The IHK certificate course "Fachkraft für Rhetorik und Kommunikation (IHK)" starts with the basics. You learn about communication using established models and work on limiting beliefs. Only then does it focus on how you interact with others in conversation.
The main part revolves around conducting conversations in a professional context. You deal with body language, gestures, and facial expressions. You lead meetings confidently, convince others even in digital meetings, and conduct goal-setting interviews. Giving feedback, expressing criticism, and praising correctly are also part of it.
A separate section is dedicated to conflict management. After that, you prepare and conduct important conversations, such as presentations and sales meetings. The content concludes with free speech.
The course is 100 percent digital. There are no webinars and no live sessions, so you determine the start, execution, and completion yourself. There is no deadline or time pressure. The content is divided into modules, lessons, and building blocks; according to the provider, there are 10 modules with 103 lessons.
No lesson lasts longer than 10 minutes. The building blocks range from video content, images, and texts to interactive question elements. Each lesson unlocks the next one, so the sequence leads from the general to the specific. From my perspective, this bite-sized format is especially practical when you only have short learning breaks.
There are no content-related participation requirements; every course starts with an explanation of terms. You can repeat all lessons an unlimited number of times. You need an end device, i.e., a desktop computer, a tablet, or a smartphone with the free mobile app.
The last lesson is the final IHK performance assessment, and that also takes place in the app. Intermediate test lessons throughout the course prepare you for it; they differ only in scope. After passing the assessment, you receive your IHK certificate as "Fachkraft für Rhetorik und Kommunikation (IHK)".
