Study programme too far from practice

After graduating from high school, Matthias started studying business informatics. He had a part-time job as a network administrator, but the work took up much of his time and energy. Additionally, Matthias didn’t feel comfortable with his studies, as the content seemed too far removed from practice, making it increasingly difficult for him to focus on his studies.

When his employer offered him a full-time position, he decided to discontinue his studies. However, shortly after, Matthias became unemployed. He used this time to pursue further training in web and database programming and later worked for several start-ups.

Many job changes, many unanswered questions

When Matthias became unemployed again, he contacted the counselling centre. He wanted to find out how he could obtain a vocational qualification as an IT specialist without going through the full training period. He had already done some research on the Internet, but the conflicting information he found was not very helpful.

He also received different opinions from online forums and people in his environment about the value of the vocational qualification and career prospects. As a result, Matthias was interested in hearing about our experiences and our assessment of the value of a vocational qualification, especially in the areas of IT specialist for system integration or application development.

It was also important for him to discuss his current situation as a job applicant and his future career plans. He regularly received invitations to interviews for jobs that didn’t interest him or where he saw no long-term prospects. He was concerned about ending up in another short-term job and being ‘burnt out’ again.

Searching for a realistic perspective

These concerns were discussed in an initial telephone consultation. In a follow-up on-site counselling session, Matthias spoke with the counsellor about his professional experience, different qualification paths, and their requirements. Alongside general reasons in favour of a vocational qualification, they also discussed the personal significance of such a qualification for Matthias.

It was important for Matthias to complete something and pass exams successfully. As stability and regular, family-friendly working hours were now a priority for him, he was also attracted by the possibility of applying for jobs in the public sector with a vocational qualification.

Based on his experience, requirements, and personal situation, Matthias received all the relevant information he needed. The counsellor supported him in setting his goals and making decisions about his future path.

Deciding between two possible paths

Given his previous work experience, Matthias had two options: post-qualification or individual registration for the external examination with preparation via an online course. Both options were discussed during the counselling session, and Matthias was put in touch with suitable training providers. Together with the counsellor, he developed relevant questions to ask when speaking with these providers.

Two months after the counselling session, Matthias decided to enrol in a post-qualification programme to become an IT specialist specialising in system integration. An individual qualification period of 12 months was planned. He also received funding approval from the Federal Employment Agency. Six months later, he reported that he had successfully started the post-qualification. One year later, Matthias passed his final IHK exam with excellent results.

Looking back on his counselling, Matthias said that he benefited from both the information provided and his own research. However, the most valuable part for him was the discussion about his previous professional experience and his ideas for the future.

A success story from the Fachberatung Berufliche Nachqualifizierung (Advice on professional post-qualification) Counselling Centre.