How to Get into the German Job Market!

Course Description

For PhD-holders with an international background, it can be a real challenge to get into the German job market at the end of a doctoral or postdoc position. The entry routes into jobs are not always transparent, it is not easy to be well-informed about what to expect in the application process and not everyone can offer perfect German language skills.
Where and how you can look for a job outside classic academia depends on your qualifications and skills set, on your individual life situation as well as on knowing about possible entry paths, the (unwritten) rules of the game and other additional parameters. This workshop offers assistance with this and will encourage you not just to prepare for this transition in a focused way but to create an action plan which you can implement.
 

The workshop consists of five components:

1. Developing a profile: What can I do and where do I want to work with that? What drives me? Special emphasis is placed on seeing an international background as an additional strength.
2. Information about the landscape of the German job market for international PhDholders: Which areas of work are attractive, what are the legal requirements concerning residence and employment, what are the limits and possibilities in your job search, what ways are there of entering a profession?
3. Identifying and learning to articulate your key competences using the UniWiND competencies cluster.
4. Planning the next steps: Which factors do I need to consider in planning my next steps (German language skills, how long do I envisage staying in Germany etc.?)
5. Empowerment: Drawing on numerous case studies of international PhD-holders who have successfully entered the German job market, strategies for success will be highlighted. Participants will gain the confidence to get started and concretize their next steps!