Tandem2Job: Mentoring Program for Career Advancement of International Students
Tandem2Job is a mentoring program in which experienced professionals support international students on their way into the German job market. In one-to-one mentoring, the mentees gain a very personal insight into the world of work and can discuss their individual career concerns with an experienced professional. By working with the young international talents of tomorrow, the mentors are offered an exciting intercultural exchange of experience.
International students can already take advantage of a number of career-building opportunities offered by the International Office. These include workshops on German business culture and the International Career Fair. In addition, the mentoring program Tandem2Job was launched in 2021 as part of the DAAD project Pharus.
Mentoring in Tandem
The one-to-one mentoring in the tandems is the core of the program. In the tandem sessions, the mentees can explore their strengths and competitive advantages for entering the German labor market and discuss solution strategies for dealing with challenges together with their mentors.
As part of the agenda, they collaboratively define concrete steps such as job shadowing, attending network events or concrete qualification strategies such as workshops on job applications or German business culture. In the final meeting, they evaluate the achieved goals and, if necessary, agree on further steps to pursue them.
The mentees' personal commitment is of major importance for successful mentoring. The willingness to actively and independently organize the work in the tandems and to implement concrete measures increases the chances of a successful entry into the job market.
Program Sequence
After application and selection of the mentees, the tandems will be chosen according to the highest possible overlap of interests. At the first networking meeting, the mentees get to know their mentor personally and determine the individual goals and content of the mentoring. After that, the actual individual mentoring in the tandems starts. In person, via Skype or by telephone, the mentoring discussions take place about once a month over a period of about six months. A program cycle from application to completion takes about nine months.
Since the goal of the program is to enter the German labor market, the mentoring program will be conducted primarily in German. If mentors are able to offer tandem meetings in other languages, we will try to arrange this.
Mentors for the program are international graduates of TU Dortmund University who have successfully entered the German labor market or experienced employees from Dortmund-based and regional companies. Each mentor shares his or her experience and successful strategies for entering the job market and supports international talents in their personal career planning.
In addition to these benefits, the mentors also have the opportunity to gain extra personal experience by participating in the program:
- Reflection on their own career
- Network expansion
- Strengthening individual coaching and leadership skills
- Recruiting for the employer respectively your own company
- Certificate confirming the mentoring activity
If you are interested in the Tandem2Job mentoring program as a mentor and would like to learn more about the program, please contact us.
The program addresses international students who would like to gain an intensive and personal insight into the working world in Germany in a one-to-one mentoring session and reflect on their own career goals with an experienced person.
Applying for the program is possible for:
- International students who have come to Germany to study and are pursuing a degree from TU Dortmund University and
- International students with refugee background, pursuing their degree at TU Dortmund University.
- The students should be at least in the fifth semester of their first degree or in the master's program as well as concretely planning their career entry.
- International graduates of TU Dortmund University who are in the phase of their career entry.
Please find the program flyer here.
Benefits for Mentees
- Getting to know fields of work an structures at first hand
- Expanding the personal network
- Sharpening the applicant profile
- Further qualifications and hands-on experience through workshops
- Advice für job search
- Tips for communikation with superiors and co-workers
- Certificate of participation
Duties of the Mentees:
- Participation in the meetings of the program (networking and final meetings) and in the individual meetings.
- Preparation the one-to-one meetings with the mentor
- Participation in accompanying activities such as workshops
- Confidential handling of information
- Final report at the end of the program
Benefit through Exchange and Networking
Not only the mentees gain from their participation in the Tandem2Job program, e.g. by getting to know the fields of work and structures of certain industries at first hand and by benefiting from the wealth of experience of their mentor. Through their volunteer work, mentors expand their own network, improve their coaching and leadership skills, and have the opportunity to reflect on their own career path. For employers, the program is also an attractive recruiting tool. Through this measure, TU Dortmund University actively supports the potential of its international talents while at the same time strengthening its alumni work and third mission activities.
Contact
Please contact us by e-mail tandem2jobtu-dortmundde or phone for more information about the program.