DFB Cup final in Berlin: A perfect framework for application training for up-and-coming top athletes by Deutsche Sporthilfe and Deutsche Telekom. HR experts prepared eleven athletes for their careers after their careers.
How do divers, discus throwers, and rowers earn a living? And other athletes whose disciplines aren't the focus of public interest? By planning their professional careers early on – despite up to 40 hours of training every week. Deutsche Sporthilfe and Deutsche Telekom support these endeavors. In Berlin, two HR experts from Germany's biggest telco held an application training session for eleven athletes ahead of the final match of the DFB Cup.
The participants of the application training session at Deutsche Telekom's Berlin Representative Office: Back row, from left: David Seeliger (Deutsche Sporthilfe), Torben Brandt (23, discus), Andreas Kuffner (31, rowing), coach Tim Kummerfeldt, Benedikt Bugner (21, artistic cycling), Anton Finger (19, rowing), Erik Buschmann (19, ice hockey), Fridjof Petzold (21, speed skating). Front row, from left: Lene Krüger (19, diving), Katja Buchheim-Dieckow (33, diving), coach Christina Klein, Deniz Almas (20, track, sprint), Clemens Gawer (22, speed skating), Maximilian Schäfers (17, modern pentathlon).
Andreas Kuffner knows what's important. The former world and Olympic champion in rowing participated in an application training session in 2013. Now 31, he is an industrial engineer and successful keynote speaker, among other activities. He got the eleven athletes ready for the day: "When you've concentrated on sports for years on end, to deliver top performance, you don't only need sports coaches, but also career coaches for when your athletic career ends. This assistance is tremendously important, so you don't have to start at zero after your sports career."
In the morning, coaching duo Christina Klein and Tim Kummerfeldt talked about the basics of a successful application process: how to write a CV, which career platforms are helpful, and how to build a professional network. "Top athletes are demanding. Today's successful athletes want to have success even after their sports careers. That means training. And that's exactly what Deutsche Sporthilfe and our company provide," explains Kummerfeldt, a former IT system administrator who has been with Deutsche Telekom for 18 years and now works in HR.
Fellow career coach Klein, who has worked at Deutsche Telekom since 2009, added: "Find a job you enjoy. And you bring so many things from competitive sports to the table that companies want: endurance, ambition, and determination. They're all of great interest to potential employers."
"It is extremely important for athletes in disciplines that aren't in the public focus to start planning their professional careers early on. I'm happy that Deutsche Telekom supports us with their HR experts and this application training, which gives young top athletes a professional basis for starting their future careers after their athletic careers come to an end," says David Seeliger, Partner Support Manager at Deutsche Sporthilfe, which has partnered with Deutsche Telekom since 2008. The partnership contract was extended last year through 2020.
The second part of the session focused on practical work. Artistic cyclist Benedikt Bugner, who has been in a cooperative study program at Telekom Deutschland GmbH since 2016, majoring in Business Controlling, simulated a conventional job interview. Bugner, who has had to interrupt his training recently due to a complicated broken ankle, handled the task effortlessly. "Unlike the other ten athletes, I already have experience in dealing with such situations. I'm very grateful to Deutsche Telekom for their support, both in my career training and in practicing my sports discipline."
For diver Lene Krüger, in contrast, job applications were an entirely new area: "I liked the first part best, in which they gave suggestions for putting my application package together, because I haven't had any experience with that at all yet. Their advice about the importance of a large personal network was also very valuable."
Discus thrower Torben Brandt: "I sometimes find it difficult to concentrate on the basics during a job interview and present the most important information. These practical exercises were a big help."
Diver Katja Buchheim-Dieckow found the personal feedback from coach Christina Klein to be a big help, as well as her behavioral tips in assessment centers. "I also got to meet a lot of very nice people."
As a special highlight to end this exciting day, the participants got to watch the DFB Cup final live at Berlin's Olympic Stadium. They saw a thrilling match in which record cup-winner FC Bayern Munich lost spectacularly to underdog Eintracht Frankfurt, 1:3. Lene Krüger and Katja Buchheim-Dieckow clearly had a great time at the stadium nonetheless.
All the more reason for coach Christina Klein, who was born near Frankfurt and is a passionate fan of Eintracht, to celebrate. "That was crazy. I didn't expect it at all." For her, the game was the perfect conclusion to a perfect day. "The athletes were really on board today. And there are quite a few of them who have a lot of potential – professionally as well as athletically."
The eleven athletes and the coaching duo also attended the reception for FC Bayern Munich at Deutsche Telekom's Representative Berlin Office, although it was rather subdued after their loss. Nonetheless, host Michael Hagspihl (right) congratulated the team and, in particular, departing coach Jupp Heynckes for a fantastic season, in which Bayern won its 28th Bundesliga championship. "We've had a deep partnership since 2002. You live the T just like we do. On behalf of the company, thank you for a great year. Even if you didn't manage to win the double, you can still be proud of yourselves."
