Wolfgang Gründinger: Study, career, life

Wolfgang Gründinger, born in 1984, Democracy researcher and journalist. Spokesman for the Foundation for the Rights of Future Generations and a member of the Think Tank 30, the young think tank of the Club of Rome. 

 A few years back I flipped through the TV channels in the evening and stopped at a panel discussion on one of the public broadcasting channels. There was a Wolfgang Gründinger who has very vigorously and eloquently represented the views of a young generation that in the very near future will most probably be affected by poverty in old age. He knew how the "young" tick today and what, despite many crises, they hoped to get from life. In this blog he is now giving some answers at hand that shed a light on studies and its prospects. 

What would your advice be to everyone who is considering to study?

Do it! And go with your good feeling– meaning, study something that is of interest to you and not necessarily what the current job market is offering. Because the job market is constantly in upheaval and determined by cycles. Additionally, an academic education is still the best insurance against unemployment. However you should not get enclosed within the whole ivory tower of the university operation, but sometimes look outside the box and have a closer look at the economy and society. 

To what degree are parents playing a role in a good-organised and successful studying career?

At the very least a well situated family home can provide the financial basis for studying and paves the way to coveted internships. Children from the middle class consequently have a tremendous advantage. Others have to work alongside in low qualified jobs to pay rent. Those who come from a richer home, might as well hold a casual job, but then mostly for the purpose of their self-discovery trip in Southeast Asia. Therefore, there are initiatives such as Arbeiterkind.de that address the financial and mental hurdles faced by working class children, and rightly so. 

Are there degrees, that would definitely secure a job? 

Almost certain currently are courses such as IT, electrical or mechanical engineering, i.e. technical studies - and everything that has to do with the energy evolution or digitisation. For all other ones the way to a safe and decent paid job is far lengthier. 

What difficulties arise if you terminate your studies prematurely? 

Who figures that he or she is better off somewhere else, should happily give up his or her studies. Some of my friends have started a business during university and therefore put their studying on hold. However, one should understand that the time at university is not only a preparation for the working market, but also understand the value it can have for the development of their whole personality. It shouldn’t be reduced to its economic function only. 

Should networks be used within the campus? 

Networks create themselves by drinking beer together. Or coffee. I don’t think much of  “networks" as a self-purpose in itself. For me that’s too career driven and does not fulfill me in life.

Internships, temps, studying. Is the current student overwhelmed? 

The young generation is tremendously hard working - and exploits itself. According to the Shell Youth Study, the majority of younger people is convinced that: “through a lot of ambition and tenacity to get things under control" - they will be able to tackle things. Trusting their own performance, the young are confident, despite all the social problems, to advance their personal lives and be able to compete in the working market. The majority of students are guided by the idea of competition and meritocracy. But all this must not obscure the fact that there are many hurdles, where every day way too many young people fail. The magazine Neon speaks of the "Generation of self-exploitation", which is proud "of their work ethic, their perseverance and their efficiency. Only in this way one can survive the globalised economy of the 21st Century [...]. Thus, the self-exploiters endure fear, loneliness and fatigue, and don’t write protest posters and letters of complaint". The student magazine Zeit Campus registered a pervasive "dictatorship of reason" that compels a “arms race of resumes". Nowadays, there seems to be no more space for the average student. 

What steps should be taken immediately after completing the degree? 

Take a trip around the world! 

What motivation should prospective employers and the government provide/offer to graduates? 

Young people no longer run after the sense free capital accumulation. They do not want jobs that simply produce only money; they want jobs that make sense. Flexible working arrangements - for family, training or simply for a break - and secure prospects are more important than the salary. 

All those who will continue their studies from next week and to all those who are freshly baked students, I wish a very successful new semester. Let Wolfgang’s statements be an encouragement to you and your studies. Get to know new people, expand your horizons in many directions and have fun with the privilege of being a young graduate. 

BR Adam Worozanski