International organizations, think tanks, foundations and companies are popular employers of choice for prospective social scientists. A confident appearance in an international context is also a success factor for an academic career.
In this study-accompanying program, students and exchange students of FB02 start their strategic international career planning. They receive professional advice, network with employees of international organizations and companies, and learn about international career paths.
Through professional training, students develop important soft skills such as intercultural communication or presentation and self-marketing in an international context.
In English-language courses with international topics, language skills are deepened and the professional profile is sharpened. Learning together with international students also tests international teamwork skills.
With a certificate for international competence, students can document their acquired skills and experiences abroad in their application documents.
Steps of the certificate
The program consists of four modules. Participants complete module 1 together during the winter semester. The other modules can be completed individually and flexibly in terms of time.
In module 1, students receive practical insights into international professional fields as well as professional support in their career planning. The module consists of one event every two weeks (2 SWS) in the winter semester with a total of 3 ECTS as well as a mini-mentoring.
a) Profile building: Students can specify their career goals and reflect and develop their profile. Sessions are held at the beginning and end of the course so that students can make the most of the practice lectures and mentoring and further develop their own profile during the semester.
b) Practice Lectures: Social scientists:working in international professions present their career path and give tips. This allows students to build an international professional network. Career paths in international organizations, foundations, companies and development cooperation are presented.
c) Mini-Mentoring: Participants are given the opportunity to make a strategically valuable contact in an international professional field of their choice. The mentoring consists of at least one meeting where individual questions are asked and advice is given by the mentor. Evidence of the mentoring that has come about is provided in the form of a mentoring agreement.
Building block 2 develops soft skills that are advantageous for an international career, e.g. intercultural communication, presentation skills and self-marketing in an international context. Modules 2 and 3 can be provided either through SoWi?So! offerings or externally.
SoWi?So! offers at least one 9-hour training (e.g. Beyond Clichés) every winter semester, which can be taken by participants as well as by all other students and exchange students of the department. A certain number of seats are reserved for certificate participants:in. Students can choose whether to attend the training offered by SoWi?So! or to have an externally completed training recognized. It is also possible to take multiple trainings on different topics as long as a total of 9 time hours are completed and documented.
In this module, students can deepen their social science expertise on international topics while improving their English language skills. They must provide evidence of (graded) courses totaling at least 10 ECTS that are taught in English and have an international connection.
SoWi?So! offers suitable courses of at least 15 ECTS per year, which can be taken by regular and exchange students. Students can choose from these or have external courses recognized.
To gain international competencies, students must demonstrate at least three months (at a time) of experience abroad as part of the certificate program. This can be a semester abroad, internship, voluntary service or a professional activity abroad. Students organize the experience abroad in module 4 themselves. A mere vacation trip cannot be recognized. The stay abroad can take place before or during the certificate program or be credibly planned. An international activity in the country of origin can also be documented as additional experience.
Sign up
Information on registration for the summer term will follow shortly.
Once you completed all steps, records can be submitted (with a final reflection of approximately 500 words) by email to sowiso@uni-mainz.de.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the SoWi?So!-Team.