Career Center - Research
Tips for conducting research when looking for a job
The research
The search for the dream job
Your values, interests, goals and, above all, your skills, when taken together, paint a picture of who you are, from which career options can be identified. Now the research begins:
- Labour market (national, International)
- Sectors
- Company
- Functions
- Contacts
The following list provides an overview of national and international options for research and job hunting.
| Keyword | Options |
|---|---|
| Print media | Advertisements and articles in national and international newspapers and specialist journals. www.onlinenewspapers.com |
| Libraries | Specialist and sector-specific publications |
| National online job portals | A wide range of options for research, job hunting and submitting your profile to job search engines (e.g. Monster, Stepstone, Absolventa). You may also wish to consider meta-search engines or job crawlers (e.g. Kimeta) List of web links |
| International online job portals | You can find international job boards or vacancies via these portals: www. www.berufenet.arbeitsagentur.de www.jobrapido.net (Meta-search engine) https://de.jobted.com/(Jobbot) www.eurograduate.com |
| Associations (professional, sectoral, corporate) | Search options for labour markets, sectors and companies. Some of these also feature job boards, e.g. via www.berufenet.arbeitsagentur.de www.verbaende.com www.ifsw.org (World Umbrella Organisation for Social Work) www.wirtschaft-weiss-blau.de (Bavarian companies with a commitment to social responsibility) www.vbw-bayern.de (Trade associations within the Bavarian Industry Association) |
| Chambers of Commerce, embassies | Industry- and country-specific search options, lists of companies, and in some cases job boards. www.dihk.de (Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce) www.ahk.de(German Chambers of Foreign Trade) www.konsulate.de |
| Employers – Rankings | www.greatplacetowork.de (anonymous staff survey) www.topjob.de (SMEs, survey of HR managers and staff members) www.toparbeitgeber.com (Audit by an independent body regarding human resources policy) www.deutschlands100.de (Trendence Institute, survey of students and graduates) www.universumglobal.com (Universum, survey of students and graduates) www.staufenbiel.de An overview of employer rankings by sector. |
| Company websites | Here you can find direct and detailed information about the company and the relevant contacts. You’ll also often have the opportunity to submit an application online straight away. |
| Corporate press offices | Annual reports, corporate brochures and product information can be useful research materials; these can be obtained, for example, at trade fairs or online. |
| Company search | Via professional and trade associations, and via the product search www.telefonbuch.com (Business directories) www.kellysearch.com (international company search) www.kompass.com (international company search) www.auma.de (global trade fair database) |
| Federal Employment Agency | It has its own job board and provides comprehensive information on the labour market, applications, etc. Job descriptions, relevant professional bodies, trade journals, etc. can be found at www.berufenet.arbeitsagentur.de |
| Public employment services, labour market research | The EURES portal (European Employment Services) offers, amongst other things, a wealth of information and job vacancies for university graduates. Job search via EURES |
| Corporate networking events | Career fairs offer a good opportunity to make direct contact with company representatives. You can gather information about the company, its culture, areas of activity and career development opportunities. Initial job interviews are also possible. >> Career Center’s trade fair links |
| Personal contacts | Parents, relatives, friends, acquaintances. |
| Personal network | Contacts with fellow students (alumni association, student representation) and lecturers. Contacts made through internships, part-time student jobs or professional work (including contacts abroad). |
| Social media | Job seekers share their experiences with one another. Employers also have online profiles that job seekers can connect with, e.g. Xing, LinkedIn and, in some cases, Facebook. Companies’ YouTube channels and blogs are also worth checking out. |
| Testimonials and employer reviews | This can be done, for example, via Kununu, Glassdoor |
| Own website | You can create your own website and include a link to it in your applications. |
| Speculative application | It is important to carry out thorough research – preparatory work (online, personal contacts) – into the company and the job opportunities it offers. It is essential to make contact by telephone before sending your application. |
| Temporary employment agencies | A good way to bridge the gap between permanent jobs. |
| Recruitment | Private recruitment agencies have a very short history in Germany, unlike in many other countries. The global umbrella organisation for temporary work and recruitment: www.ciett.org |
| Self-employment | Their aim is to become self-sufficient: >> A career in start-ups |
