Mastering the German Job Market: Summer Quality Circle at NEC

The employability of our students is at the heart of New European College’s mission to ensure our student’s success. Providing resources, support and opportunities to network are key ways in which New European College ensures the employability of our students, during their studies as well as upon graduation. Therefore, we were excited when NEC lecturer, Dr. Korbinian Spann, arranged a visit from Hays for his summer Quality Circle event – Mastering the German Job Market.

Hays is one of the world’s leading international recruitment firms, and students were thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with Hays representatives Victoria Schneider (Senior Key Account Manager) and Felicitas Steckler (Recruiting Specialist). The session opened with an icebreaker where students were asked to introduce themselves, give three keywords to describe themselves, and tell a story to remember them by. Victoria and Felicitas then spent the morning explaining the German job market, introducing their own roles and responsibilities at Hays, advising on best practices for composing a successful application and providing on-site feedback to students for improving their CVs. Following their expert advice, students had the opportunity to ask questions to Victoria, Felicitas and Korbinian Spann, which related to their own experience of finding employment in Germany.

A key question many students are interested in understanding is how to develop experience as a student which will qualify them for internships and jobs in the future. Victoria and Felicitas encouraged students to take the time to try out new interests and hobbies; see what fits and what doesn’t. They explained that experience must not always be professional – students can involve themselves in managing special projects, planning events or leading new activities, as an example.

Victoria and Felicitas concluded the session, leaving students with a portfolio of helpful resources, including CV templates in English and Hay’s job portal found on the Hays website. They also encourage New European College’s students to contact them if and when they are seeking advice and opportunities upon completing their studies.

New European College sincerely thanks Dr. Korbinian Spann for his proactive efforts to provide interesting and viable opportunities for our students to learn outside the classroom via his Quality Cirlce events. New European also sincerely thanks Victoria Schneider and Felicitas Steckler for the priceless time, energy and support they provided to our students.

Stay tuned for future employment sessions in the coming semesters, and be sure to visit New Eurpean College’s career resources page for more resources and tips.