Career in the SME sector
What are KMU? What role do SME play in the economy of North Rhine-Westphalia? And which opportunities do they offer international students and graduates as employers? The project Your Future in NRW - Career in SMEs provides information on this.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (in German: KMU - klein- und mittelständische Unternehmen) account for the majority of all companies in Germany. They are considered highly innovative and are responsible for a significant proportion of research and development investment. Many SMEs are global leaders in niche markets and high-tech sectors, earning them the title of “hidden champions”. Sectors in which SMEs dominate include, among others, manufacturing, IT, healthcare, and engineering.
Career opportunities in the SME sector
The project Your Future in NRW - careers in SMEs focuses on the peculiarities of the German labor market in relation to SMEs. In a digital exchange format, international students and representatives of SMEs will come into contact and discuss opportunities and challenges. As a student, you will have the opportunity to network with representatives of SMEs and possibly even find your future job at one of NRW's numerous “hidden champions”. This is a cooperation project between TU Dortmund University and Ruhr University Bochum.
Events
This digital exchange format offers the opportunity to come into direct contact with companies from the region and find out about career opportunities in the SME sector. One or two companies from an industry briefly introduce themselves in a company pitch. Afterwards, students are invited to ask questions and make contacts.
The event is offered in cooperation between Ruhr-Universität Bochum and TU Dortmund University approximately every three months and is open to students from both universities.
The next company pitch is in preparation.
Previous company pitches:
Careers in SMEs - IT sector
Date: 18.03.2025
Time: 2pm to 4pm
Location: digital via Zoom
Language: German
Careers in SMEs - MINT
Date: 25.11.2024
Time: 4pm to 5pm
Location: digital via Zoom
Startups offer exciting opportunities to enter the job market in NRW. Or have you ever thought about founding your own startup?
This online format offers you the opportunity not only to get to know the startup services of TU Dortmund University and Ruhr-Universität Bochum, but also to exchange ideas with entrepreneurs who have successfully founded a start-up.
The event is organized in cooperation with the Centre for Entrepreneurship & Transfer (CET) at TU Dortmund University and the RUB WORLDFACTORY START-UP CENTER and is open to students from both universities.
Next Event:
Your Future in NRW – A Career in Start-ups
Date: 01.04.2025
Time: 2pm
Location: digital via Zoom
Language: Englisch
Registration: https://studium.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/en/node/2294
Previous events:
Your Future in NRW – A Career in Start-ups
Date: 01.10.2024
Time: 4pm
Location: digital via Zoom
Language: English
NRW: Germany's economic powerhouse
NRW is the most populous federal state and the largest regional economic powerhouse. It is a leader in research and innovation, with a strong focus on digital transformation, green energy and sustainability. NRW has a very diverse population with a high proportion of immigrants and international skilled workers contributing to the state's workforce. The most important SME sectors in NRW are mechanical engineering, the automotive industry and the chemical industry.
Your contact person
This project is funded by:
