Hi, my name is Tabea
Buerkle. I’m a 22-old German girl. In
Mannheim, which is a city near to where I grew up, I study in a dual system.
Dual systems are very popular in Germany since you gain practical experience
from the beginning of your education. The structuring of the program into theoretical
and practical units allows you to use academic knowledge in daily practice. During
my three year program, my college education is paid for and I receive income
and benefits like a staff member. My salary depends on the major and the
company I chose. But for all the considerable advantages of the dual system, it
also has disadvantages. I do not have any semester breaks. In comparison to
other types of college study, dual system students are busy the whole year. As a
dual student your free time is equivalent to being a staff member. This means
that there are 26 days a year available to take vacation while in practical
(work) terms.It isn’t easy to describe what my major is because there are significant
differences to the America system. Students in the dual systems program choose
one academic subject that has five different majors within it. Once you choose
your academic degree, you can not change your mind and you must complete all
five subjects. In Germany, my academic subject is called
“Arbeitsmarktmanagement”. There isn’t an accurate translation of the field in
English but it is comparable to career guidance and counseling. This is why I
chose my internship here at Career Services. But I
also study skills and knowledge related to sociology, psychology, law, economy
and business management.
I have been in my program for one and a half years and now I’m in my third
practical term. The terms regularly change every four months switching between
attending the university and going to work. The third internship term gives us
the possibility to know how other companies work. We have the option to choose to
work in Human Resources departments in different German companies in the
private sector or at career centers sponsored by the government. The other
option that we have is the opportunity to complete the practical term at an
international career office. In my study, this is the only way to experience an
exchange internship.
I love to get to know different countries; particularly their cultures, people and
economic systems. In addition, doing an internship in a foreign country widens
my future career options, enhances my resume, and improves my knowledge of the
American English language. The purpose of an internship abroad is also to
enhance self development and increase self confidence. Because of all these reasons,
there was no question in my mind which decision I preferred. So I started with
the application for the internship in a foreign country. I decided that I wanted
to visit a continent where I have not been before. Because I visited Australia a
year ago and also vacationed in Asia, I resolved to do my internship in the United States of America. In Germany, America
is known as the land of unlimited opportunities.
It was last October when I started my applications. It wasn’t easy for me to write
the application in a foreign language. In addition to the language challenges, there
are also many differences in the “rules” on how to write a good cover letter
and a resume. For example, in Germany
the cover letter is more important than the resume and you may include personal
details like gender and a picture of yourself. I sent many cover letters to
different cities in the United States
including New York. But I really wanted to go to California because of the sun, the beach,
and the many cities to see and visit. That is why I sent applications to San
Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Santa Barbara. I sent my application to career
centers at government agencies as well as colleges and universities, which was
new me. In Germany,
there aren’t any career services on university campuses; everyone goes to the
government career center.
How did I know about UCSB? Actually it is the fault of my German roommate. Last
summer he traveled along the west coast of the U.S.
and when he told me about his trip, he always talked a lot about his stay in Santa Barbara. He was
enthusiastic about the beautiful area, the friendly people and the great university of UCSB.
He said to me, “If I could choose any place in California,
I would prefer to be in Santa Barbara.”
That is why I applied me to Career Services at UCSB. I was impressed by the instant
response from the Director of Career Services, Micael Kemp. She answered me within one day and said that
Career Services has never had an international student placement before and
would be thrilled if I would come for the summer.
Six months later and here I am! I have had a great welcome at the Career
Center. The staff and the
peer advisors are all friendly, kind and helpful. My supervisor Jo Ann Salvador
takes care of me. She drew up my schedule
for the next two and a half months while I’m here. During the next 10 weeks
there will be a lot of information to learn. I will be learning about the different
career resources and programs like
VAULT, My Road, GauchoLink, Career Assessments, etc. I will get to know how Career
Services functions and learn the differences between career counseling in Germany vs. the U.S. I am excited; I did not
realize that there were so many differences between the two countries.
I’ve been working
here for six days and every day is a big
learning experience for me. I will write each week to let you know what new
things I am learning at Career Services.
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