Greater Focus on Career Guidance at Steinmühle

Steinmühle aims to provide a new framework for career guidance. “We will place greater emphasis on this area for students from 8th grade through high school,” says Dr. Claudia Röder, the future coordinator of school-based internships.

In 8th grade, the social internship provides students’ first introduction to the world outside of school. It concludes with the writing of a reflective report. As part of a three-week career orientation program, students then work on developing an awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses. Contacting the employment office, writing a resume, and preparing a job application are also on the agenda—after all, the goal is to secure a placement for the workplace internship in 9th grade. When the time comes, this phase also concludes with a report written by the students.

In 10th grade, students have the opportunity to discover their own strengths through a three-month internship. Often, choosing a specific advanced course isn’t that easy—but that’s set to change.

Once students reach 11th grade, they receive a Career Choice Passport. This is where they are supposed to document everything that qualifies them—whether inside or outside of school.

 

Social Skills Are Important

“It’s not just the hard criteria that qualify a person; it’s also the soft skills—the social skills,” says Dr. Claudia Röder. This context also encompasses the topics of self-assessment, self-reflection, and peer assessment.

In addition to the tutoring sessions, which play an important and central role, a three-hour test is also offered. This test assesses students’ talents and interests and identifies potential career paths that are a good fit for each individual.

Steinmühle also wants to encourage students to take advantage of the regular career counseling sessions offered at school. During Qualification Phase 1, the Rotary Club’s career fair in the school’s forum is another great opportunity to talk with representatives from various professions and ask specific questions. The college exploration days, which also take place during Qualification Phase 1, make university majors and processes more tangible.

The internship in Qualification Phase 2 concludes with the completion of a business research paper, which, according to Dr. Claudia Röder, allows students to become familiar with a selected topic but also requires them to engage deeply with it.