NEWSLETTER Zukunft: Karriere und Kompetenzen May 2024

Dear students,
dear alumni
dear employees of the University of Passau,

Just in time for the start of the semester, we welcome you back to the university and hope that you have already had the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful weather on the Innwiese.

For some of you, this is certainly the last semester of your studies. Are you still unsure what to do afterwards? Then this newsletter is just the thing for you!

Dr. Petra Redel, Managing Director of the Graduate Center, met with us for an interview to answer questions about the doctorate. We also took a look at the CareersUP careers portal, which acts as a digital interface between students and employers for both internships and permanent positions, and in our Myths section, we look at the advisory services offered by Zukunft: Karriere und Kompetenzen. Did you know, for example, that you can get free CV checks from us? A must before every application!

But even if you're just looking for an internship, we've got some inspiration for you: in the "Flown out" category, Anna reports on her immersion in the world of environmental protection at the Ökoinstitut Südtirol in Bolzano.

Enjoy reading and have a good start to the summer semester! 

Current News

Free Spaces in Seminars

Of course, you can also still register for our  Semester programme. As usual, students and employees can register via Stud.IP. Alumni can of course also take part in our seminars; in this case, however, please note our special regulations. If in doubt, please contact zkk@uni-passau.de.

Career Events

Subscribe & win – Newsletter prize draw!

It's that time again: our newsletter prize draw is coming up!

All new registrations made between April 17 and May 16 will be entered into our lottery pot.

First place will win a BibBag, second place a voucher from the unpackaged store Tante Emmer worth €20 and third place a voucher from the Pustet bookshop worth €15.special regulations and, if in doubt, contact

Good luck!

All You Can Do: Summer Semester 2024

With the intercultural volunteer program "All You Can Do" you can get involved in social projects in Passau and at the university together with fellow students from all over the world.

The program guarantees cultural exchange, improvement of language skills, new friends, intercultural teamwork, acquisition of important competences and soft skills as well as an insight into the local society and volunteer work.
Bonus: At the end of your involvement, you will receive a volunteering certificate from International Support Services or possibly even ECTS points in your degree program (e.g. for the module "Projektarbeit" in the M.A. ICBS programme or for the module "Applied Development Studies" in the M.A. DVS programme).

Curious to find out more? Then find out more here, choose two favorites from 19 projects and register by April 21, 2024 at the latest.

If you have any questions, please write to us at allyoucando@uni-passau.de.

All You Can Do is a program of the International Support Services of the University of Passau

Interviews

Interview with Dr. Petra Redel

After graduating, a doctorate is the next logical step for a career in academia. The Graduate Center at the University of Passau offers young researchers support and advice in all phases of the doctoral process. Students interested in doing a doctorate will find a helpful point of contact here. We spoke to Dr. Petra Redel, Managing Director of the Graduate Center, and received valuable tips for prospective doctoral candidates. Click here for the interview.

Have a Look

CareersUP - the career portal of the University of Passau

If you are looking for an internship, part-time job or a permanent position after your studies, our career portal is the right place for you. careersUP is a professional, modern platform that allows you to find out about potential employers and find many current vacancies - regionally, throughout Germany and Europe. Simply log in to the portal with your regular ZIM ID.
Here you can take a look at the other benefits of CareersUP.

Flown Out

Diving into my world of environmental protection and intercultural experiences

Skiing, hiking, wine - who doesn't love a vacation in South Tyrol?

European Studies student Anna went one step further and completed a six-month internship at the Ökoinstitut Südtirol/Alto Adige Genossenschaft Bozen. This not only broadened her horizons in environmental protection, but also gave her an insight into the diverse world of European cooperation. In her report, she talks about the difficulties she encountered, what her day-to-day work was like and the importance of intercultural communication in a region that is actually very close to Germany.

Career and Skills ABC

A doctorate offers many advantages. These include an often higher salary and the acquisition of attractive soft skills such as perseverance or the ability to think in a structured and analytical way. However, it also costs a lot of time and energy, and sometimes money. A doctoral project should therefore be carefully considered.

Is a doctorate conducive to my desired career? Do I have enough intrinsic motivation to spend years on a topic, considering that, on average, doctoral students need 4.5 years to complete their doctorate? Can I finance the whole thing? These are questions that you should be able to answer for yourself before you start your doctoral project.

Once the decision to do a doctorate has been made, however, by no means all open points have been clarified. Should the doctorate be carried out individually or rather in a structured program, for example as part of a research training group? At a university, a research institute or in industry? Which topic is suitable? Are there opportunities for a scholarship? And what is the best way to find a doctoral supervisor?

However, you do not have to clarify everything on your own. Try to talk to academic staff or lecturers. Find out how a doctorate works in your subject area. And last but not least: You should also contact the Graduate Center. Dr. Redel and her staff will be happy to help you find answers to these questions.

ZKK Myth: True or False?

This myth is false! If you have any concerns, we are of course here for you.

Our career expert Matthias Schöberl will be happy to advise you personally on all topics relating to applications and starting a career. He will assist you with all of your questions regarding internship and job search and will also go through your German cover letter and CV with you. This allows you to perfect your application before the first company sees it - and without expensive application training. However, ZKK does not place internships.

If you are interested in an internship abroad, we recommend that you seek advice from our new colleague Helene Schrag. Whether Erasmus+, PROMOS, FDI or other options - in a personal meeting, you can find out together which scholarship program suits you and your plans.

Not sure who is responsible for your request? Simply write to us at zkk@uni-passau.de. We look forward to hearing from you!

Listen In

Lifelong learning is a goal that many people have set themselves. It's no wonder: the idea of constantly continuing your education and always learning something new is a wonderful one. But while learning is a natural part of our everyday lives at a young age through school, training or university, it often becomes more difficult in adulthood.

But our brains are capable of absorbing new things and constantly learning at any age, says Erich Schäfer. He is a professor of adult education methods at the Ernst Abbe University of Applied Sciences in Jena. The only question is which methods are best suited to the respective age and character. In an interview with detektor.fm presenter Marc Zimmer, he explains how lifelong learning can succeed.

You can listen to the podcast in German at spektrum.de.

Further Reading