Careers Counselling

Tailored Guidance

An important component of our counselling begins in Grades 9-10 where our guidance programs allow students to explore and analyse their interests, skills and career opportunities. Grade 11-12 students gain formal guidance in researching and preparing applications for university and other career paths.

We recognize that each student has different needs in determining their future direction, especially as they come from a variety of backgrounds. Our careers guidance program takes this diversity into consideration and provides individually tailored guidance.

Careers Services and Dates available to Students and Parents

The main features of our career program include:

Career Guidance (ongoing)

Our team of career guidance staff with specialist roles assist students individually. Further advice can be sought from visiting university admissions personnel and the local Employment Agency (Arbeitsagentur) officers assigned to the school.

Unifrog (24/7)

Students and their parents have access to a new database subscription that calculates best-fit universities and courses. It uses over 100,000 options of English speaking courses to make recommendations, based on the academic, professional and social profile of each student.

University Visits and Fairs (September SRT Fair)

Individual universities visit DIS to give students access to direct advice on courses and admissions. Larger university fairs involving many universities attend annually for a greater selection of choices.

University Parents Information Night

We invite parents and students to an information evening outlining the university application process. Our Career Counselors along with the Saxon Education Agency (Sächsische Bildungsagentur) present and compare the most common university destinations in Germany, the UK, the USA, and the Netherlands.

Grade 9 Work Experience (June)

All Grade 9 students undertake a two week internship in professional workplaces. During this time, students keep a journal and reflect on their experiences. DIS staff also meet the students and employers on site to discuss their progress.

Bundesagentur für Arbeit is a German federal agency for Grades 9-12

The local employment agency (Arbeitsagentur) conducts a free service in German language at DIS. This involves a two and a half hour vocational test, where students learn more about themselves and find out which in-demand professions and courses best suit them. The test results can be followed up by a career counseling meeting with specialist staff from the Professions Information Center (Berufsinformationszentrum).

Grade 10 “Karrierestart Messe” Career Start Exhibition (January)

Grade 10 students attend an extensive career fair at Dresden Messe, the Dresden exhibition halls with hundreds of employers, training organisations and German universities. The goal is to give the students insight into different professions, courses of study and career choices.

Grade 11 Career Day (May)

For a full day, all Grade 11 students are assisted in researching university choices and starting their applications. Guest speakers from different industries and school alumni provide advice on vocational opportunities. Students take an optional formal career aptitude test in German language to determine relevant courses and employment options.

Grade 11-12 Personal Statements (ongoing)

Our career counselors provide ongoing assistance in preparing letters of motivation and personal statements required for many university applications, as well as training and employment applications.

American College Test or ACT (October, December, June)

These are standardised tests are conducted three times a year at DIS. Registration occurs in September, November and December for tests held the following month. Students are encouraged to prepare and register for the ACT (and/or SAT) in Grade 11.

Cambridge Assessment Tests (October)

Our school is registered to conduct Cambridge Assessment Tests.

University Destinations

DIS graduates study in many countries around the world. Here are some examples of study programmes and universities listed.

Australia - Creative Writing (La Trobe / Curtin), Engineering (New South Wales), Physiotherapy (Sydney)

Austria - Linguistics (University of Graz), Medicine (Vienna), Veterinary Medicine (Vienna), Sociology (Vienna), Transcultural Communication (Vienna)

France - International Relations (Sorbonne, Paris)

Germany - Biology (Göttingen), Business Administration (Ludwig Maximilian Munich), Chemistry (TU Dresden), Electrical Engineering (TU Dresden), Fashion (Esmod Berlin), French / German Law (Cologne), Computer Science (TU Dresden), Law (Ludwig Maximilian, Munich), Law (Heidelberg), Law (Passau), Mechanical Engineering (TU Dresden), Media and Communication Management (MHMK Munich), Pharmacy at the (Friedrich Schiller University, Jena), Physics (TU Dresden), Dentistry (TU Dresden)

India - Physics and Engineering (Jain)

Netherlands - Psychology (Rotterdam Erasmus), Economics (Amsterdam), Artificial Intelligence (Groningen), Engineering (Delft), Economics (Tilburg)

Poland - Medicine (Wroclaw)

Singapore - Environmental Sciences (Singapore)

Spain - Economics (European University Barcelona)

Switzerland - Hotel Management (César Ritz Colleges), Mechanical Engineering (ETH Zurich)

UK - Finance and Accounting (Bath), Law (Oxford), Art & Design (Glasgow), Business & Management (Edinburgh), Drama and Applied Theater Studies & Teaching (London), Economics (King's College, London), Finance (Warwick), History and Politics (Oxford), International Relations (St. Andrews), Criminology and Sociology (Nottingham), International Management (Exeter), Philosophy and Economics (St. Andrews), Psychology (Edinburgh), Psychology (Glasgow), Mathematics (University College London), Physics and Astrophysics (Glasgow)

USA - Arabic Studies (Monterey, California), Archaeology (Colorado), Astrophysics (Boston), Medicine (Columbia, New York)