"Office tasks just suit me!"
Eileen and Erik are being trained as office management assistants at the HSZG. They talk about their future profession.
Why should you train to become an office management assistant at HSZG? Eileen Schmirmund and Erik Hantsche have several answers ready off the top of their heads:
- Because you’re looking for a career with regular working hours but still get to tackle different tasks every day.
- Because, even though you work primarily on a computer, you also maintain contact with service providers, staff members, and key contacts who work closely with the university.
- In short, this career gives you insight into the wide variety of issues at a university and makes you a valued first point of contact.
Eileen and Erik have been trainees at Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences since fall 2021. “As such, they perform both traditional organizational tasks and various university-specific duties, such as those related to event planning and accounting,” explains Julia Hockauf, a trainer for Office Management Specialists at HSZG.
The great variety in this profession is also the reason why Eileen chose this training program. The 17-year-old is currently completing a rotation in the secretarial office of the Student Services & International Affairs division. “What is good about my apprenticeship is getting to know new colleagues in every department and learning more about the various tasks in the departments I’m currently working in. In my current rotation at DSI, I enjoy processing incoming mail or handling small tasks like preparing transcript folders, ” she says.
Erik Hantsche is currently stationed at the University Library. “There, for example, I handle incoming mail, shelve or remove books and journals, process loan requests, and assist with contact information entry, ” says the 17-year-old. A native of Zittau, he’s happy that his choice of apprenticeship allowed him to stay in his hometown. He’s very satisfied with his apprenticeship: “Office work just comes naturally to me.”
What do the trainees learn during the three-year program?
Performing commercial, administrative, and organizational tasks such as:
- secretarial and assistant duties,
- Planning organizational processes for informational events, education fairs, and open houses,
- procuring materials—from issuing requests for proposals, to placing orders, to verifying incoming goods
“Trainees acquire these skills in the various departments of the University Administration,” explains Julia Hockauf. In a six-month inter-company training segment, they gain knowledge of payment and credit transactions as well as accounting.
What should the trainees bring to the table?
- Flexibility to switch between different tasks
- Good German and English language skills
- a good grasp of mathematics and basic arithmetic
- Computer skills
“And a real passion for trying new things,” adds Julia Hockauf, rounding out the profile of the ideal aspiring office management assistants.
Are you interested in the field of office management, and has this piqued your curiosity? We still have apprenticeship openings for the upcoming training year!
We’re still accepting applications for 2022.
You can find more information about the Office Management Apprenticeship here.
There are also still openings available this fall for the dual-track program—KIA’s training program to become an electronics technician for devices and systems.
You can find more information here and in this news article.
Text: Cornelia Rothe M.A.
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