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Feedback on the career workshop in the Greater Region (Metz, June 17-19)

Bérénice Kimpe - Franco-German branch office

During three days, 21 PhD students from the Greater Region (Lorraine, Saarbrücken, Kaiserslautern, Trier, Luxembourg, Liège) gathered in Metz for a career workshop that was organized by the University of Lorraine, with the support of the University of the Greater Region and ABG.

The main goal of the workshop was to help the PhD students to steer their career by focusing on the following topics:

self-knowledge

job markets in France, Germany and Luxembourg

job market exploration

networking

application in the three countries

preparation of job interviews

intercultural differences on the workplace

It was an opportunity for the participants to take some time for themselves and to think about their professional development. They rarely have the time for it, especially at work! That’s why a specific time was dedicated to individual work on values, work history and achievements.

The programme was a mix of theoretical inputs, exercises (e.g. being in the recruiter’s shoes) and games (e.g. values stock exchange market) during which the participants could implement the methods and tips they were given.

A good atmosphere was ensured thanks to the dynamism and the kindness of the participants. The interdisciplinary and international profile of the group was also a great source of enrichment for everyone. They became aware that despite their differences regarding discipline and country, they had similar professional development issues; they were far from being alone in this case and it helped them to see their situation differently. In this regard, the discussion with some professionals from the three countries gave them a first insight on positions that are open to them and some tips on how to market their research experience outside academia. It was also meant to put their networking skills into practice!

As a result, the participants felt more fit for their next professional step. They decided to create a group on LinkedIn to stay in touch and to keep sharing their experience and advice, as they did during the workshop.