«I like how broadly I am trained»

I tell

"Choosing a career was very intense, I had a taste of over ten professions, from teacher to carpenter and from vet to healthcare specialist. I first heard about an apprenticeship as a mediamatician at the BICT computer school information evening in Bern. I was immediately enthusiastic. BICT is a private training centre; I immediately liked the breadth of the training I would receive here. The first two years are a mix of theory and practice; in the practical part of the training we also realise customer projects, for example a new website for an SME. We also learn how to take photographs, film, edit images and cut films. Design and layout are other key areas, but IT and programming are also part of the programme, as are marketing and communication.

We complete the third and fourth years of our apprenticeship in a partner company. I will continue my mediamatics apprenticeship at the Federal Office of Civil Aviation. I'm really looking forward to that. In addition to attending the vocational college in Biel two days a week, I earn some money with small web and graphics jobs. This teaches me a lot about networking, which is very important in this job. In my free time, I consciously get away from the screen and go jogging and hiking."

Read more about choosing a career:

• Step 1: Get to know your own interests and strengths
  Before young people can decide what training they want to pursue after secondary school, they need to answer a few basic questions about themselves. Not an easy task in the middle of puberty, which is already full of questions.
• Step 2: Get to know professions and training programmes
  Into an apprenticeship or continue at school? Many people ask themselves this question in upper secondary school. But the two paths are not mutually exclusive. An overview of the most important educational programmes.
• Step 3: Compare your own strengths with the requirements of professions and training programmes
  Every apprenticeship and every school has its own specific requirements. For young job seekers, this means that they should either work intensively on their skills or look for a less demanding apprenticeship.
• Step 4: Get to know interesting professions in a taster apprenticeship
  A taster apprenticeship, also known as a career choice internship, gives you a first impression of working life, a profession and the atmosphere in a potential training company. It is something like the ultimate reality check for young apprenticeship seekers.
• Step 5: Review possible professions and training courses and make a decision
  Careers counsellor Sigrid Weber knows the agony of choosing a career that many young people go through. Favourite subjects and hobbies are initial pointers to the right apprenticeship, a lot can be learned in trial apprenticeships - and sometimes even a coin toss helps, says the psychologist. When making a decision, however, the feeling has to be right above all.
• Step 6: Look for an apprenticeship or register with a school
  Once you have chosen the right profession, it's time to look for a suitable training organisation. Large or small, informal or formal, hierarchical or collegial? The more different types you get to know through taster sessions, the better you will know what suits you.
• Step 7: Prepare for an apprenticeship or school or clarify bridging programmes
  The tenth school year is seen as an emergency solution for those who have not found an apprenticeship. In reality, it is a useful educational programme to close gaps in schooling and other gaps or to help you make a decision about your career choice. Other bridging programmes help to gain valuable knowledge and set the course.