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Pursuing a full-time MBA became a new chapter in my life. Like many other students, I had quit a great job in my home country, said goodbye to my family and friends, and put the maximum effort to succeed in Germany. Securing a promising post-MBA position was certainly the most pivotal step in this context. That is why Career Services functions are essential for any business school, and Frankfurt School puts a very strong emphasis on it.
It is better to engage with Career Services as early as possible during your MBA journey. I started in November 2017, only one month after the MBA programme started, and therefore I took the most of the Career Services offers and activities. I was impressed by the Career Services staff professionalism, care, and sincere willingness to help students in developing their Career plans, testing various assumptions, and understanding what to expect. Besides, I successfully used the following Career Services tools:
Frankfurt School Career Services approach is very personal. The team analysed my previous experience in different business sectors and identified my key competencies, establishing my personal brand for employers. The next step was to tailor my CV in accordance with the German labour standards and make my strengths and determination shine in each bullet point. Then, before every job interview, the Career Services team prepared me for industry-specific questions and provided comprehensive and constructive feedback. Overall, Career Services attentively supported me throughout the whole job searching process.
Career Services offer a wide range of workshops that can be helpful for any kind of Career path, be it the challenging way to leading an enterprise, or achieving a Top-Management position in an international corporation. For my goals, I focused to enhance my soft skills, such as presentation, communication and networking abilities. Particularly, networking is an inevitable and, probably, the most important aspect of an MBA. During the Career Services workshops, I learned several tricks and techniques that helped me approach different people easily, build trustful connections and therefore expand my network significantly.
I was thrilled by a fantastic opportunity to take a two-hour coaching session led by a professional consultant from a major German recruiting company. This session included a mock interview, where we imitated the whole interview process from start to finish. Afterwards, the coach pointed out my areas for improvement, focusing both on technical and behavioural aspects. He also gave me a few tips on business etiquette in Germany, such as handshaking, eye contact, and various gestures. Not only did those pieces of advice support me in the job searching process, but also helped in day-to-day business communications.
The Frankfurt School Career Services regularly host career fairs, where students can meet employers, whereas companies can look for new talents. In November 2017 at the Frankfurt School Career Day there were more than 85 companies from different sectors: Banking, Finance, IT, Retail, Manufacturing and any other field one can imagine. It was the career fair where I actually met my current employer: Reckitt Benckiser (RB), a leading European FMCG manufacturer. I had a chance to talk to the company’s HR director, share my career plans and learn more about RB. It turned out to be a perfect career match: after the event, I was shortly invited to the interview, and finally received a full-time job offer.
To summarise, Frankfurt School Career Services helped me a lot with designing my career plan and bringing it to the reality. Of course, one’s professional skills, communication abilities, and persistence are crucial for finding a job. However, the synergy of one’s efforts and dedicated Career Services boost the chances for success immensely.
Frankfurt School gGmbH
Adickesallee 32-34
60322 Frankfurt am Main
