At university, you interact with many people who can become part of your professional network. Your fellow students, for example, who will later work in similar or even the same professional fields. Do not consider them as competitors for your career entry, but rather as valuable contacts and providers of information for your career entry. 

It is advisable to form working and study groups with other students and to support each other already during your studies. You can also form career tandems with other students, where you support each other in the job search and application process and exchange information on career orientation.

Internships and part-time jobs not only provide important initial professional and practical experience. They also offer the opportunity to get to know people with similar professional interests and to establish initial contacts with interesting employers. Those who have already completed an internship in a company increase their attractiveness for potential employers. The activities underline the practical relevance of graduates. 

Volunteering can help you build a network in addition to providing valuable experience. Whether in sports clubs or non-profit organizations, church congregations, district meeting places, cultural centers or immigrant associations, the possibilities are many. Scientific studies show that international students are better able to integrate and learn German through volunteer involvement. You will not necessarily meet people with the same professional background, but you will meet people who are willing to help and who can offer a perspective outside your professional environment. Often these people can in turn act as professional door openers. 

Goethe University offers a service center (“Servicestelle Engagement”) with information about volunteer engagement that you can turn to in order to find the volunteer activity that is right for you:

Better chances on the job market through volunteer engagement

The economist Sebastian Koch has looked into the advantages of volunteering for one's own career start, as part of a scientific study and tells us about his findings in a short video lecture.

Practice-oriented volunteering

We recommend student initiatives that are concerned with professional topics, for orientation and networking.