International Speed Dating for the CareerStudents of Aalen University networking with companies
Speed Dating done differently – international students got the opportunity to talk directly to employers from companies.
The Welcome Office East Wuerttemberg (WISO) and the Junior Chamber East Wuerttemberg organised a joint networking event at Aalen University. Through speed dating, company representatives met with international students and graduates of Aalen University, as well as the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Heidenheim.
“Getting the opportunity to introduce myself to different companies and at the same time have comfortable conversations – that’s the best way to build up personal contacts in companies quickly”, explains student Ali Masood about the advantages of speed dating. Through this new format, not only did the young workers come into contact with the company representatives, the students also found potential student jobs, internships or job opportunities. In March, there was also an event regarding how to find and motivate international workforces in collaboration with the company Richter Lighting Technologies in Heubach, which was connected to the speed dating event. Before the event, the companies were asked for the fields in which they needed academic specialists, which was then communicated to the international students of the participating universities.
WISO has taken up the task of supporting companies in recruiting international students and graduates. The goal is to bring companies in the region and international students together, which will result in gaining more skilled workers for the region. WISO is a project of the Regional Economic Development Agency of East Wuerttemberg (WiRO) and the international offices of the four public universities in the region: Aalen University, the University of Design Schwäbisch Gmünd, the University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd and the Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University in Heidenheim. WISO is funded by the Ministry of Economics, Labor and Housing of the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
Both the students and the company representatives seemed impressed by the format of speed dating. “It was a very interesting event – energetic people with very different backgrounds”, said Sebastian Röhrer from Richter Lighting Technologies. Anna Csader similarly mentioned: “it was a great success for our ambitious materials laboratory. We got to meet very interesting students with exciting plans for the future. That’s how we see what direction students want to go in and connect that with the way we look for trainees and specialists”.
Interested companies can contact WISO directly at the following email address: info@willkommensbuero-ostwuerttemberg.de or call 07361/576-1715.
Photo Credits: © Hochschule Aalen/Peter Schlipf