Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Here you will find answers to questions we regularly receive about the HYT Coaching. If you have further questions about the HYT Coaching which are not answered here, or which are not answered completely, please contact us directly via e-mail to coaching-hyt@uni-siegen.de.

General terms and conditions

• What is coaching?

  Coaching is a support process that can cover both professional and private topics. The coach accompanies the coachee in reflecting on their needs and supports them in developing their own individual solutions.

• When is coaching suitable for me?

  Coaching can be helpful, for example, if you have to decide on your next career steps, if you are not sure whether you want to stay in academia or pursue a career outside academia or university, if you want to strengthen your (academic) profile or if you need support in applying for third-party funding or applying for a professorship. Coaching can also be helpful in clarifying issues relating to the compatibility of family and career or dealing with stress.

• Can I take advantage of coaching at any time?

  It is possible to apply for and participate in the coaching programme at any time. The prerequisite is that the person interested in coaching is a postdoctoral researcher employed at the University of Siegen.

• How does the HYT postdoc coaching proceed?

  Coaching usually takes place as follows:
  • The first step is to apply for coaching by sending an e-mail to coaching-hyt@uni-siegen.de, including a short informal letter (in PDF format) in which you present your current professional situation and your academic career and outline your coaching needs.
  • In a mandatory introductory interview (online or in person) with the responsible contact person at the HYT, the main topics for the coaching are narrowed down based on your application letter, among other things.
  • The introductory interview is followed by the selection of a coach from our coach pool who is suitable for the main topics. If required, the HYT will support you in the selection process.
  • Once you have selected a coach, the HYT establishes contact between the coachee and the coach.
  • The appointment for the first, non-binding meeting with the coach and the subsequent coaching appointments are arranged individually between the coach and the coachee.
  • The coachee and the coach then conduct the coaching sessions.
  • As soon as the HYT has received the invoice from the coach at the end of the coaching session, the coachee will be invoiced for their own contribution. The majority of the costs will be paid by the HYT and invoiced directly to the coach.

• Will the HYT coaching programme cost me anything?

  • Yes, the coachee will contribute a maximum of 125 euros towards the costs; the HYT will cover the majority of the costs incurred by the coaching and invoice these directly to the coach.
  • If the costs are not to be paid privately but via a cost centre (“Kostenstelle”) as part of the coachee's contribution, the HYT must be informed in advance. An address (private or professional) to which the invoice is to be sent must be stated in the informal letter of application.
  • Travelling expenses incurred by the coachee in connection with the coaching cannot be covered by the HYT.

• Where does the coaching take place?

  Depending on the agreement between coach and coachee, coaching sessions can take place in person (at the coach's premises) or online.

• How much time do I have to complete the coaching?

  The amount of time coaches and coachees need to complete the coaching varies. You can decide for yourself at what intervals the coaching sessions take place. The total duration of the coaching programme, the costs of which are largely covered by the HYT, may not exceed 270 minutes (this corresponds to a maximum of three sessions of 90 minutes each).

• Do I need to know German if I want to take advantage of the HYT coaching or is coaching also possible in English?

  Coaching can take place in both German and English.

• Once I have benefited from the coaching offer, can I take advantage of it again at a later date (for the same or a different problem/topic)?

  In order to enable as many interested postdocs as possible to receive coaching and as the HYT only has a limited budget for coaching, the HYT only finances one coaching per person. However, if further coaching is required, the HYT will be happy to assist in the search for a suitable coach. The costs incurred for further coaching must in this case, however, be covered entirely by the coachee.

Target groups

• Who is the HYT coaching programme aimed at?

  The coaching programme is aimed at postdoctoral researchers who are employed at the University of Siegen.

• Can I also take advantage of the coaching programme if I do not yet have a doctorate?

  In order to take advantage of the coaching offer, at least the dissertation should have been submitted and the defence scheduled. The informal introductory meeting and the selection of a suitable coach for your needs can then already take place. Contact between the coachee and the coach is established after the defence.

Application

• What do I have to do to take advantage of the HYT coaching programme?

  A short informal written application is required to participate in the coaching programme. Please write a one-page informal letter of application in which you present your current professional situation as well as your academic career and outline your coaching needs. Please submit your letter of application electronically in PDF format via e-mail to coaching-hyt@uni-siegen.de.

• Do I have to attach certain documents to my application, such as my CV, certificates, etc.?

  No, apart from the informal letter of application, no other documents need to be submitted.

• How do I find out whether my application was successful and whether I can take advantage of the HYT coaching?

  Once we have received your application, we will contact you to arrange an appointment for the introductory interview. During the introductory interview, we will then clarify whether participation in the coaching is possible and what the next steps are.

Introductory interview

• What is the purpose of the introductory interview?

  In the introductory interview, based on your letter of application, among other things, the needs and main topics for the coaching are narrowed down and further organisational steps are discussed. The interview also provides an opportunity to clarify questions.

• Who conducts the introductory interview?

  The introductory interview is conducted by the responsible contact person at the HYT.

• What is the difference between the introductory interview and the first meeting?

