Ask Paulina: Advice for ReDI students on getting that first internship
As Head of Career Development, Paulina Muñoz helps ReDI students achieve their dreams and find success beyond the classroom. Here is her advice for getting that first step into the German tech industry.
What are the most important aspects of a CV? If I do get an interview, how should I prepare for it?
Firstly, be realistic about your aspirations, know yourself and your strengths and weaknesses. You should prepare your CV according to this. Ask for help with this preparation, practice with other people and ask for their opinion about your CV. Apply to the jobs where you fit most of the requirements — it does not need to be all of them, but at least the more relevant ones. Do your research, get informed about the companies you’ll be applying for. Ultimately, you need to be patient — even for Germans it’s not so easy to find the perfect job here in Berlin!
What’s the best way to get employed by a tech company in Germany?
It is probably a good idea to start looking for an internship, even an unpaid one, for the first couple of months with the promise of being evaluated after this period. This will give you the chance to learn, prove your skills, be known, and start building your network. Additionally, you should use all the opportunities to get connected to German society, as networking is extremely important. Every time you go to learn something you meet with other people, and every time you participate in any event or conference you have the opportunity to get to know new people. You never know from where a new possibility will come, but you need to be open for new opportunities!
ReDI students are already highly self-motivated, autonomous, independent, and have a hands-on mentality. They’re working on their IT skills, learning German, and finding their way around the city. In many cases, they’re even helping other people in the process! All they need now is to feel and show confidence in themselves. They need to show their motivation, independence, autonomy, proactivity and resilience. These are characteristics that many German organizations can already see in our ReDI students.
