Career entry for first-time graduates

With our partner ArbeiterKind.de

The partnership

Listen to podcast episode

Be the first to study

With courage and
experienced support

ArbeiterKind.de offers encouragement: several thousand volunteers from our social partner accompany first-generation students on their individual educational paths—with personal experience, practical know-how, and perseverance.

The volunteers have had similar experiences and are very familiar with the concerns of first-generation academics: fear of debt and the feeling of losing touch with their non-academic families are just two of them. Added to this is the uncertainty of entering working life. ArbeiterKind.de helps to overcome these hurdles.

After your studies is before you start your career

Overcoming another hurdle

Entering academic professions also presents many first-time students with new challenges: unlike entering the workforce after vocational or school-based training (
), this often gives rise to personal uncertainties and career-related questions.
‍
This is where ArbeiterKind.de provides guidance with its career entry and mentoring program—for a successful start in your first job.

How our partnership works

Starting your first job successfully: with this goal in mind, our commitment focuses on the career start program offered by ArbeiterKind.de.

Our partnership with Haufe Akademie twenty first-time students and their mentors to receive support in the career start program every year.

Volunteer mentors with professional experience meet with first-time students and graduates seeking advice. Mentoring, workshops, and webinars are combined to provide targeted preparation for starting your first academic job.

2016

What helps young talents get started in their careers?

“For talent to truly flourish, courage is essential. The courage to believe in yourself and face challenges, even if they seem daunting at first. It requires a supportive environment: a safe, non-judgmental space where questions are welcome and mistakes are not seen as flaws, but as opportunities to learn. Because it is often these very mistakes that lead to the greatest strides in development and the strongest personal growth.”

Laura Almaida Walls

Marketing Manager,Haufe Akademie

1998

How did you figure out what suits you?

For a long time, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. What I didn't want was much clearer to me. My father has his own craft business, but he never made me feel like I had to take it over. So I was able to try out a lot of things while studying and learn by process of elimination. Today I know that it's perfectly okay if things only fall into place gradually. The important thing is that it feels right and effective for you."

Iris Paech

Team Lead, eCommerce, Haufe Akademie

2008

When you started your career, did you feel like you "didn't know enough"?

“Yes, definitely. And to be honest, I still feel that way today. Back then, I would have liked to have known what helps me today: having colleagues with similar tasks. You compare results, discuss solutions, and challenge each other. This creates healthy pressure to perform. It's important to me not to be under- or overchallenged. If it's too easy, I quickly get bored; if it's too difficult, I get frustrated. This sweet spot is where flow happens: full concentration and productivity without self-doubt or distraction."

Michael Maier

Media designer,Haufe Akademie

1995

What shouldn't happen beforehand when you're thinking about studying?

Not starting at all - that would be a real missed opportunity. That's why having the courage to take the first step is the most important thing. If you want to study: give it a try. Studying opens many doors to new perspectives, experiences and encounters. Even if you eventually find a better path, you will take away valuable knowledge that will strengthen you for the future.

Stephanie Göpfert

Head of Customer Service, Haufe Akademie

1992

At what point did you have the feeling "I wish I had known that earlier"?

I would have liked to have known earlier that the decision I make to study is not a final one. It's not binding for your whole life. Rather, it helps to have the attitude: "Do it for now. Your life is still long, there are still plenty of opportunities to go in other directions. The career path is never linear, it can have curves and then you'll find something."

Dr. Jörg Schmidt

Managing Director, Haufe Akademie

1992

What is the best way to deal with uncertainty during your studies?

My advice: persevere. If you want to develop yourself further, then just do it. Don't be put off by too much brooding or self-doubt. There will always be phases during your studies (or training) that aren't fun. But you just have to get through them. Because today I know that these phases are part of it. So don't let self-doubt stop you. In the end, perseverance always pays off.

Hansjörg Fetzer

CEO Haufe Akademie

2014

What tip would you give your younger self for their first degree?

My tip: take the challenge seriously, but don't overestimate it. Personal responsibility, financial uncertainties and the feeling of having to figure a lot of things out on your own are all part of it. For me, it was also an opportunity: because no one in my family had studied before, there were no fixed expectations of me. This freedom allowed me to follow my own path with the professional and personal focus that made sense to me - without any external pressure.

Hannah Mogel

Art Direction, Brand Experience

2011

What would you say to students who are the first in their family to study?

There will be people who say: "Then what are you going to do with it?" Or: "That will be expensive." Or maybe: "The others are already making money." But it doesn't matter. This is exactly where your first training session begins: choosing your own path and following it. Seek and find strength within yourself.

Stephan Rothe

Head of Product Management LMS & Digital Learning Content

ArbeiterKind.de – the podcast

Discovering talents, finding your calling—with Dr. Jörg Schmidt

Jörg Schmidt was a guest on ArbeiterKind.de – the podcast – and spoke about his personal experience as a first-generation academic. He answered questions that concern many young people: How do I find my bearings? Who can help me with this?

To the podcast episode

Dr. Jörg Schmidt, Managing Director of Personnel Development, Haufe Akademie

"Together and with the experience of the Haufe Akademie , we can provide even better support for first-time graduates entering the world of work. This collaboration strengthens our commitment and opens up even more opportunities for young people."

For all those who are the first in their family to study

ArbeiterKind.de and the career entry program

Do you have any questions or suggestions?

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