Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is highly regarded for the diversity of its student population. What VU Amsterdam is less praised for is its alignment with the job market. According to the latest National Student Survey (NSE), this alignment is considered reasonable, with room for improvement. The Professional Companion project is aimed at realizing this improvement.
What is the Professional Companion programme?
Through the Professional Companion mentoring programme, culturally diverse students at VU are paired with a mentor from the professional field, helping them to make a smoother transition into the job market.
The companions/mentors help these students become acquainted with working life, whilst also advising them on current issues and helping them develop the necessary soft and social skills. They provide the students with a secure base and inspiration, as well as access to their network, by allowing the students to shadow them within the companion’s organization. We are particularly interested in professionals working for companies, non-profit organizations and government bodies in Amsterdam to take on the role of companion.
Conversely, the professionals can also learn a lot by interacting with this specific group through reverse mentoring, as many companies have the ambition to build a more diverse workforce. As such, this programme creates a win-win situation.
Programme structure
The programme consists of at least three meetings and one work-experience day (or part thereof), spread over a period of approximately six months. The mentor and student decide on the contents together: career guidance, skills development or simply gaining a good insight into what the job actually entails. On average, the programme takes 15 hours across a period of six months.
The VU Centre for Teaching & Learning (CTL) will train the companions during the kick-ff meeting to ensure quality mentoring. The professional companions will attend a half-day workshop focusing on their role as mentor. Principles such as deep learning, reverse mentoring, providing a secure base, reflection on one's own professional identity and mentoring skills will be addressed.
Professional Companion Mentoring Programme continues
The programme was funded during the academic years 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 by a Comenius Senior Fellow grant and has been extended by two years (academic years 2026–2027 and 2027–2028) thanks to investments from VU strategy funds.
The number of participating faculties has increased significantly: students from the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, the Faculty of Science, the Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences and the School of Business and Economics are now taking part.
Want to get involved?
As a mentor, you play a crucial role in guiding students as they take their first steps into the job market. Mentoring isn’t just valuable for your mentee; it’s also an opportunity to improve your own leadership and coaching skills, discover new perspectives and expand your professional network through training sessions and contact with fellow mentors.
Would you like to take part in the Professional Companion Mentoring Programme, or do you have any other questions? Please feel free to contact Yvette Taminiau at y.taminiau@vu.nl.