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: