Career service

Do you want to trade in lecture halls and cafeteria food for a job with a regular income? Take advantage of the career services offerings at your college university. After all your excellent education should help you get a good job. Career services offer everything from personal advice sessions to help preparing your application to job fairs.

Short & Sweet

Today many universities and colleges offer career services, helping their students with practical advice and contact to companies.

A good way to directly approach companies is at jobs fairs. There you can make contacts and get ‘first-hand’ job application tips.

It can’t be all that difficult, thought Magali, as she filled four narrowly spaced pages describing her life. Her resumé covered everything from ‘minding groups of small children at the pool’ when she was fourteen to selling mulled wine at a Christmas market. ‘The more the better, I thought’, says Magali with a grin.

The 25-year-old from France is studying International Business Communication. More accurately, she was studying it. Two months ago, she completed her degree and is now looking for a job. ‘The first time I noticed there was something wrong with my resumé was when my flatmate ran through our flat with it laughing’, she says, an embarrassed look on her face.

All jobs fairs in the overview

Advice sessions and jobs fairs

Magali found help at her university’s career services office. Almost all colleges and universities in Germany now have them, and one of their functions is to connect compatible alumni and companies. ’We offer everything that can make it easier for students to start their careers’, says Katja Zimmermann at the Jena University of Applied Sciences. During her office hours, she helps students look for jobs and cast a critical eye over their applications. She also offers consultations in English and French.

Munich’s Technical University is another institution that offers students valuable help. During the university’s future graduates can attend job application workshops, participate in online speed dating with companies and talk to experienced university Alumni in ‘career lounges’.

Lilit in an appointment with the career service staff
Many higher education institutions offer a career service for students© DAAD/Henning Ross

Tips for attending job fairs

Conclusion

Taking the initiative to jumpstart your career during your course of study can pay off.

University career services offices and visiting jobs fair can be of great help.