forum beruf applied linguistics 2018

Judith Rauland

SEO Trainee at TrafficDesign GmbH

Judith shared how her multi-faceted internship experiences during her studies helped to shape her career goals. She emphasized the importance of looking at job postings even before you are ready to apply, in order to get a feel for what potential employers look for in an applicant. She also suggested that students take note of which fields interest them during their studies, so that they can look for keywords in job listings and single out the skills and talents that they have. It is also a possibilty to take advantage of other courses at the University of Bonn that might be relevant for employers in the future. In her job as a Trainee for Search Engine Optimization, she is making use of her knowledge about content analysis. While the technical side of her tasks was challenging for her at first, she was able to learn more about it on the job.

Benjamin Klammer

Program Officer in the Selection Department of the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation

Benjamin highlighted how skills he used in his studies -- including soft skills, pragmatic competence, academic knowledge, intercultural communication, and language skills -- have helped him in the workplace. He started working for the Humboldt-Foundation as a student assistant, a position which has now developed into his job. His tasks have so far included speech writing, press releases, event planning, and communication with research fellows. Benjamin also noted that working at a foundation such as the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung is an interesting way to be a part of academia after your studies, giving you a chance to help other researchers further their projects.

Inken Mays

Research Assistant (WHK) at the Department of Language, Media Studies, and Musicology, Section of Intercultural Communication and Multilingualism Studies with Center for Language Learning, University of Bonn

Inken's experiences working as a student assistant at the HRZ and BAEL during her studies as well as her time as an intern at the Goethe-Institut Mendoza in Argentina all prepared her for success in her career. In her current job, she works as a research assistant for autonomous language learning ("Begleitetes Autonomes Fremdsprachenlernen") at the Uni Bonn. Her tasks include the semester organization, working with a variety of learning materials, and supporting students in their individual foreign language learning projects. She encourages students to find a job or an internship early on and start working so that they can find out their strengths and weaknesses.

We would like to thank our presenters for sharing their experiences and advice with us and wish them all the best in the future!

read about the first annual Forum Beruf Applied Linguistics 2017 event -->