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Social and Business Consulting

Social Advising, Career Advising, Staff Consulting, Business Consulting, Start-up and Self-employment Consulting, Staff and Works Council Advising

The field of social advising is shared almost equally between professionals from the educational sciences and the social sciences. While the former place the individual, the subject, the person at the center of the advising, sociologists are often successful with a more systemic approach that seeks to contextualize all influencing factors and all options available to the individual. Knowledge of the relevant theoretical approaches (functionalism, structuralism, systems theory) provides a solid basis for a successful career start. Advising training, which is usually part-time (and may or may not be systemic), allows almost unlimited freedom of movement in all forms of social advising.

  • Possible Tasks

     -You act as the first point of contact, coordination, and referral for those seeking advice. To this end, you hold open consultation hours, conduct advising sessions (individual or group advising), and help those seeking advice to make decisions.
    -You provide information, advice, and support in applying for social assistance or legal entitlements. In doing so, you take into account the social environment of those seeking advice, their life situation, and their life plans. Advising training is usually expected here.
    -You create information and advising materials and hold information events for various target groups.
    -You plan qualification and support efforts, agree on goals and processes with those seeking advice, and monitor and document the results (career advising).
    -You analyze job offers, create lists of requirements, identify suitable applicants, and present them to your clients. You advise companies on issues of staff planning and development as well as motivation (staff consulting and placement). 
    -Your tasks also include supporting and accompanying new employees during the integration process and in the introduction phase (onboarding process(es)) as well as employees who are leaving the company in their professional reorientation (offboarding process(es)).
    -In addition, you plan and conduct seminars on these topics.
    -You analyze conflicts and hold meetings with the parties involved. You develop conflict resolution strategies and work with the parties involved to develop, collect, and evaluate proposed solutions (mediation).
    -You support individuals, groups, and teams in the work process in reflecting on their own actions and drawing conclusions from them by, for example, revealing power structures and relationship dynamics in joint meetings (supervision).
    -In management consulting, you support companies and organizations in decision-making and transformation processes. To do this, you analyze and evaluate the patterns (processes and structures) of an organization, develop a reorganization plan, and take social dynamics into account.

  • Industries and Occupations

     -Independent welfare organizations
    -Job centers and employment agencies
    -Business and staff consulting firms
    -Consulting centers for works councils and staff councils
    -Trade unions
    -Chambers of industry and commerce, chambers of crafts
    -Municipalities and counties
    -Business incubators
    -Self-employment

  • Job Boards and Professional Associations

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