Small Talk im Business - die große Kunst der kleinen Unterhaltung

This workshop is aimed at undergraduates and PhD students from all faculties at the University of Würzburg’s Career Centre. Led by Dr Christina Kreibich, participants will learn how to use small talk effectively in a professional context – whether at trade fairs, networking events or in job interviews. The focus is on practical techniques that will equip graduates from all disciplines to enter the job market successfully and present themselves with confidence.

Contents

• Basics: Functions of small talk (structure, icebreakers, lead generation),
• Choice of topics: Confident openers, current events, cross-faculty questions (e.g. research trends, career paths),
• Modern approaches: Use of AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT prompts for personalised openings: “Give me 5 small-talk questions on sustainability for a trade fair”),
• Scenarios: Job interviews, conferences, after-work events,
• Conclusion: Elevator pitch with elements of small talk.

The speaker, Dr Christina Kreibich, born in Munich in 1969 and a graduate of the University of Würzburg, completed her teacher training after studying German, History and Social Studies (to teach at grammar schools) and went on to obtain a PhD in Classical German Studies following her second state examination. From 1999 to 2025, she served continuously as Head of Corporate Communications for various industrial companies, including well-known names such as Bosch Rexroth, RWE and RWS. Through her work as a communications expert in critical infrastructure sectors (leading communications in the nuclear energy and defence industries) and her extensive project experience abroad, she possesses a wealth of expertise and a keen understanding of every conceivable challenge in the field of (business) communications.

Further information can be found here.