Nicole Ganin

Nicole Ganin: "Career Week has given me a sense of direction for further orientation"

Published: 17th January 2023 Last updated: 23rd January 2023

Nicole visited the the TSHD Career Day during Career Week last year. She is now a second-year Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence student.

What made you decide to participate?

“Somebody was flyering and we received an e-mail with the program. Certain companies mentioned in it peaked my curiosity. Participating in the event seemed an easy opportunity to meet companies and ask them questions. 

I also saw it as an opportunity to get a better picture of what I can do with my degree. The first year is quite general, with many introductory courses. I wanted to get a clearer idea of my future, what I’m working towards with the courses I take.” 

In what kind of activities did you participate and how do you look back on the experience?

“There was an opening presentation by someone who works as an HR manager at Netflix. I heard interesting things, for instance, about the company being committed to diversity on the work floor and what they do to create it. He also gave practical tips, for example, what steps to take if you want to develop your career within a large company like Netflix. 

I then participated in the ‘Alumni talks’: alumni who took the same program tell about their jobs and their career paths. One particular story stuck with me. It was the story of an alumna who first got a degree in Psychology and then one in Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence. She was conducting research, using EEG to measure the brain activity of people watching advertisements. I thought it was so inspiring to hear what opportunities her combined Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees created for this alumna to do the work she is doing. 

Unfortunately I was unable to participate in the ‘networking & drinks’. The component gives you the opportunity for one-on-one contact with representatives of the organizations present.” 

What did participating in Career Week bring you? 

“It has given me some sense of direction and it has motivated me to persevere with my studies if the going gets tough, because I now know what I am working towards. It really helps to know how you can later apply what you are learning now. 

Nicole Ganin

The Alumni Talks have inspired me. I was able to ask alumni who completed the same program how they like their job, how they experienced their career path, what it is like to do a job interview, whether they apply many things learned at university in their day-to-day work. You can ask things that are a lot on your mind. Apart from Career Week, you wouldn’t easily get this opportunity. 

I think that Career Week can also help me choose the Master’s that is right for me. If certain work appeals to you, it helps you to select a Master’s that prepares for a particular job. It also provides inspiration for a good place to do your internship and an opportunity to connect with all kinds of companies.” 

At what point are you in your career orientation/preparation? 

“Career Week has given me a sense of direction for further orientation. Neurological research and data science are two subjects that I discovered I am really interested in, options I want to further explore. In 2023, I want to participate again and go to more company talks and to the Alumni Talks. I would like to hear more from someone who is involved in AI or data science at a large company. You can learn a lot from the experiences of other people. And it gives new inspiration. 

I would also like to participate in company visits and other activities with companies organized by the study association apart from Career Week. This will enable me to take a look inside a business and get an even better picture of what it would be like to work there. In these kinds of activities, you can verify the impressions you got during Career Week.” 

What tip(s) would you give to students participating in Career Week this year? 

"Don’t think: “That is still a long way off”, just go there. It’s a good thing if you already have some idea about your future career, but if – like me – you don’t, go by all means. You have nothing to lose." 

Another tip: do not be afraid to ask questions. You don’t want to waste an opportunity if you find yourself face to face with someone representing an interesting company. 

If you are approaching graduation, I think Career Week offers you an excellent opportunity to really connect with a company, for instance, for an internship or a job.”