Career Advising for Academic Staff at RWTH

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It is extremely important for individuals to be sensitized early on about the development of their own careers in academia. Our career advising corresponds to the professional goals of our academic staff after initial orientation and transparency of career paths.

 

The objective of this holistic advising service is to strengthen and promote awareness of careers within the University. Researchers are offered targeted support when choosing or preparing the next step in their career, which results in focus being placed on one's own career plans early on. Additionally, the management demands on superiors and supervisors to help develop their staff's careers are supported through targeted measures. The systematic evaluation of advising offers ensures their quality and that they are oriented towards individuals' needs. It also leads to the permanent further development of those offers.

 

Career advising for RWTH academic staff encompasses three central and decentral interlocking components:

 

Central Career Advising Offers

 

Aside from the comprehensive offer of qualification measures available through RWTH's Staff Development, Division 12.1 Career Development offers doctoral candidates, postdocs, and junior researchers an individual orientation conversation to support them in making the next step of their career. Individuals are also offered contact to other advising offices, offers, and contact persons at RWTH Aachen with numerous differing focuses.

Advising from Superiors/Supervisors

Decentralized career advising includes individual, subject-specific advising and accompaniment from one's management personnel. Aside from providing assistance in their subject area, the manager supports their staff in making decisions about their intended career path. Mentorship agreements and personal development plans are helpful tools in this process. The employee and superior discuss not only the employee's scientific work but also individual career prospects and necessary qualification measures.

Management Development: Career Advising Skills

Within the framework of the staff development concept the University is expanding central offers for management development with a focus on sensitization and enabling management personnel to fulfill the role of career advisors. These staff development offers focus on the responsibility and skills of the manager when advising and accompanying their employees in their careers. In doing so they strengthen professors' understanding of what it means to manage and lead and RWTH's leadership model.