Counseling

We can be reached by mail career@uni-kassel.de and phone 804 2472. Consultations can be done in person at the Campus Center, by Zoom, or by phone.

For the application portfolio check, please send us your application documents and the job advertisement you wish to apply for by mail to career@uni-kassel.de.

Where does a historian work? Where does an economics graduate work? What does a political scientist do after a bachelor's degree?

Students in the humanities and social sciences, in particular, graduate with a degree that does not prepare them for any specific field of work. There are practically no specifically advertised jobs for sociologists or Romance scholars outside of academia.

Graduates of different fields of study can thus, on the one hand, take up the same profession after their bachelor's or master's degree, but on the other hand, students of the same subject can go in very different professional directions.

It is necessary to identify possible fields of activity for oneself individually and to create personal points of contact here in order to create a successful transition into the job market.

The Career Service helps students and graduates to develop their personal job market. To support them, we have introduced some occupational fields. In addition, the event "the hidden job market for humanities graduates" is offered regularly.

The counseling service is of course available to all students, including those outside the humanities and social sciences. This concerns  also students of subjects in which there is a classical job market (e.g. social work, economics, technical disciplines, teaching profession), but who are also considering the possibility of a lateral entry in other fields.

Mandatory internships are required in almost all bachelor's degree programs. Examination regulations are mainly concerned with formal matters such as recognition and credits. However, a high-quality internship should be much more than an examination performance and should help you to advance.

We support you with the following questions:

• I am studying a subject with no real connection to specific professions. What kind of internship is suitable for me?
• I want to do an internship in a specific place, what is the best way to find this?
• There are only a few advertisements for internships in my desired field, how do I still get an internship?
• I have never written an application before, how do I do it?
• I have never had an interview, how do I prepare for it?

Through an internship you already have your foot in the door in a certain field. We support you in using this for a successful career start:

• How can I continue to gain practical experience in this field after the internship?
• How can I use the internship to build networks and relationships?
• How can I use the internship later to find a job?

Here are some regional internship providers for humanities graduates and here are company profiles.

When searching for internships and entry-level jobs, it quickly becomes apparent that there are a large number of internship and job boards with very similar offers on the Internet. The offer is confusing and many seekers do not really find themselves and their skills in the advertised positions. It hardly makes a difference whether a regular job or an internship is being searched for.

The result is that many applicants only look at the most popular Internet job boards and do not really pay attention to the accuracy of the fit. A high number of rejections is then often the result.

Suitable search strategies are not trivial, but are an essential factor in finding one's way in the increasingly complex world of work. At the Campus Center you will be advised on suitable strategies for your internship and job search:

• Are you looking for a job throughout Germany, but don't know exactly in which field?
• You have a rough idea of a certain field (e.g. publishing, NGO, "something with consulting" or "something with media") but can't find any suitable offers?
• You hardly find any potential employers in your search?
• You would like to stay in Kassel and are looking for something here in the region?

Here you can also find initial information on job searches online.

We support you in finding out which professional fields or areas of work are suitable for you and, as a result, in deciding whether further master's studies or a doctorate are useful or necessary.

Here you will find the requirements of the labor market in relation to university degrees.

In addition to the portfolio check, the Career Service supports students and graduates in all aspects of the application process. The following problems, among others, can be discussed during the consultation:

• What is the best way to prepare for an interview?
• How do I contact potential employers on my own initiative ?
• Should I write a postal or e-mail application? 
• How do I deal with company application portals?
• What should I pay attention to at an assessment center?
• What exactly is a letter of motivation?
• How do I analyze job advertisements?
• Is it worthwhile for me to involve social networks?
• What should I look out for in a reference? How should I evaluate my current reference? (This is not legal advice)
• What do soft skills mean in job advertisements and how do I deal with them?

Feeling insecure in your studies and not sure what you can do professionally with your degree?

We advise you with an open mind, try to clear up doubts about your studies, answer questions and show you your professional possibilities and further options.

At the University, you will also receive support from the General Academic Adv ising Service and the Student Advising Services. The Career Service and the General Academic Advising are part of the Kassel Network for Study Doubters.