Learning and teaching events that serve to acquire or deepen knowledge are called seminars. Each seminar is conducted by a seminar leader. In order to be able to lead a seminar at a school, university or as part of employee training in a company, certain qualifications must be present.
The goal of a seminar is to impart knowledge. A seminar leader is expected to convey knowledge to the participants by means of oral contributions, presentations and discussions, in oral and written form. Are you interested in the challenging job of a seminar leader? Here you can find out what a seminar leader must be able to do, what skills are necessary for this job and what the training looks like.
A seminar leader is responsible for conducting seminars. The activity is versatile and varied. To work as a seminar leader, professional and personal qualifications are necessary. In addition, the seminar leader must possess certain qualities known as soft skills. These are:
Leading a seminar is not an easy task. As a seminar leader, you are not only responsible for the learning content imparted to the participants, but also for the entire organization and implementation of the seminar. Organizational skills and structured work are therefore a prerequisite.
Strong communication skills are among the most important soft skills in coaching professions, which in a broader sense also include activities such as those of a seminar leader and trainer. In seminars, knowledge is imparted to you. Participants may come from different countries and cultures, so intercultural competence is an essential requirement for the job.
As discussions are common at seminars, it is to be expected that criticism will also be voiced. As the responsible seminar leader, you should therefore open to criticism be. This means being able to deal with criticism, constructive criticism accept, check objectionable points and improve them if necessary.
Analytical thinking helps to identify problems and solve them amicably. The ability to look at and analyze things objectively is one of the basic requirements for the job of a seminar leader. At the same time, the seminar leader must be able to concentrate completely on conveying the seminar content. In order to achieve optimal learning success, you as a seminar leader should have pedagogical competencies.
As a seminar leader, you can expect a diverse range of tasks. While on the one hand you Management tasks On the other hand, organizational and administrative work is also part of your job.
In addition to organizing, coordinating and leading the seminar, seminar leaders also serve as instructors. They bear a high level of responsibility throughout the entire event. One of the tasks of seminar leaders is to motivate and encourage the seminar participants. At the end of the seminar, the seminar leader takes on the task of evaluating the performance of each participant.
The scope of duties of the seminar leader includes:
Since seminars and courses can also take place in the evenings or on weekends, you as a seminar leader are expected to be flexible with regard to working hours.
There are a variety of job opportunities for seminar leaders. For example, seminar leaders work at schools, universities, colleges, and technical schools. In addition to employment opportunities in the education sector, trained seminar leaders have other career opportunities in areas such as:
open. The need for regular continuing education arises from increasing demands and changes in the world of work. It is assumed that the importance of adult and further education will continue to increase. The activity of a seminar leader is therefore described as a profession with future prospects.
Further training measures in the form of seminars take place both internally in companies and organizations, but also in private educational institutes. The goal of continuing education is to impart and deepen specialized knowledge. Anyone who wants to work as a seminar leader in the private education sector must have the relevant specialist knowledge.
A good seminar leader is able to pass on knowledge and content in an easily understandable form. Just like a coach or a trainer, a seminar leader should have high social competence, expertise and communication skills.
The most important qualities a good seminar leader should have are:
Seminars are offered on a wide variety of topics. The participants can therefore be schoolchildren, young people, adults, employees or Executives act. Mental flexibility and the ability to adapt to the individual needs of the learners are among the essential qualities of a good seminar leader.
Often, an expert explains technical innovations to you in a seminar. For example, a company is integrating a new computer system that all employees will soon be working with. As the leader of this preparatory seminar, you must first acquire knowledge yourself about the various functions of the new computer program before you pass on your knowledge to the seminar participants. The ability to acquire knowledge on your own is crucial for this job.
What compensation can seminar leaders expect? The earning potential depends on several factors, namely:
Seminar leaders who work in teacher training, at schools, universities and colleges are usually civil servants who are paid according to the service law and the salary scale valid in the respective federal state. The salary of employed seminar leaders in the school service is based on the collective agreement of the federal states (TV-L).
In the private education sector as well as in business, salaries are paid at different levels. You can often find information about the salary structure in the job advertisement. Pay attention to this when you apply as a seminar leader or ask directly about the salary possibilities during the job interview.
The gross monthly salary of a seminar leader in Germany can vary between €3,900 and €5,800. (Source: gehalt.de, as of June 2022). This non-binding salary figure is based on a 40-hour working week. After working in this field for several years, the seminar leader salary usually increases.
You want to become a seminar leader? Then in the future your daily work will consist of imparting knowledge and expertise and leading groups professionally. While seminars in teacher training, at schools, colleges and universities are only led by educators, there is no prescribed training for seminar leaders in the business world.
A course and seminar instructor who is responsible for seminars in a Company or is responsible in an organization, must first and foremost have specialist knowledge. If you want to lead seminars that deal with computer programs, you should have a degree or training in this area.
As the leader of a human resources management seminar, experience in human resources or personnel acquisition is helpful. The situation is similar for continuing education seminars. A seminar leader is expected to have specialist knowledge. For example, you can find information about training to become a seminar leader on the Internet.
Special training courses are often offered to become seminar or course leaders. These courses are primarily aimed at professionals who want to become seminar leaders in their field. In a seminar leader course, you learn how to lead a seminar. You will also be taught how to deal with special participants.
You will learn how to present the subject matter in an appealing and interesting way. In addition to theoretical instruction, there are also practical exercises. Such a seminar leader training can last several days, weeks and months or up to two years.
A good basis to start a successful career as a seminar leader is our Greator Coach Training. At the Coaching-In this training you will learn efficient coaching methods that you can use later as a seminar leader.
