Karelle Priso: Apprentice at Jacobs University Bremen

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Karelle Priso is doing an apprenticeship at Jacobs University. (Source: Jacobs University) ,

 

February 10, 2022
 
How do you make small talk and behave appropriately? What is the right form of address, what is the appropriate outfit? Recently, the five apprentices at Jacobs University had a joint seminar. The topic: business etiquette. It was about manners in everyday business life, questions of communication, rules of etiquette and respectful behavior. "The seminar was very instructive. We laughed and discussed a lot," said Karelle Priso, apprentice at Jacobs University.

Not only students from all over the world graduate from Jacobs University. The university also offers professional job trainings for young people from the region – to become event managers, chemical laboratory technicians or office managers. This year, a further training course will be added, as an IT specialist for system integration. In the coming training year, there will be eight apprentices at Jacobs University. In office management and in the chemistry laboratory are one vacancy each open. Applications are open until the end of February.

One of the apprentices at Jacobs University is Karelle Priso. The 25-year-old has been doing an apprenticeship to become an office manager since last August. "I applied to Jacobs University because in my view the university stands for cultural diversity. The students come from so many countries. I like that," said Karelle, who speaks English and French in addition to German. She is also learning Spanish.

Karelle came to Bremen from Cameroon at the age of 17, graduated from high school and worked for the Diakonie, a welfare organization, for several months. She discontinued her apprenticeship as a forwarding agent and, on the recommendation of a career counselor, switched to the office management training program – one of the most popular apprenticeships in Germany.
Organizational work, bookkeeping, working on the computer – as an office manager, Karelle receives comprehensive qualifications for handling a wide range of business and office processes during her three-year training. Her first station at Jacobs University was the human resources department; at intervals of three to four months, she gained experience in other company departments such as accounting, the legal department, or quality management.

"Variety is one of the great strengths of our training program," said Rebecca Meyer, human resources officer at Jacobs University. "Sometimes it can be challenging, too, because apprentices have to quickly adjust to the departments and the tasks." Another plus of the apprenticeship is the diverse international environment, which also shapes the work in the individual departments. In Student Marketing or Student Recruitment, English is spoken almost exclusively for example.

Currently, Karelle is in purchasing. "My tasks include, among others, writing purchase orders, posting goods receipts or checking invoices," explained Karelle, who likes to read, bake or be on TikTok in her free time.
What does she enjoy most? "Writing orders!" she said with a laugh. When one of the laboratories on campus needs new chemicals or an employee needs a new webcam, as just happened recently, she first audits the need and then sets out to find the best offer. And when the goods are delivered, they must of course be checked. The work goes hand in hand with a sense of achievement. "We are made to feel that we are contributing to the success of the university. That is great," said Karelle.

Whether at a university, in business or even in administration: office managers can work anywhere. Even though it is still a long time until she completes her apprenticeship, Karelle already decided on her path: "I would like to stay at Jacobs University."

This text is part of the series "Faces of Jacobs," in which Jacobs University introduces students, alumni, professors, and staff. More episodes can be found at www.jacobs-university.de/faces.
 
Questions can be addressed to:
Rebecca Meyer
Human Resources Officer
Phone: +49 421 200 4509
Email: re.meyer [at] jacobs-university.de
 
Applications and further information:
www.jacobs-university.de/jobs