Encourages critical thinking and analysis.
Petra Hass is a Career Adviser at the University of Otago's Career Development Centre, serving as the dedicated contact for the Division of Humanities. Her career began in Germany's news media industry, where she served as a vocational trainer and sales manager, developing expertise in professional training and development. Upon moving to New Zealand, she worked in the social services sector before retraining as a career practitioner and joining the University of Otago in 2014. Hass holds a Bachelor of Social Services (BSS) from Otago Polytechnic, obtained in 2017. In her role, she offers personalized career consultations, workshops, webinars, and resources to students and graduates, focusing on CV preparation, interview skills, job search strategies, and personal development. Passionate about diversity and inclusion, she helps individuals build confidence across all career stages, with a special emphasis on supporting humanities students transitioning to diverse professional fields such as media, communications, public service, and education.
Hass has significantly contributed to student employability initiatives at the University of Otago. She organized the inaugural Humanities Career Week in 2019, featuring daily seminars on varied vocational paths to expand arts students' career horizons. She supported the launch of the University's inclusive Employability Programme in 2019, aimed at equipping all students with essential job market skills. At the 2019 ANZSSA Conference, she co-presented a workshop on 'Student career chapters: Constructing and co-constructing the student narratives,' exploring storytelling in career advising to empower students. Her work aligns with the Career Development Centre's accolades as New Zealand's top career service in 2019 and 2020. Drawing from her media and social services background, Hass effectively connects academic studies to practical opportunities, enhancing the career readiness and success of the University of Otago community.
