Group photo of the Junior Professionals 2023

Source © Ansichtssache_Britta Schröder

Junior Professionals

Overview

Career and development opportunities in the Junior Professionals Program

Would you like to participate in social, economic and political aspects of society? Join us in producing worthwhile new ideas and putting them into practice.

Are you interested in taking on responsible tasks, growing personally and professionally, and enjoying the freedom to transform your ideas into concrete projects? Welcome to the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Junior Professionals Program (JPP)!

This program allows you to begin working on our projects immediately and offers you a special course in project management that is tailored specifically to your situation. Since we attach great importance to an interdisciplinary approach from the very beginning, we strongly encourage exchanging views, sharing inspiration and maintaining an open atmosphere. 

We expect you to show commitment, the courage to be creative and the will to develop your potential. All of this is essential if you are to gain a better understanding of the urgent issues that affect society’s economic, political and social development. Recognizing that we are asking a great deal of you, we have made sure to allow enough time for this program, which is designed to take 18 months and offered every two years. Place of work is Guetersloh.

Program structure

Program structure

Orientation phase

The Junior Professionals Program consists of two parts. During the first 12 months you will be assisted by a staff member from human resources, and an experienced project manager will serve as your personal mentor and provide advice and support.
You will get to know Bertelsmann Stiftung’s main divisions and spend time in a variety of departments. This will allow you to experience first-hand how we implement our projects, develop solutions and collaborate within the organization. Your project work will begin immediately. You will be involved in every step of the process, in terms of both methodology and content, and begin to build your own personal network of contacts. 

Professionalization phase (optional)

Within the first year you will gain a wide variety of experiences, contacts and knowledge. You will bring your new resources with you into the second phase of the Junior Professionals Program, during which you will enjoy considerable autonomy as you implement project modules and organize events. You will develop new project themes, contribute to existing projects, introduce your own project ideas and participate in developing new projects. You will gain greater confidence in your own abilities, which will allow you to use your skills creatively in a wide variety of new and challenging situations and to further the foundation’s purposes. During this process, you will engage in regular dialogue with colleagues at the foundation in your role as an active member of our network.

In recent years, it was already clear after the orientation phase which topics the junior professionals wanted to be involved in over the long term, and vacancies as Project Manager were available in the relevant areas. To that extent, completing the professionalization phase is not mandatory.

Further training

We are engaged in promoting the sustainability of our society. This is only possible if we continue to grow and take advantage of opportunities to learn new things. Accordingly, at the beginning of the Junior Professionals program we provide you with a comprehensive, individualized portfolio of further training activities.

Next steps

Later on, you look back on the previous 18 months: Where are you now, and what comes next? You have become an important member of Bertelsmann Stiftung. You now have access to attractive opportunities within our organization. We look forward to your ideas!

Your profile

If you have completed your university studies with distinction, earned an additional degree and have some professional experience, also abroad, you are in a good position to join our team, which will allow you to shape your future while also influencing social policy.

We offer you, as a junior professional, the opportunity to play an important role in finding model solutions to urgent social problems. You will also be challenged to contribute and develop your own ideas. We expect that you will quickly assume responsibility within our projects, in keeping with the specific tasks and demands they entail. We are looking for talented young people who

  • are trained in one of our focus areas
  • are good communicators and open to other people and opinions
  • enjoy being involved in the development of society and social policy
  • are capable of developing and implementing new conceptual ideas
  • are able to think creatively while showing fiscal responsibility

You should:

  • have earned a university degree with distinction
  • have further qualifications, if possible, such as a doctorate
  • have some professional experience, perhaps through internships
  • have international experience
  • have an excellent command of spoken and written German and English, as well as another language (Chinese, French, Spanish, Russian, Italian)
  • identify with the goals and values of our foundation

Application process

The next Junior Professionals Programme will be announced in spring 2025 - keep an eye on our careers pages, where we will publish all relevant information in good time.

Please understand that we are no longer accepting applications for the program until further notice.

Application process

Information

Make sure that you are aware of the next entry date as well as the contents and requirements of the Junior Professionals Program. 

Applying through our applicant tracking system

Our applicant tracking sytem allows you to apply online and take advantage of other useful functions.
If you would like to know more about how we handle your information, please click here.

 

ZOOM interview

Following a preliminary selection process, we will conduct a 45-minute ZOOM interview to learn more about you and your interest in our foundation.  

Selection day

You will be invited to participate in a one-day selection event at Bertelsmann Stiftung, which is an opportunity for us to get to know each other better. It includes one-on-one interviews and a presentation.

Contract offer

Within the next few days you will receive feedback regarding the selection day. If results are positive, we will offer you a contract.

Contact