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Students are sitting at the Martin Schmeisser Square in the summer © Roland Baege​/​TU Dortmund
Mentoring Program Offered by the International Office

Tandem2Job Supports International Students with their Career Entry

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A group of people stands on the sunny campus of TU Dortmund University. © Referat Internationales​/​TU Dortmund
Tandem2Job participants at the kick-off event in May 2022: After two successful runs, the mentoring program will enter its third round in 2023.
Graduation - and then what? The transition from university to work can be challenging. In 2021, the International Office launched the mentoring program Tandem2Job in order to support international students and students with a refugee background in starting their working life in Germany. Over a period of six months, students are accompanied by mentors from their intended career fields and receive traning on how to enter the labor market.

"The program was very helpful for me because I wasn't that familiar with the German labor market", says Nicolás Orejarena Osorio, one of the first participants in Tandem2Job. Orejarena Osorio is from Colombia and completed his master's degree in Manufacturing Technology at TU Dortmund University. During the mentoring program, he mainly wanted to learn how to write a resume and cover letter in Germany. His mentor Felipe Torres Quintero, who also comes from Colombia and is an alumnus of TU Dortmund University, supported him in this. Torres Quintero now works at VTA Verfahrenstechnik & Automatisierung GmbH in Gelsenkirchen and has already participated in Tandem2Job as a mentor twice to help international students get started in their careers.

"I would recommend participation in the Tandem2Job program to other students – especially those who are not familiar with the German labor market – because it offers individual support, valuable information and tips for a successful application", says Nicolás Orejarena Osorio. In addition to writing a resume and cover letter, he also learned how to set clear goals and use job search websites efficiently. And with success: Immediately after graduation, he was able to successfully apply for a job in Germany.

Skilled workers for the German labor market

Two people are sitting together and talking. © Referat Internationales​/​TU Dortmund
Initial conversations at the 2022 kick-off event: In one-to-one coaching sessions, students receive individual tips and advice from their mentors.

Since 2021, Tandem2Job has been helping international and refugee students gain a foothold in the German labor market and to realize their professional goals. The students are supported in one-to-one coaching by mentors who give them valuable tips on starting a career and assist them with career planning. In addition to experienced professionals from the region, the mentors also include international graduates of TU Dortmund University who know how to successfully enter the German labor market from their own experience. Besides the one-to-one coaching, the program also includes career-building activities such as participation in the International Career Fair and workshops.

„By attracting international students to the local labor market, programs like Tandem2Job make an important contribution to combating the skilled labor shortage in Germany. For companies, the mentoring program offers the opportunity to get to know qualified professionals, recruit them for their own company and thus, establish a welcoming company culture“, reports Daniel Zimpel, coordinator of the program. Through intercultural exchange with the students, the mentors can not only pass on their own knowledge, but also get to know new perspectives and can improve their coaching skills.

The deadline for applying to participate in the program as a mentee is 27 August. Mentors can still apply until mid-September.

About Tandem2Job

Tandem2Job is funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia as part of the „NRWege ins Studium“ initiative which supports students with refugee experience during their studies and in successfully completing their studies.

Further information about Tandem2Job

 

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