Soon finished with my studies and then? A self-report by business administration student Jurina Kleemeyer

Bringing students together with potential employers from the region - that is the aim of the Campus Connection job fair at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences. On 6 June, over 30 companies presented themselves to students on campus. A complete success for business administration student Jurina Kleemeyer: she now knows where she wants to apply. A self-report.

The job fair is coming up
Now I'm standing here - and now it all depends: I'm at the stand of one of my favourite companies, an international software company based in Bremerhaven. My hands are slightly shaky with excitement, but now it's time to present myself professionally. It's a Thursday morning in June and the Campus Connection is taking place today at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences: More than 30 employers are presenting themselves in Building T today. The job fair that is interesting for me as a student. Especially if I want to work in the region later on. I'm slowly but surely finishing my studies, but what comes next? That's a good question that I often ask myself. I'm not alone with this question. In conversations with my fellow students, I realise time and again that we are all in the discovery phase. I'm already familiar with the Career Service Center at my university, so I'm glad that the staff are organising this job fair. It allows me to get to know regional employers. I've already heard of some of them, but some are completely new to me.

First impressions count - on both sides!
I take my first tour of the fair and get an overview of the stands. I'm not completely unprepared: the Career Service Centre has provided us students with an overview of the exhibiting companies for each degree programme in advance. I'm a business administration student and I'm looking for potential employers that match my degree programme and my interests. The Career Service Centre has given me important tips on the transition from studying to working life with two preparatory courses. I was also able to refresh my knowledge of how best to write an application. It's important for success that I engage with the company of my choice and my personal motivation as to why I want to work there.

I take the first step
With my mind prepared, I now stand at the stand of an international software company based in Bremerhaven. It's exciting and thrilling, especially finding the right words for the first exhibitor and thinking about what I actually want to know. I take a deep breath, take the first step and realise with relief that the exhibitors are happy if you're not just on the hunt for merchandise, but really want to find out about the company. I really notice how interested they are in my profile. Presenting your own profile briefly and concisely is a challenge for both sides, but I'm getting better at it from stand to stand. I already know that I would like to work in the marketing department of a company in Bremerhaven and have flexible working hours, so I can ask specific questions. I am surprised to realise that the companies are geared towards the wishes of their future specialists: ‘Working from home is possible with us’, ‘Part-time models - of course we offer them’, I hear from many of the exhibitors. In order to get to know us students, many companies offer students the opportunity to write their final thesis at their company. This is very interesting for me, as I will be starting my Bachelor's thesis this year.

An insightful day
The jute bag with the university logo is full to bursting with flyers, brochures and business cards. And I now have a lot of new impressions in my head that I have to sort out first. My stomach is calling - it wants me to go to the canteen. Strengthened by the good feeling that I will definitely find an interesting job in Bremerhaven as a business graduate, I am glad that the Career Service Centre has organised the Campus Connection for us students. ‘That's exactly our goal - to network our students with potential employers in the region and bring together people who would otherwise never meet, but who both have a great interest in meeting each other,’ says Rebecca Brückner, an employee of the Career Service Centre. The Campus Connection is expected to enter its next round at the beginning of June 2025. Rebecca Brückner and her colleague Alena Lobes advise students throughout the year and give tips on job applications, you can practise job interviews with them and attend seminars and workshops. You can make an appointment at csc@hs-bremerhaven.de and all further information can be found on the university website.

(Text: Jurina Kleemeyer)