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VBKI-Startblock
Hardly any other group of people has internalized the performance principle to such an extent: top athletes have the qualities that companies are looking for: Ambition, resilience, discipline and the willingness to regularly push themselves to the limit. Nevertheless, the transition from a sporting to a professional career is often difficult: when personnel managers judge by the files, candidates fall through the cracks - due to their particular CVs, they do not meet the relevant criteria.
With this in mind, the VBKI, together with H/P Hoffmann & Partner and the Olympic Training Center Berlin (OSP), launched the program "Startblock - The Berlin Program for Careers after Competitive Sports". With "Startblock", the program partners are pursuing a dual objective: on the one hand, they want to make it easier for athletes to transition from their sporting to their professional careers.
On the other hand, they want to sensitize potential employers to the special features in the CVs of competitive athletes - and thus lower the thresholds for professional life in the long term.
Previous program participants include the following athletes:
- Monique Angermüller
- Nathalie Augsburg
- Robert Dumke
- Lena Jacobi
- Nina Kamenik
- Katrin Mattscherodt
- Carsten Schlangen
- Samuel Schwarz

The program
The Startblock program is aimed at competitive athletes who are planning a successful transition into professional life in the medium term. The Startblock program takes a comprehensive approach: the program partners arrange contacts in the professional world, provide participants with coaches from well-known companies, offer further training opportunities and arrange internships, work shadowing and direct entry into the profession.
You can find more information in our flyer.
Click here to download
The Startblock program is based on the career guidance provided by the Olympic Training Center Berlin and consists of three modules. Depending on the needs of the program participants, they can be completed in full or in parts.
Kick-off workshop
The aim of the workshop is to help program participants identify their potential and thus facilitate their professional orientation.
Coaching
Each program participant is assigned a mentor from the management of the participating partner companies. Regular personal coaching sessions are used to pass on experiences, identify professional points of contact and open up perspectives. The mentors are required to open up their usually strong professional network to their mentee.
Internships/ work shadowing
The third component of the program is designed to enable participants to gain practical work experience. Ideally, these internships and/or work shadowing placements pave the way for career entry and permanent employment.