• What are my prospects after graduation?
• How does a doctorate work?
• Why do some people choose an academic career?
• How do I know if I am the right type for a doctorate?
• How do I reconcile a career with family planning?
• How do I know which doctoral topic suits me?

I can't give you the "right" answer to many of these questions, and there probably isn't one. But I can tell you about my decision-making process. I asked myself many of these questions and thought about many of these topics. During the mentoring program, an exchange of experiences takes place on a trust level. Thoughts, fears and goals can be addressed and I can share my experiences and thoughts with you or help you find the right person to talk to. The goal is for you to develop personally, to learn more about an academic career at the university (especially about the opportunities at IVW) and to develop your professional skills. All exchanges remain private and are not documented. Requirements for mentoring are voluntariness, mutual goodwill, respect, and trust. These conversations will define goals that we would like to achieve together during the mentoring period, and I will support you as best I can so that you are well prepared for your first step into the working world after your student life. Please note, however, that mentoring is not professional advice and cannot replace it.

Mentoring should take place every four weeks as a regular appointment or as needed in a one to two hour meeting.

About me:
I studied mechanical engineering in Kaiserslautern and have been a research assistant at IVW since 2018 with the aim of obtaining a doctorate. Studying mechanical engineering was a very spontaneous decision for me, but I have never regretted it. As a student, I was already working at IVW in the form of a student research project and a diploma thesis, and this work was followed by the decision to do my doctorate here. I am looking forward to exchanging ideas with you.