Main Content

Advocacy, Support, Assistance

Asylum; Equality and Equal Treatment; Participation; Co-determination; Consumer Protection

There are job opportunities in the institutionalized field of advocacy, which is something that should not be underestimated and is based on politically and socially defined guarantees, from human and international law to the fundamental rights enshrined in our constitution. Those who are persecuted have the right to apply for asylum; people with disabilities who are not invited to a job selection process have the right to have this process reviewed; if we as employees cannot assert our interests on our own, we have the right to assemble; if I as a consumer purchase a product or service, I have the right to be informed about how good and reliable it is; when government actors make decisions, we as citizens have the right to have these decisions reviewed. This area is very closely related to administration and relies heavily on advanced legal knowledge, but very often the path to fulfilling a guaranteed right is much more complex. Those seeking guaranteed rights must be heard, the decision-making process must be negotiated, any conflicts must be mediated, and decisions must be made on the basis of sound knowledge. Assessment and decision-making occur whenever a decision must be made as to whether a guaranteed right is actually relevant in the case presented. (Although lawyers also work as decision-makers at the BAMF, professionals from the fields of political science and public sector administration are disproportionately represented.) Typically, this area is the domain of professionals from the field of law, accompanied, supported, and sometimes corrected by those who know why these guaranteed rights exist in the first place, i.e. social scientists and humanities scholars.

  • Possible Tasks

     -You identify and document the interests of specific affected population groups, develop campaigns, submit petitions, and represent these interests in dealing with the public and decision-makers.
    -You support supervisory and decision-making bodies with your expertise in political, social, cultural, and economic fundamentals in order to develop considered and commensurate decisions.
    -You observe certain processes that affect the interests and protective rights of individuals, groups, or society as a whole, both from a civic perspective (associations, federations, affected groups) and from a governmental perspective (supervisory, protective, and monitoring authorities), make these processes public, and initiate appropriate countermeasures if necessary.
    -As part of your advocacy work, you analyze the relevant actors and their networks, as well as relevant political and social structures. You find ways to access decision-makers and develop strategies to convince them to support a particular issue or conflict resolution. 
    -As a consultant, you are responsible for supporting statewide and/or nationwide networks in your respective area, as well as for supporting, maintaining, and further developing partnerships.
    -You contribute to the completion of qualitative and quantitative project goals.
    -Your responsibilities include preparing and supporting (online) presentations and other informational events, as well as exchange events for advisors/decision-makers, participating in expert meetings, and taking part in nationwide experience exchanges and multi-day coordination meetings.
    -You organize and conduct press conferences, campaigns, and trade fair presentations. 
    -You regularly create project outlines, white papers, and reports and maintain relevant databases. 
    -You design public relations strategies, coordinate them with other parties involved, and implement them.
    -You advise and inform those seeking advice on issues in your area of expertise.
    -You act as a “sensor” and report current issues to your employers. You develop and apply for appropriate project, consulting, and information services.

  • Industries and Occupations

    -Non-governmental organizations such as Amnesty, Transparency, Avaaz, ONE; victim, patient, consumer protection, and taxpayer associations; care associations; migration counseling centers; refugee law clinics
    -On the institutional side, all the “commissioners” (women, equality, (severe) disabilities, migration, climate protection), advisory boards (foreigners, severely disabled, local, parents, homes)
    -On the state side, offices for civil protection and disaster control; health authorities; supervisory authorities for technology, air purity, drug and remedy safety; home supervision; (state and federal) courts of auditors; the Federal Employment Agency

  • Job Boards and Professional Associations

Also of interest