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[Translate to English:] © Jürgen Huhn​/​TU Dortmund
Retention of Skilled Workers

Career Companion Helps International Students To Start Work

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The picture shows a laptop screen with several tiles, which is partially covered by the shoulder of a person sitting in front of it at the bottom right. © Referat Internationales​/​TU Dortmund
Students can use the Career Companion to prepare themselves for the German labor market in three thematic blocks.
How can I best prepare for the start of my career? How can I build up a professional network in Germany? What visa requirements and legal issues related to right of residence do I need to bear in mind when looking for a job? International students and graduates of TU Dortmund University can find answers to all these questions and more in the International Office’s new Career Companion. The digital self-study program helps students to plan their careers and offers valuable advice on how to successfully enter the German labor market.

The aim of the Career Companion is to function as a digital career advisor for international students at TU Dortmund University and in this way accompany them as well as possible during the transition from the university to the German labor market. The International Office, whose team is very familiar with the needs of the target group, began developing the self-study program at the beginning of 2024. “In the course of our work, we noticed that the same questions about starting work cropped up again and again,” reports Daniel Zimpel, who planned and launched the tool together with his colleague Annette Herberg and two student assistants, Mona Wellershof and Lena Schall. “It was important to us that the Career Companion brings international students on board at exactly the right moment.” That is why the program is entirely in English so that it attracts especially those students enrolled on the 15 English-taught Master’s programs at TU Dortmund University. The Ministry of Culture and Science has funded the project for the last two years.

The Career Companion is designed as a self-study program in Moodle and comprises three thematic blocks – Career Basics, Application Process and Employability Booster – that prepare international students and graduates for the German labor market. Once they have registered, users receive an email every two weeks informing them of the next new topic on the Moodle platform. Within the three blocks, students learn step by step how to plan their professional future, compile their application portfolio or what is typical of German business culture. However, students have full access to all the content right from the start so that they can learn additional skills at their own pace and acquire important knowledge for working in Germany.

The graphic shows a person with short brown hair holding something in their hand. Underneath it says “Career Companion” in green and “Your guide to success” in black. © Referat Internationales​/​TU Dortmund

Within just 48 hours of its launch, 230 people registered on the Career Companion. This extensive interest in the program came as no surprise to Daniel Zimpel. “It shows that students in the target group want to stay in Germany and are looking for ways to do it.” A large percentage of those who have registered so far originate from India, but students from Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries have also already registered. The number of clicks shows that especially the chapters on language skills and visa issues in the first thematic block are interesting for the target group.

Counteracting the shortage of skilled workers

The percentage of international students at TU Dortmund University has grown continuously over the last years. In the 2024/2025 winter semester, 5,800 international students were enrolled at the university, which equates to 19.5 percent of the student body. Thanks especially to its portfolio of English-taught Master’s programs, TU Dortmund University is becoming increasingly attractive to this target group. Giving these international students career prospects is also important in view of demographic change and the shortage of skilled workers in Germany.

The International Office assists international students at TU Dortmund University in a variety of ways at the start of their careers. The Career Companion complements existing services, such as the International Career Fair, which brings students together with companies from the region, and the Tandem2Job mentoring program, which helps them when they start work.

Further information on the Career Companion

Contacts for queries:

Career Days at TU Dortmund University (23-30 April)

At the end of April, the Career Days will take place once again at TU Dortmund University. Students and doctoral candidates can attend numerous events to learn about potential career paths and where to find help with job applications. Advisors and contact points at the university who are on hand to support graduates at the start of their careers will also introduce themselves. The Career Companion will be presented on Monday, 28 April at 2.00 p.m. If you are interested, please register for the digital event on the following page.

More information on the Career Days

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