Our Career Service offers both, counseling and coaching, on career-related topics. Both formats provide you with individual support, but differ in how we work with you:

Counseling is best for practical questions, specific information, or direct feedback.

Typical topics include:

• Reviewing your application documents
• Giving feedback on your performance during interviews (simulations)

Coaching focuses more on self‑reflection, personal development and orientation.

We ask questions, encourage a change of perspective, and offer different methods to support you in developing your own strategies and solutions. Recommendations or tips are not our focus here.

You can find common coaching topics below under “What are typical coaching topics at the Career Service?”

Our coachings can cover various aspects of your professional future or your transition into the job market.

Here are some common topics:

Decision-making

• Which career path truly fits me?
• How do I set priorities during the application process?
• How do I choose between multiple job or internship offers?

Strengths, values & orientation

• What am I good at - and how do I highlight that in applications?
• What values matter to me for work?
• Which roles or industries might suit me well?

Stress, pressure & balance

• How do I balance studies, family, work, and private life?
• How can I handle rejections to my applications without losing confidence?
• What if expectations (from others or myself) about my professional future feel too high?
• How do I deal with financial worries?

Communication & professional behavior

• How do I network and build meaningful connections?
• How can I feel more confident in interviews or networking events?
• How do I communicate professionally with colleagues, supervisors, or clients?
• How can I respond to criticism more constructively?
• How do I set boundaries while staying professional?

Not sure if your topic fits?
Email us. We will assess together whether coaching is the right format for you at this time. 

The exact process depends on your topic. However, a typical session with us usually includes the following steps:

1. Short check‑in 

We take a look at your current situation and what has changed: Have there been new questions, developments, or challenges since your last session?

2. Setting the session's focus 

Together, we decide what the session will cover - e.g., your CV, career orientation, or another important topic.

3. Working on your topic 

We use the session to work directly on your chosen topic. How exactly we do this, depends on the topics and your needs.

4. Wrap-up 

At the end, we take time to reflect: What was helpful? What is your next step? If needed, we can schedule your next session right away, or you contact us later by email.

Important: During your first session, we take more time for the check-in to get a clear understanding of where you currently stand. Together, we explore what you specifically need and how we can best support you in this.

A session lasts about 60 minutes. For special topics(e.g., interview simulations), it may take longer - we will discuss this with you in advance so that you know what to expect and we can find an appointment that works for you.

To ensure that all students receive support as quickly as possible, we only schedule one appointment at a time. At the end of each session, we will review together whether your concerns have been resolved or whether further sessions are needed.

There is no strict limit on the total number of sessions. However, our services are designed to provide short- to medium-term support. Ongoing, intensive support over several semesters is therefore not provided.

Appointments are currently offered on:
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday

Usually, you can book sessions between 09:30 AM and 04:00 PM. Only Thursday afternoons are reserved for first‑time sessions booked via ICS RM (see above: “How can I book an appointment?”).

Right now, there are two easy ways to make an appointment:

• Send an email: You can contact our advisors directly (see contact info above) or write an email to our general Career Service inbox.
• Book online through the International Career Service Rhein‑Main (ICS RM): Visit the ICS RM website. Under „Berufs‑ und Karriereorientierung” > „Karriere Coaching”, you’ll find the available appointments with our university team. New appointments are published on the 1st of each month.

Important: Most other ICS‑RM offers are specifically for international students or students with a migration background. However, you can still use the ICS RM platform to book regular coaching appointments with our team.

No preparation is required.

If you would like to receive feedback on your CV or other application documents, feel free to attach them when booking your appointment. However, it is also fine to only have them available during the meeting. 

We’re happy to support you in various areas on your professional journey. However, there are some things we do not offer. To give you a clearer picture of what to expect, here’s what we do not provide:

We do not directly place you in jobs or internships.
We can help you search and prepare for jobs, but we do not actively match students with companies.

We cannot guarantee job offers or application success.
We support your process, but outcomes depend on many factors beyond our control.

We do not provide legal advice.
For contract or employment law questions, we can provide contacts to the appropriate services, but we cannot advise you ourselves.

We do not make decisions for you or complete tasks on your behalf.
We support you by asking questions, offering methods, and giving feedback, but e.g., your applications, decisions or employer contacts remain your responsibility.

We do not offer long‑term, intensive support over several semesters.
Our services are designed to support many students, so we focus on short‑ to mid‑term guidance.

We cannot guarantee last‑minute appointments.
During busy times, waiting periods may occur. If something is urgent (e.g., due an upcoming job interview), please let us know. We will do our best to accommodate you where possible.

The International Career Service Rhein-Main (ICS RM) offers specialized advising on a wide range of topics related to starting a career in Germany and navigating the professional world for international students.

The team assists you with:

• Improving your application documents
• Searching for suitable jobs or internships
• Planning your next career steps
• Identifying your personal strengths and competencies
• Building professional networks
• Planning for sustainable business start-ups and entrepreneurship
• Navigating doubts about your studies and developing new perspectives

You can find more information about these services and book an appointment with the advisory team directly on the ICS RM website.