A look at the administration

As part of my bachelor’s degree program in General Administration at the Meissen University of Applied Sciences (FH) and Continuing Education Center, I began looking for a government internship about a year ago to fulfill my practical training requirement during my third semester. That’s when I came across the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. I am now nearing the end of my three-month internship at HSZG, which began in early November, and can look back on a period filled with many different experiences and challenging tasks.

This gave me insight into four key areas: onboarding as part of the Female Professors Program III (PPIII), drafting form letters, general tasks within the Human Resources Administration & Law division (DPR), and the implementation of a document management system. My first interaction with PPIII took place during the very first week as part of a working meeting of the project team.

The PPIII is a program funded by the federal and state governments with the goal of supporting women in their academic careers, increasing their representation in professorial positions at German universities and colleges, and thereby promoting equal opportunities and gender equality. During my internship, I was involved in this program in the area of onboarding.

Another key aspect of this area was the applicant management system, which the university is currently planning to implement to improve the application process at HSZG. In this regard, I prepared a comprehensive overview of potential software options and highlighted individual features. Shortly before the end of my internship, I had the opportunity to lead a workshop to inform DPR staff about the current status and future plans regarding the implementation of an applicant tracking system.

I was also introduced to the areas of responsibility that DPR employees handle in their day-to-day work. I also had the opportunity to assist with the implementation of a DocuWare document management system (DMS) at HSZG, which, as part of a pilot project launched at the beginning of 2023, enables the electronic archiving of all incoming invoices. As part of this, I participated in the software’s initial testing phase alongside the entire project team and was also able to attend a training session on how to use the system. I also found the collegial atmosphere at HSZG, especially within the DPR, to be very pleasant, and I felt good in terms of my tasks as well as on a personal level.

In summary, I consider my time at HSZG to have been extremely successful and educational, and I view it as a valuable experience for my studies and future career.