  The introductory interview with the responsible contact person at the HYT serves to prepare further steps, including the selection of a suitable coach and the clarification of organisational points related to billing. The first meeting is conducted with the coach you have selected. In this first meeting with the coach, the general conditions of the coaching and the compatibility between coach and coachee are usually clarified. The first meeting is not the first coaching session. If it becomes clear during the first meeting that you would like to have coaching with a different coach, you will not normally be charged for this. If there are any questions or problems in this regard, please get in touch with the responsible contact person at the HYT immediately.

• When and where does the introductory interview take place?

  The introductory interview usually takes place online via Webex on Mondays, Tuesdays or Fridays in the morning and on Tuesdays in the afternoon, but can also take place on the premises of the House of Young Talents on the Campus Hölderlinstraße (usually in room H-C 6306).

• How long does the introductory interview take?

  The introductory interview usually lasts around 30 minutes.

• What is the introductory interview about?

  The following aspects are clarified in the introductory interview:
  • Reason: Why do you want to take advantage of coaching now?
  • Goal: What goal(s) are you pursuing with the coaching?
  • Topics/concerns: What points/topics do you want to clarify for yourself?
  • Parameters/setting: What expectations and wishes do you have of a coach? In what form should the coaching take place? How is the coaching billed?
  The introductory interview is of course strictly confidential and serves to clarify the general conditions and as a basis for the selection of a suitable coach.

• Do I have to/can I prepare for my introductory interview?

  The introductory interview does not require any special preparation.

Coaching process

• What happens after the introductory interview?

  • The introductory interview is followed by the selection of a suitable coach from our coach pool, with support from the HYT if required.
  • After the coachee has selected a coach, the HYT establishes contact between the coachee and the coach and asks the coach to inform the HYT whether the coaching will take place.
  • The appointment for the non-binding first meeting with the coach and the subsequent coaching appointments are arranged individually between the coach and the coachee.
  • Once the first meeting between the coachee and the coach has taken place, the coach informs the HYT whether the coaching will take place. The HYT will then send the coach a protocol sheet on which the date of the coaching sessions held will be noted. This protocol sheet serves to document the amount of time spent on the coaching and is required for invoicing purposes.
  • Once the coach and coachee have agreed that the coaching will take place, they arrange the dates for the actual coaching sessions. The coach and coachee themselves determine the intervals at which the coaching sessions take place. The total duration of the coaching, the costs of which are largely covered by the HYT, may not exceed 270 minutes (this corresponds to three sessions of 90 minutes each).

• Are aspects of the content of the coaching sessions also noted on the protocol sheet?

  No, the content of the coaching sessions is strictly confidential. The protocol sheet only documents how many coaching sessions took place and how long they lasted.

• Who are the coaches and how were they selected for the HYT coach pool?

  As part of our coaching offer, we work with professional external coaches who have specialised in various thematic areas. Before the coaches were accepted into the HYT coach pool, their qualifications and their suitability for the target group of the HYT coaching offer were checked in an interview with the HYT. The coaches have the relevant coaching training and many years of experience in working with academics in the postdoc phase.

• Which topics are covered by the coaches in the HYT coach pool?

  The following topics are covered by the coaches in the HYT coach pool:
  • Application for postdoc position and application/appointment for a professorship
  • Career planning and development
  • Communication skills and voice
  • Dealing with conflicts
  • Leadership / personnel
  • Dealing with stress
  If you have any further topic requests or coaching concerns, please let us know.

• What do I do if there are problems with the coach during the coaching?

  If there are any problems with the coach during the coaching session (e.g. the coach does not respond to enquiries, timely appointments are not possible, agreed coaching sessions do not take place, the chemistry between coachee and coach is not (or no longer) right), please contact us immediately. We will then find a solution in consultation with you and can also mediate between coach and coachee if necessary.

• What do I do if I need more than the three coaching sessions which are mainly financed by the HYT?

  The HYT will only cover the majority of the costs for a maximum of three 90-minute coaching sessions. If you wish to continue coaching with the coach you have chosen, you must pay for the additional coaching sessions yourself. If you would like to take advantage of further coaching sessions with another coach beyond the maximum coaching scope mostly financed by the HYT, the HYT will be happy to help you find a suitable coach. However, the full cost of this further coaching is then covered by the coachee.

Completion of the coaching and account of charges

• What happens when the coaching is complete?

  After the last coaching session, the coachee and the coach inform the HYT that the coaching has been completed. The coach sends the HYT proof of the completed sessions (protocol sheet signed by the coachee and coach) by e-mail. The protocol sheet is required for billing purposes.

• How is my personal co-payment billed?

  As soon as the HYT has been informed that the coaching has been completed and the protocol sheet has been received by the HYT, an invoice will be issued for the coachee. The invoice will be sent to the coachee by post or by e-mail. If the coachee's own contribution is not to be paid privately but via a cost centre (“Kostenstelle”) of the University of Siegen, the HYT must be informed in advance, stating the relevant cost centre, after the last coaching session at the latest. In this case, no invoice will be issued, but the coachee will receive a rebooking request from the HYT, which he/she must complete and return to the HYT.