before her music career.
Ripke asks whether she graduated from high school. Vanessa: “No, everyone always thinks that. I actually did the Hauptschule first, then I went to the Realschule or Werkrealschule,” says Vanessa. “And then I could have done business school, but my parents said: ‘No, come on, earn some money!'”
Wanted, done. Vanessa Mai started an apprenticeship as a tax clerk – “although I was a real sucker at math”. Good for all May fans, after only three months, young Vanessa gave up.
It continued with an apprenticeship as a marketing communication clerk. That was also short-lived – Vanessa Mai was fired, as she confesses in the podcast. “Unfortunately, I was thrown out of the probationary period – because I was too busy with music on the side.”
At that time, the 30-year-old already had occasional appearances as a singer (at that time still as Vanessa Mandekić) – “nothing worth mentioning, any village festivals”. But the local press also reports on village festivals: Vanessa’s boss at the time learned about her passion for music from the newspaper.
“My boss didn’t think that was so cool.” And again: Good for all May fans.