In our company schainundkuchenbrandt, we offer seminars, consultations and coachings both face-to-face and digital aimed at academics of all levels (Phd students, postdocs, junior professors and professors) and professionals employed in university administration and science management. 

In so doing, we consider the demands and problems of the scientific profession, and the scientific system. Our goal at schainundkuchenbrandt is to help scientists to plan their careers in a more goal-oriented manner, in order to comply with the special demands that come with the professional field of science and above all, to be able to carry out their profession in the long term, with joy and satisfaction.

We offer our seminars in both German and English. In addition to classic face-to-face seminars, we also offer web seminars as well as flexible flipped-classroom formats with teaching videos and short group units. If you are interested in our seminars, please contact Dieta Kuchenbrandt.

First audition? – Applying for professorship

Anyone seeking a long-term career in science sooner or later finds herself or himself before what could subjectively be considered the biggest hurdle of a scientific career: The application for a professorship. In this seminar, we will deal with your written application documents as well as content and strategic considerations for the application presentation, teaching demonstration and interview with the appointment committee. We will discuss various aspects of the selection procedure, such as classic or critical questions during the interview with the committee, possible pitfalls during the lecture and the teaching demonstration, but also ambivalent interests of the appointment committee. In addition, we will train you on your successful self-presentation, as well as how to highlight your specific qualifications during the various phases of the appointment process.

Further information on possible seminar formats can be found here.

Postdoc wanted! – Applying for postdoc positions

What prospects do I have as a postdoc in academia? Should I primarily apply for vacant positions or seek a scholarship abroad? What are the prospects following graduation? Which key qualifications from my doctoral studies are particularly important when applying for postdoc positions? What is included in the application documents and how should I design my CV and cover letter? How should I present myself for the job interview or the application presentation? How relevant is my dissertation topic? How are salary negotiations possible? During this seminar, perspectives will be developed, and tips and tricks will be imparted for successful applications for postdoc positions (focus Germany).

Further information on possible seminar formats can be found here.

Professor wanted! – Planning and optimizing your academic career

The advanced doctoral and early postdoc phase is crucial for the further course of one’s own academic career, and is torn between dependent employment and maintaining scientific independence. Postdocs are confronted with numerous professional challenges and hurdles on the way to long-term scientific work: Independent publications, the acquisition of third-party funds and the implementation of independent research, the development of a teaching portfolio, participation in scientific communication and the establishment of a separate network of colleagues and cooperation partners, stays abroad … which tasks are particularly important, and at what point? What has the top priority? What is an appropriate time-frame? How and where should I even start? How important is the habilitation? During the seminar, participants will take stock to reflect upon their own current position. Building upon this, goals and important steps towards one’s own long-term career in academia are planned out.

Further information on possible seminar formats can be found here.

Our approach in seminars and training sessions

Our approach in seminars and training sessions is characterized by the following basic principles and features:

You are aiming for a long-term scientific career and are unsure what requirements you need to fulfill for this or what the next important steps in your career development should be? You are applying for a professorship and do not know exactly how the documents should be drafted or what is expected of you in the interview?

With our experience and expertise in and with the academic system, we are happy to advise you.

In a detailed and free telephone conversation we clarify your wishes and objectives and then discuss a possible approach together.

In consultations we treat all details and information from you confidentially. We are happy to advise and support you in our office in Leipzig (Dieta Kuchenbrandt). We have also had very good experiences with consultations via Zoom.

Applying for professorships

We firstly support you in the preparation of your application documents. Here, we analyze and optimize together with you your CV, your cover letter as well as your research and teaching concepts, in particular with regard to the specific requirements of the announcement and the denomination of the professorship. Our experience has shown that the analysis and consultation process usually take between two and four hours. Secondly, we prepare you for the oral hearing. Here, we are happy to advise you for possible points of focus, pitfalls and how to deal with strengths and weaknesses in your profile. We offer you a trial run of the scientific presentation, the demonstration lecture and the appointment committee interview. We will optimize your self-presentation during an intensive feedback process. Here, you should expect a time frame of three to five hours.

Planning and optimizing academic careers

In the course of an academic career, many questions are raised:

• What is the sensible next step?
• Can I stay at my current chair after my graduation or when should I change at the latest?
• Does a habilitation in my field still make sense or what habilitation-equivalent achievements would I have to make?
• Should I plan to stay abroad?
• Where and in what format can I best acquire third-party funding?
• What is still missing in my academic profile?
• When can I start applying for a professorship?

The procedure in career counseling can vary depending on your concerns and questions. However, the consultation usually includes a joint analysis of your current academic profile based on your CV and the joint discussion of the sensible next steps. Of course, we always take your personal and family situation into account. The consultation can also serve to provide you with an overview of the requirements you will face during your postdoctoral period on the way to a professorship.

What are the costs?

For private clients, we charge 130.00 Euro (including 19% VAT) for a consultation hour (60 min). If we are commissioned by institutions and companies, we charge 150.00 Euro (excl. VAT) per consultation hour.

Coaching is a psychological form of consulting that supports you in finding solutions for professional and personal challenges. For this purpose, we use consulting and intervention methods from different psychological disciplines that have proven effective both scientifically and in practice.

With which concerns do clients come to us for coaching?

In our professional lives, we are repeatedly confronted with challenges. Often, we find solutions on our own to deal with these challenges. Sometimes, however, we do not succeed and we feel dissatisfied, helpless or insecure. In some cases, we simply want professional support, a new perspective or the opportunity to reflect. Clients come to us with a variety of concerns, including but not limited to the following:

• I am having trouble completing my PhD on time and coping with the pressure.
• I don’t feel confident and I often feel insecure.
• I am starting my first professorship and would like to prepare for the managerial functions and leadership responsibilities.
• I have difficulties working efficiently and without interruptions in the office and with structuring myself and my work.
• I have a permanent conflict with my supervisor.
• I have difficulties regarding my work-life-balance.
• I have difficulties making up my mind: Do I want to keep pursuing an academic career or do I want to do something completely different?

How and where do we work in coaching?

At the beginning of each coaching process, we emphasize a differentiated clarification of goals, as coaching goals often do not automatically result from the reason that led to take up coaching. This is comparable to planning a journey: The feeling ‘I strongly need a change of scene’ does not identify a specific country or place you wish to visit.

When the goals are set, we clarify what you need from the coaching process with regard to reaching these goals. To support you in achieving your goals, we use various techniques and methods, such as perspective changes, visualizations, questioning techniques, simulations, exercises between sessions, knowledge input and expert advice.

The duration and approach of a coaching process can be very different – depending on the specific concerns and goals. Sometimes a two-hour consultation already brings the desired insight or solution. Sometimes the coaching process comprises six to eight sessions, usually lasting two hours. We agree on the scope and approach in advance. In a detailed and free telephone conversation we clarify your wishes and objectives and then discuss a possible approach together. In coaching we treat all details and information from you confidentially. We are happy to advise and support you in our offices in Düsseldorf (Cécile Schain) and Leipzig (Dieta Kuchenbrandt). We have also had very good experiences with coachings via Zoom.

What are the costs?

For private clients, we charge 130.00 Euro (including 19% VAT) for a consultation hour (60 min). If we are commissioned by institutions and companies, we charge 150.00 Euro (excl. VAT) per consultation hour.

Please feel free to contact us:
Cécile Schain & Dieta Kuchenbrandt