Professor Christian Hochberger, spokesperson for the Information Systems Technology degree programme, opened the career podium with a welcome address. He emphasised the relevance of such events for bridging the gap between studies and career – especially in a subject area with diverse development opportunities.

In a panel discussion moderated by Sabine General (Head of mentorING), Professor Hochberger, Dr Marco Münchhof (CEO Eckelmann AG), Szilárd Varga (Managing Director of Grünewald GmbH), Samim Azizi (Head of Operations and Senior Compliance Specialist at Grünewald GmbH) and the founders of MediEM, Damla Avcı and Rostislav Iskandirov, spoke openly about their careers, personal decisions and professional detours. It became clear that there is no one perfect path that suits everyone.

Enthusiasm and genuine passion, inner conviction, motivation and enjoyment of what they do, openness, a willingness to experiment and the courage to try out new things and to be able to change the plan once it has been set – the guests cited these points as the key to success. The same applies to perseverance and the intrinsic drive to achieve good results. Especially in challenging phases, it is important not to give up and to take your own ambitions seriously.

The two founders of MediEm brought a particularly study-related perspective to the table: they emphasised how valuable professional experience is alongside studying. After all, practical insights show genuine interest and pay off in job interviews – often more than a degree in standard time. The two young founders also encouraged the students to scrutinise their decisions once they had made them. Maximilian Seip from HIGHEST, the Innovation and Start-up Centre at TU Darmstadt, then explained the various support services available for start-ups at TU Darmstadt.

The event was rounded off with an open Q&A session, short presentations by the guests and an outlook on the mentorING programme in the summer semester of 2025. Afterwards, many conversations took place in a relaxed atmosphere – a successful opportunity to broaden perspectives and make personal contacts.