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Career Paths in Consulting

Study Counseling, Career Counseling, Educational Advising, Management Consulting, Political Consulting, Human Resources Consulting, Intercultural Mediation

Consulting is a discipline closely related to education. Consulting is the discursive development of options for action and recommendations for action. But isn’t that more the domain of professionals from the fields of education, psychology, economics, and law? How do experts from the field of foreign languages get into this field of work? Interestingly, the key to a philological approach to consulting is the exact opposite of what you are trained to do in your studies. It is not “understanding” but “misunderstanding” that repeatedly creates a high demand for consulting in all fields where people must come together to achieve common goals. The diverse manifestations of misunderstanding that can arise from linguistic variations and cultural influences are much more readily apparent to graduates of philology than to anyone else. This skill is needed to recognize, reflect on, and prevent misunderstandings. Training in consulting as an additional qualification is helpful, but not necessarily critical for a successful career start in consulting.

  • Possible Tasks

    - You are the point of contact for questions relating to career choices, training and further education opportunities, or studying.
    - You provide counseling in the form of individual consultations, lectures, seminars, or workshops and support young people and adults in their decision-making.
    - You provide information on study programs, requirements, content, structure, and opportunities, as well as career prospects.
    - You create information and counseling materials and hold open consultation hours, individual and group counseling sessions, as well as information events for school groups, for example.
    - You plan qualification and support efforts for teenagers and young adults, agree on goals and processes with those involved, and monitor and document the implementations.
    - You collate training and job positions, supervise internships, and in some cases also organize job application training.
    - In seminars and one-on-one meetings, you analyze the professional potential of your clients and support them in implementing their strategy. In doing so, you also take into account the social environment of those seeking advice, their life situation, and their life plans. Consulting training is usually expected here.
    - You optimize application documents, provide support in using suitable online job boards, and assist with the creation of job applications.
    - You write press releases, organize press conferences, and maintain contacts with representatives of other organizations with an international or intercultural background.
    - You support political and social actors (e.g. associations, parties, companies, politicians) in communicating their interests.
    - You research information (e.g. positions of parties or organizations) and draft summaries and position papers.
    - You recommend communication strategies and mediums and assist in their execution.

  • Industries and Occupations

    - Higher education
    - Professional organizations (e.g. chambers of industry, commerce, or crafts)
    - Business and employer associations (e.g. educational and advisory institutions of trade unions or employer associations)
    - Employment agencies, job centers
    - Public sector administration
    - Business and professional associations, trade unions
    - Political parties, associations, organizations, foundations
    - Public relations consulting, e.g. consulting agencies
    - Law firms without notary services
    - Religious communities
    - Independent welfare and youth welfare organizations

  • Job Boards an Professional Associations

At a glance