Virtual Career Days– A model for the future

 

“Corona has challenged us. We accepted the challenge and are delighted with the result,” say Dr. Gitta Brüschke and Dirk Bansch, initiators and organisers of the first virtual career days in the construction industry.

On 16 and 17 June 2020, the Career Days organised by the Arbeitskreis Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft e.V. took place exclusively in virtual space for the first time. On both days, representatives* of eleven companies and over 120 students from the construction industry met in a virtual room for 15-minute discussions. The students had the opportunity to get to know interesting employers and to learn more about the companies without obligation. “I learned a lot. Otherwise, I don’t have the opportunity to ask such questions about my future,” said one student. 

However, the students were also able to apply for a student research project in practice, internships, a part-time job or a permanent position. At the same time, the companies presented themselves and were able to gain a first impression of potential employees*. Although most felt the brevity of the planned duration of the interviews was “sporty”, the participating companies and students agreed in retrospect that “the time span for a first interview is completely sufficient and one gets a good impression of whether an application is worthwhile.

The students had already been given numerous tips for preparing for the interviews in advance. These included examples of questions that can be asked of companies and advice on what to look out for in an online interview. The students’ feedback was extremely positive despite the one or other technical challenge. “The explanatory videos explained everything so clearly that no questions remained unanswered. Even without the videos, everything was clear and easy to understand,” was the feedback from one participant*.

The companies would also like to see this form of event in the future, because for them “the addition of the digital event is very helpful”. One of the participating company representatives* can even well imagine “that this (digital event) will also be well used when the usual events can take place again.