Training with the city: "Exciting and varied"

Leonie: Administrative assistants are deployed in different ways and the work is very varied. I've already got to know different areas during my training, for example human resources and finance.

Katarina: There are also many opportunities for advancement and further training, for example as an administrative specialist. I became interested in the profession because I help friends who have moved to Germany to submit applications and deal with the authorities.

Leonie: The City of Offenbach has a lot of exciting offices that we can gain insight into and experience during our training. For example, in the Human Resources Department, where I was able to actively help prepare the Offenbach education fair for the training sector and was also on site as an advisor.

Katarina: Offenbach is a city of short distances. Although the offices are located in different buildings, they are all within walking distance of the town hall and the city is close to where I live, so I have a short commute to work.

Leonie: Very good, the training is very varied, I am well integrated into the offices and can take on tasks independently.

Katarina: Good, we have many different areas of responsibility and were given a warm welcome by all our colleagues.

Leonie: At MainArbeit, which is also part of the city administration, the tasks were very varied and I was mostly allowed to do them independently. My colleagues were very nice and helpful. I was able to repeat what I had already learned at the city treasury, as some of the tasks were similar. This helped me to carry out the tasks independently. It made me feel like a fully-fledged member of the team.

Katarina: My area of responsibility in the main office was very varied, as it is a large office with different departments. It was very exciting there and I received a friendly welcome. I was able to get a taste of completely new areas at the City Education Authority, such as IT, and got to know many schools in Offenbach.

Leonie: I imagined the training would be like this. What surprised me, however, was how varied the tasks of the individual offices are. There are different tasks and different approaches in each office. I really liked that, as it means you can learn a lot.

Katarina: I imagined the training would be like this, but it is more varied than I thought. I'm not just in the office and at the computer all day, but am also deployed in the field. When I was in the main office, we did inspections of the administration offices to decide which furniture to replace. We also measured letterboxes on the various city administration buildings so that we could later stick the Offenbach logo on them in the right format. These are tasks that I would not have expected during my training.

Leonie: At MainArbeit, I was responsible for digitizing the mail and processing public deliveries. I also took on tasks from the ticket system, where employees can place orders for office supplies. In the city treasury, I entered accounting records, took checks to the bank and picked up bank statements.

Katarina: I did the same as Leonie in the city treasury and in the enforcement department, which is also part of the city treasury, we processed requests for administrative assistance and forwarded them to enforcement officers. They seek out citizens who have not paid their outstanding debts, such as dog tax, despite reminders.

Leonie: Depending on the quarter, we attend the vocational school in Obertshausen once or twice a week. We also have in-service training at the administration seminar in Frankfurt.

Katarina: Vocational school is a very good addition to everyday working life, as we can make contacts with other students from other administrations and share our experiences. It's also always nice to hear how things are going at other administrations and maybe get a tip or two that you can then implement in your own authority.

Leonie: Yes, my preferred offices would be the Youth Welfare Office and the Office for Culture and Sports Management, as I am interested in working with sports clubs in my private life and am very active in a club myself. At the beginning of our training, we are allowed to express our desired offices and our trainers try to arrange for us to complete a training period in these offices.

Katarina: My preferred office would be the citizens' office, as I would really like to work with customers and can well imagine this for my professional future.

Leonie: Yes, I would very much like to do a dual course of study in Public Administration or Digital Administration after my apprenticeship.

Katarina: Once I've been taken on, I would like to do a further qualification in public administration while working.

Leonie: Definitely, because you get to know many subject areas here and can develop a feeling for what suits you. In addition, apprentices who perform well during their training are usually taken on.

Katarina: Sure, the apprenticeship is very varied and safe. The City of Offenbach also has a service agreement that regulates the transfer to employment with the city following our training. After the apprenticeship, there are many areas such as social affairs, culture or accounting in the city administration for which you can apply to join full or part-time. It is therefore not necessary to change employer.

Leonie: Anyone who can imagine working in administration. No one is excluded here and everyone is welcome. It doesn't matter whether, like me, you are starting your career straight after school or have already gained work experience in other professions.

Katarina: The apprenticeship is suitable for anyone who wants to work in administration. I myself have two small children and am doing the apprenticeship. The city is open to unconventional CVs and the selection process is the same for everyone. If you really want the apprenticeship, you should apply, you have nothing to lose. As a mother of two children, I didn't expect to get a training place with the city.

If you have any questions about training as an administrative assistant and would like to know more, Katarina and Leonie will be happy to answer them.

Katarina Hrustanovic
katarina-keti.hrustanovicoffenbachde
Phone: 069 8065-4831

Leonie Stadtmüller
leonie.stadtmuelleroffenbachde
Phone: 069 8065-4833