Kazakh and student assistant Zhaniya reports on her experiences at Saxony's largest training fair.
In September 2023, I came to Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences from Kazakhstan to study as part of a double degree program. In January 2024, I started working as a student assistant in the public relations department at my university. A special opportunity presented itself to me shortly afterwards: supporting my department at the KarriereStart fair in Dresden, which took place from January 19 to 21.
KarriereStart is the largest training fair in Saxony and celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. In the 4 exhibition halls with an exhibition area of 17,500 m², 540 exhibitors presented themselves. The fair covers a broad spectrum - from career orientation, training, studying, international education, stays abroad, further education to lifelong learning, jobs and personnel, as well as start-ups and self-employment.
Our university was represented with two exhibition stands. The first stand presented humanities subjects in a cozy meeting room that invited visitors to have detailed discussions in a relaxed atmosphere. The second stand, on the other hand, focused on interactivity through augmented reality glasses - a project by Daniel Winkler, lecturer in university didactics, which could be tried out by every visitor.
During the fair, I supported my colleagues in setting up the stand and communicating with visitors. This experience was particularly valuable for me as it was my first professional activity in Germany. The scale of this fair surprised me, as it is not a common means of communication and promotion in the education sector in my home country of Kazakhstan.
The size of the exhibition and the high level of professionalism of my colleagues and other exhibitors impressed and motivated me even more. One highlight was the personal meeting with Michael Kretschmer, the Minister President of Saxony, who visited our stand right at the start of the fair.
Overall, taking part in the KarriereStart fair was not only a professional experience, but also an opportunity to delve deeper into the German education landscape and gain valuable insights. This experience will certainly leave a lasting impression on my professional development.
Zhaniya Pirmoldayeva
Faculty of Economics and Industrial Engineering
Schliebenstraße 21, 02763 Zittau
E-mail: marketing(at)hszg.de
