Students Tilburg University

Visit the Tilburg University Career Week | ‘It is part of your personal and professional development’

Published: 28th February 2022 Last updated: 28th March 2022

What are you going to do after you graduate? That’s what you can discover during the Tilburg University Career Week from April 19 to April 22. Organization Studies student Tom van Dijk advises you to go, too: “Job market orientation is important for every student. It helps you to make informed choices when you start your first job, when you decide what Master’s program to take and also, for example, when you choose a major or minor. Which will hopefully lead to you finding a place that really suits you.”

Tom hopes to complete his Bachelor of Organization Studies this year and then to continue with the Entrepreneurial Track of the Strategic Management Master’s program. Last year, he went to the Social Sciences Career Event Tilburg (SCT), that is part of the Tilburg University Career Week this year. “I was able to adjust my picture of potential employers and discovered what would be a fit for me and what wouldn’t. I’m interested in many things. And what I enjoy now, I may not find interesting in three weeks’ time. So it was a good idea for me to find out what I find truly interesting and to get a broad picture of what would be a good fit for me. That’s what I did at the SCT, among other things.”

Tom van Dijk

Speed networking

Tom took workshops, visited presentations, and did some speed networking. The latter was the online alternative to the networking drinks reception. “Meeting the companies’ recruiters was something I enjoyed in particular. You have a short interview with someone from a company that you would like to know more about. The person you are talking to does not churn out the standard presentation routine. You can ask questions and get a feel of whether what the person is saying is authentic. For example, at one consulting firm, I got the feeling that the consultants there were treated as numbers, even though they said they weren't. Another company, consultancy agency Berenschot to be precise, gave me a much better feeling because of their research-based way of working. I also got the impression that you were part of the team there.”

An impression

During the workshops, Tom learned more about how to create a good resume and LinkedIn profile. “I also went to a workshop on effective collaboration within a team and about working as a consultant. Both were very instructive. The presentations were a good source of information on the various companies. The workshops were more attractive to me because they are more interactive.” What were Tom’s takeaways from the SCT? “In addition to the goody bag?” he smiles. “The SCT has given me an impression of the job market and I learned some networking skills. You won’t know what it’s really like until you can take a look behind the scenes, for instance, during an internship. Thanks to the SCT, I was able to connect with Berenschot, a contact that I will use in the future. But first I’ve got a thesis to finish.”

Good fit

What’s in store after the thesis and the Master’s program? “I’m not sure what I want to be,” Tom says. “A consultant maybe, or perhaps I want to set up my own business. During a board year, I set up a management consultancy firm for enterprising students, together with other board members. That was fun and very instructive. Perhaps I’ll start up a similar agency. Or I could work as a consultant in various industries to find out what suits me best. I am mainly interested in finding something that is a good fit for me, that I enjoy doing. Earning money takes a backseat for me.”

Other events

“I have also visited other events,” Tom continues. “For instance, I took some interesting workshops organized by study association POLIS and I attended the ‘Food for thought’ events of study association Asset a number of times. I like the concept. I went to a presentation by HEMA, where there was an opportunity to ask questions afterwards. The edition with former Enron CEO Andrew Fastow on fraud was very interesting!”

Call

“I really welcome the Tilburg University Career Week, but as far as I am concerned, the university should pay even more attention to job market orientation,” Tom concludes. “At the moment, a lot is organized by study associations. I would like to call on my fellow students to attend those events and workshops. It is part of your personal and professional development. A pub crawl is fine, but remember to also visit one of these events.”

SCT