How do you find your first job?
Keep these three main factors in mind!
Career Development
1. Awareness and reflection
The first component, awareness and reflection, revolves around creating insight into your personality, motivation, knowledge, and skills which relate to a future career while enabling you to make good career choices.
- Information about career opportunities related to your discipline
- Career-oriented workshops / training with a focus on reflection of your skills, possibly through career assessments and questionnaires
2. Planning and building your career
You will be able to develop application skills which are required to make a successful transition from the university to the labor market.
- Application skills workshops (networking, interview skills, CV and LinkedIn, Dutch labor market, etc.)
- Sketching your career landscape: labor market, alumni career path, and how to start the journey towards landing your dream job
- The opportunity to gain practical, hands-on experience such as practical cases, internships, traineeships, study abroad programmes, community services, and side jobs
3. Networking and matchmaking
You are enabled to build a relevant network with contacts in study-related work fields and are invited to matchmaking events.
- Career events, meetings with representatives of various companies, guest lectures
- Matchmaking activities and events:
ITEA
The International Talent Event Amsterdam (ITEA) prepares students and graduates to enter the workforce. You’ll come face-to-face with recruiters from top companies, sharpen your CV-writing and interview skills, and learn to impress future employers.
TECH020
This successful event attracts 500+ students from tech-related Bachelor and Master programmes from all major education institutions in Amsterdam.
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Alumna Kelsey Sibley
ALUMNA USA - MSC IN MANAGEMENT, POLICY ANALYSIS, AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, CUM LAUDE
'My study at the VU was absolutely critical to my success in starting a career in Amsterdam. One of the study supervisors had a connection at Heineken and arranged for internship opportunities, and I got selected. VU Amsterdam worked with me to ensure that my internship satisfied academic requirements while also allowing me to deliver something practical to the company. Heineken was so pleased with my abilities that they offered me a permanent position. Since I began at Heineken five years ago, I have been promoted to new roles and continue to use the skills I learned in my study. VU Amsterdam taught me how to analyze complex issues from various points of view in order to come up with innovative solutions. The respect that international companies in the Netherlands have for VU Amsterdam is what allowed me to get my foot in the door at Heineken. The academic guidance I received throughout my study is what allows me to have continued success in my career.'