Rotary Career Information Day: Firsthand Tips from Professionals

Every year, for one evening in November, the Steinmühle Atrium is reserved for the 12th-grade class and representatives of the Marburg-Schloss Rotary Club. Under the motto “Students Ask—Professionals Answer,” these young adults have the opportunity to learn about various careers, gain insights, and ask questions.

To ensure that the flow of information is as effective as possible and that the representatives also cover professions that interest the students, the 12th-grade class has a say in the composition of the team of experts beforehand. Students can express their preferences regarding which careers they would like to learn more about from a practical perspective. Once the panel of experts has been finalized, students receive a PDF file in advance containing information about each expert and their responsibilities in their respective fields. This allows students to choose which of the three available expert sessions to attend in a highly targeted manner.

Every year, Dr. Claudia Röder and Hans-Heinrich Bähr are responsible for the preliminary organization and the smooth running of the event. “We’ve become a well-coordinated team by now,” they say. The Steinmühlen teacher is in charge of academic and career guidance at the school, while Hans-Heinrich Bähr is responsible for the career information service at the Rotary Club Marburg-Schloss. Principal Björn Gemmer thanked both of them for their reliable preparation before opening the event.

 

Specific offers were well received

While last year a few specific career paths were the absolute favorites—such as the profession of psychologist and various opportunities with the German Armed Forces—this time the main areas of interest were somewhat more diverse. For example, there was also strong interest in counseling sessions on the various career opportunities with the Mittelhessen Emergency Medical Services and the Mittelhessen Police Headquarters, as well as in strategic service roles for hotel chains and the Sustainability Management degree program at the Technical University of Mittelhessen —the latter two were new additions to the Career Information Day’s offerings, just like the Materials Science degree program. Creative and communication-oriented professions, such as design, art direction, and journalism—to name just a few—were also in high demand. Numerous interested attendees also came to the information session on the career profiles of lawyers, (dental) physicians, and management consultants. A larger group also gathered at the German Red Cross (DRK) Nurses’ Association, which, for example, highlighted the opportunity to complete a voluntary social year. A total of 22 different career paths were presented.

“We liked that the career representatives just talked about their work on their own, without us having to ask questions,” said students Vivien Ettrich and Amelie Schröder. They were interested in psychology and journalism, but also found the option of first completing a voluntary social year appealing. Ina Arnold and Paula Henke found the information provided by the police to be very insightful: “They had three people there from different fields, and you could immediately see how diverse the opportunities with the police are.” Both were also drawn to the information provided by the Bundeswehr representative: “He offered internships, participation in camps, and even degree programs,” they reported.

 

The Best Ways to Combine High School Graduation and a Trade

Constantin Mensing, Johnny Eckardt, and Manu Yárnoz were impressed by the descriptions provided by the representative of the Hyatt Hotel Group and considered the information to be “very authentic” and now know that there are excellent career advancement opportunities in this particular field, provided one is willing to adapt to certain conditions, such as work hours. They also gained valuable insights into the careers of architects and lawyers, which offer a wide range of opportunities. The students found their conversation with Stefan Gräser about the role of a building energy manager to be very informative. Conclusion: There are excellent opportunities to combine a high school diploma with a trade.

Baris Cem Tutu and Selim Özcan found the visit with representatives of Sparkasse Marburg-Biedenkopf informative, as well as the presentation by the Bundeswehr representative, who “did a great job” of explaining the material. “I now have a general idea,” says Selim. “A little more time overall wouldn’t have been a bad thing.”

In addition to the opportunities mentioned, the following career fields were also presented: Business graduate, managing director, IT specialist, tax consultant/certified public accountant, investment advisor/insurance agent, physicist.