At GESS, it is particularly important for us to prepare our students for life and the challenges they will face after leaving school. Through our BeyondClassrooms programme, our students gain insight into companies at a very early stage through internships and presentations. Our study and career counselling team, consisting of Mariola Meyer and Thomas Walton, helps students in their final years to choose the right university or training company for them, and supports them in the sometimes complex selection process. Let’s hear another perspective from a former student, who is now a manager in the human resources department at Neuraxpharm, and what she pays particular attention to when receiving applications today.
When were you in GESS and what did you do after GESS, till your role in Neuraxpharm today?
I was at GESS until 10th grade and then moved back to Kiel with my parents, where I graduated from high school in 2015. After training as a wholesale and export merchant, I studied marketing and digital media in Düsseldorf and then started working for the HR consultancy Michael Page, recruiting mainly IT specialists at the time. Today I work as a human resources manager at Neuraxpharm.
What do you like most about your time at the GESS?
At GESS I learned to be open to other nationalities, cultures and religions. Even today, I find it easy to approach foreigner without prejudice. I still miss the great food from local hawkers and the beautiful weather. I also remember the strong cohesion in the school community and spending time at Sentosa with my friends.
Today you work as a human resources manager at Neuraxpharm. We would like to take this opportunity to ask you what makes a good job application today.
Personally, I still prefer the more classic applications. Unfortunately, too creative cover letters can sometimes miss the target. I don’t attach much importance to a cover letter, and applications without a cover letter are just as good as those with one. However, if you do decide to use a cover letter, make sure that it is personal and that you have familiarised yourself with the company you are applying to.
I don’t think we need to talk about spelling mistakes. When you apply, make sure you find the right contact person. It looks unattractive if your application is submitted to the wrong department. This can make your application go down quickly.
The CV should be tailored to the advertised position. It is also very important for me to see what kind of position the candidate is in today and what their responsibilities are. I also like to know more about the candidate’s hobbies and other interests, as this can be a starting point for discussion during the interview.
Which profiles have the best chance of being invited for an interview?
I always look at what the candidate has done in addition to his or her studies. It is particularly important to me that the candidate has already gained some work experience, be it through an internship, as a student trainee, or during an apprenticeship. The field plays a secondary role here. My main concern is to ensure that the candidate does not only know the interrelationships and processes in a company from theory.
Does the name of the university play a big role?
That certainly depends on the company. For our company, I can say that we know exactly which universities teach the subjects that are important to us particularly well. We also have some collaboration with universities. Personally, however, I would look at the entire profile when selecting my candidates, and a good university alone is not enough and of no guarantee for me to invite the candidate to an interview.
How important do you think networks are?
In addition to recommendations, networks are extremely important today and help immensely in job search. Some of our jobs are not even officially advertised because we can conduct interviews but end up hiring candidates based on other recommendations. Of course, classic networks like LinkedIn and Xing help me to find out more about the respective candidate. But alumni networks like what GESS has can also serve as a first door opener. An application from a candidate in my network always ends up at the top of the pile and is certainly read, though of course no guarantee that the candidate will get the job.
What do you look for in your candidates during an interview?
First of all, punctuality, of course. I also expect candidates to have read up on our company beforehand and to show a genuine interest in the job. They should also be able to make small talk so that I can get to know them better and an idea of their personality.
Why do you think the students at GESS are particularly well prepared for the challenges after school?
Despite having many students, GESS manages to give individual support and optimally supports everyone according to his or her capacities. In addition to motivated teachers, I remember the modern IT equipment and the constantly updated works in the library, which I have never found again in Germany. The personal development of the students is certainly rounded off by the many extracurricular activities offered by GESS and the highly cohesive GESS community.
