Chemnitzer Career Paths

In a new video series, graduates of Chemnitz University of Technology report on their post-graduation career paths

What career prospects await me after I complete my studies? Many students ask this question. Chemnitz University of Technology is dedicated to finding the best possible ways to inform their students of their post-graduate options. A new piece of this puzzle is a new video series, in which alumni of the university provide authentic insights into their lives and their professions after their studies in Chemnitz.

The video series has now started, and it will be regularly updated on the Chemnitz University of Technology YouTube channel. The first in the series is Dr. Markus Härtel, who studied Mechanical Engineering at the university, and subsequently obtained his doctorate. The Chemnitz-born alumnus works now as a group leader at Thyssen-Krupp in Chemnitz, where he contributes his expertise in the field of materials engineering as a mechanical engineer.

The idea for the delivery of these short videos grew out of the “Exploring, Advising and Shaping Individual Transitions” project, offered by TU4U. Susann Kappler, coordinator of the “Motivation and Orientation of Prospective Students” sub-project explains the necessity of the new format: “Digitisation is having an enormous effect on the world of work and, above all, it makes it more flexible. For example, digitisation ensures that work items can be automated, and can sometimes take place independent of a specific location. Our alumni video series is intended to encourage young people to look outside the box of familiar job profiles. This can give them a better idea of what to expect after graduation, or perhaps which course of study they should pursue in order to achieve a specific position.”

Stories from (real) professional life

To launch the format, the first interviews with alumni took place on 4 May 2019, as part of “TUC Day”, an annual celebration of the university. In the videos, graduates answer questions such as “What do you like most about your job?” or “Would you choose to study again at Chemnitz University of Technology?”

Beyond that, former students give new students tips and advice that they would have given their 16-year-old self along the way.

More stories from real (professional) life are in the works

As the series launches, TU4U and Kappler hope for lively participation from more alumni: “The format relies on the stories of former students. If you would like to contribute, for example, in the form of a short video interview, you can easily get in touch with me via e-mail at susann.kappler@verwaltung.tu-chemnitz.de.” In particular, former students who are from other countries are encouraged to get in contact. The diversity that is experienced at the university should also be reflected in the videos for prospective students. Two videos with international alumni have already been shot in English, and more are on the way.

Multimedia: A video profile of Dr.-Ing. Markus Härtel is now available on the Chemnitz University of Technology YouTube channel.

Background: TU4U

The TU4U project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), offers various formats that aim to make it easier for students, both current and prospective, to get started in the right degree programme. Existing formats for prospective students, such as the RoboSchool (in which students can immerse themselves in robotics), the student workshops offered by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, the student chemistry lab, Campus Week and the Schnupperstudium (in which students can see what lectures are like) are now supplemented by video statements.

Further information on the alumni video series and the TU4U study orientation offerings are available from Susann Kappler, Phone: 0371 531-37160, E-mail: susann.kappler@hrz.tu-chemnitz.de.

(Author: Matthias Fejes / Translation: Jeffrey Karnitz)

Matthias Fejes
21.08.2019

All "University News" articles