Selina is a motivated and well-educated woman from Indonesia living in Germany who has been unable to find a job in office administration despite applying for over a year and a half. She feels discriminated against because German is not her native language. She is frustrated by the lack of feedback from employers and feels lost in the job search process. The problem is that without professional experience, she cannot get a job, but she also cannot gain experience without a job. She needs help gaining orientation of the job market and professional experience in order to find meaningful work.

1. Emphathy-Map & Problem-Statement
Transition from School to Work
Anette Metzger
Empathize and Define

2. This is Selina. She is in her late 30ies,
She lives in Munich, Germany and is
married to a loving German husband.
Since February 2011 she hold an
University Degree in Cultural
Anthropology and Political Science.

3. Selina,
Late 30ies
Anthropolgist
I LIKE TO WORK!
IN AN OFFICE - WORKING AS A
SCIENTIST IS NOT FOR ME.
I LIKE TO SUPPORT
PROJECTS & OFFICES
SO THAT ALL THE
ADMINSTRATION &
WORKFLOWS RUN
SMOOTHLY
I AM WELL EDUCATED,
MOTIVATED & WELL-MANNERED
I HAVE ABOUT 1 YEAR
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE.
BUT THEY SAY IT IS NOT ENOUGH.

4. Selina,
Late 30ies
Anthropolgist
WRITES & SENDS JOB APPLICATIONS
ON A REGULAR BASIS
GOES TO THE OCCASIONAL JOB INTERVIEW
STARTS NOW A FURTHER TRAINING AS A
MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT

5. Selina,
Late 30ies
Anthropolgist
Born & raised
in Indonesia
I FEEL FRUSTRATED: I’M APPLYING NOW
FOR ONE AND HALF YEARS FOR JOBS IN
OFFICE ADMINSTRATION AND NO COMPANY
WANTS TO EMPLOY ME:
I FEEL DISCRIMINATED AS GERMAN IS
NOT MY MOTHER TONGUE.
DO THEY THINK I’M LAZY JUST BECAUSE
I HAVE A SLIGHT FOREIGN ACCENT?
IT FEELS LIKE BEING LOST IN A MAZE
THERE IS NO REAL DIALOGUE
THAT IS UNHUMANE.
THE COMPANIES LOOK ALL THE SAME,
WITHOUT ENGAGEMENT, JUST PHRASES

6. Selina,
Late 30ies
Anthropolgist
Born & raised
in Indonesia
Living quite happy
in Germany
I MASTERED GERMAN!
NOBODY GIVES ME A
CLEAR FEEDBACK SO
I DON’THAVE A CLUE
WHAT I’M DOING WRONG.
I STUDIED THEREFORE
I’M CAPABLE OF LEARNING
& I’M A DISCLIPINED WORKER
DESPITE MY ACADEMIC
TRANING I HAVE NO
ORIENTATION HOW TO
GET A JOB MAKE A
DECENT LIVING FROM IT.
DURING MY YEARS AT
UNIVERSITY I THOUGHT:
AN UNIVERSITY DEGREE
WILL GIVE ME A GOOD
STARTING POSITION FOR
MY PROFESSIONAL LIVE!”

7. INSIGHTS
NO PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE - NO JOB
NO JOB - NO PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
AFTER A PERIOD OF ONE AND A HALF YEARS WITH JUST SOME
SHORT TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENTS SHE FEELS HER MOTIVATION
VANISHING.
SHE MISSES TRANSPERANCY & ORIENTATION REGARDING THE
JOB MARKET
SELINA IS CAUGHT BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE:

8. Problem Statement
SELINA; A MOTIVATED; WELL EDUCATED
WELL MANNERD YOUNG WOMAN
FROM INDONESIA LIVING IN GERMANY
NEEDS
A WAY
TO FIND BETTER ORIENTATION
REGARDING THE JOB MARKET &
TO GAIN PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
BECAUSE
SHE WANTS TO FIND A WORTHY TASK
& TO MAKE A LIVING FROM IT.

9. I FEEL FRUSTRATED: I’M APPLYING NOW
FOR ONE AND HALF YEARS FOR JOBS IN
OFFICE ADMINSTRATION AND NO COMPANY
WANTS TO EMPLOY ME:
I FEEL DISCRIMINATED AS GERMAN IS
NOT MY MOTHER TONGUE.
DO THEY THINK I’M LAZY JUST BECAUSE
I HAVE A SLIGHT FOREIGN ACCENT?
IT FEELS LIKE BEING LOST IN A MAZE
THERE IS NO REAL DIALOGUE
THAT IS UNHUMANE.
THE COMPANIES LOOK ALL THE SAME,
WITHOUT ENGAGEMENT, JUST PHRASES
I LIKE TO WORK!
IN AN OFFICE - WORKING AS A
SCIENTIST IS NOT FOR ME.
I LIKE TO SUPPORT
PROJECTS & OFFICES
SO THAT ALL THE
ADMINSTRATION &
WORKFLOWS RUN
SMOOTHLY
I AM WELL EDUCATED,
MOTIVATED & WELL-MANNERED
I HAVE ABOUT 1 YEAR
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE.
BUT THEY SAY IT IS NOT ENOUGH.
WRITES & SENDS JOB APPLICATIONS
ON A REGULAR BASIS
GOES TO THE OCCASIONAL JOB INTERVIEW
STARTS NOW A FURTHER TRAINING AS A
MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT
I MASTERED GERMAN!
NOBODY GIVES ME A
CLEAR FEEDBACK SO
I DON’THAVE A CLUE
WHAT I’M DOING WRONG.
I STUDIED THEREFORE
I’M CAPABLE OF LEARNING
& I’M A DISCLIPINED WORKER
DESPITE MY ACADEMIC
TRANING I HAVE NO
ORIENTATION HOW TO
GET A JOB MAKE A
DECENT LIVING FROM IT.
DURING MY YEARS AT
UNIVERSITY I THOUGHT:
AN UNIVERSITY DEGREE
WILL GIVE ME A GOOD
STARTING POSITION FOR
MY PROFESSIONAL LIVE!”
INSIGHTS
NO PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
=> NO JOB
NO JOB =>
NO PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
AFTER A PERIOD OF ONE AND
A HALF YEARS WITH JUST SOME
SHORT TEMPORARY
EMPLOYMENTS SHE FEELS
HER MOTIVATION
VANISHING.
SHE MISSES TRANSPERANCY &
ORIENTATION REGARDING THE
JOB MARKET
SELINA IS CAUGHT BETWEEN
A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE:
SELINA; A MOTIVATED; WELL EDUCATED
WELL MANNERD YOUNG WOMAN
FROM INDONESIA LIVING IN GERMANY
NEEDS
A WAY
TO FIND BETTER ORIENTATION
REGARDING THE JOB MARKET &
TO GAIN PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
BECAUSE
SHE WANTS TO FIND A WORTHY TASK
& TO MAKE A LIVING FROM IT.
Selina,
Late 30ies
Anthropolgist
Living in Germany,
Being born and raised
In Indonesia
Married to a German

10. spiraling power
Team
Anette Metzger
Design Thinking Action Lab
by Leticia Britos Cavagnaro, Stanford University