can you manage
Sefa?
100 events 6600 members 300 active members 250 company contacts sefa.nl/board
Application deadline: Sunday 12th of April Information meeting: March 11th | April 1st board@sefa.nl
FROM THE CHAIRMAN Dear student As chairman of the Sefa board I would like to take this opportunity to point out the exceptional possibilities and challenges that come with a board year. Together with seven other board members you will get the opportunity to lead an utmost professional organisation with 6500 members, of which 300 are active within the association. Together, these 300 active members organise more than 100 events per year. Having the responsibility over such a large organisation usually takes you more than a decade to achieve when you start your professional career. However, a board year at Sefa gives you the opportunity to start there right away. Together with your fellow board members you have the power and the responsibility to build Sefa into a platform where all Economics & Business (E&B) students from the University of
Amsterdam (UvA) can go to realise their full potential. The impact Sefa has on E&B students is truly enormous. Every year our career events connect thousands of E&B students with hundreds of companies. Our academic events inspire students and persuade them to remain critical. Furthermore, each year we send out students to many different countries to conduct research for companies or non-profit organisations. Finally, our social events aim to create an E&B community and increase the social bonding between students at the faculty. A board year at Sefa is extremely valuable for your personal development. Every day you learn something new: working out a strategic plan to increase membership value, how to motivate a committee to organize the best possible projects, or negotiating with different stakeholders. Most importantly, you do this together with a solid team of eight students who all have chosen to commit one year to learn as much as possible and to bring Sefa to a higher level. Do you want to develop your communication, coaching and strategic skills? Do you want to be part of a great team with one unifying vision? Do you want to have an impact on the Economics & Business students of the UvA? Then apply now for the Sefa board 2015-2016. With kind regards, Jurjen van der Werf Voorzitter Sefa Bestuur 2014-2015
WHAT DOES A BOARD YEAR LOOK LIKE?
What does a board year look like?
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New at Sefa?
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FROM THE PROFESSIONALS A board year: getting in touch with top employers During a board year you will have the chance to get in touch with many top employers. It is the perfect way to orientate yourself on the labor market. During board days and other events you will have the chance to really get to know a big variety of companies and multinationals. So, you already know your future employers and they know you. This gives your career a big head start.
AKZONOBEL From experience we know that the skills you acquire as a board member, such as working in teams, organising events and networking, will really add value to your life, both professionally and personally. I therefore highly recommend you to apply.
– Vivien Belle Recruiter AkzoNobel
ING Being the chairman of Sefa was a unique opportunity to stand at the head of an organisation before the start of your career. It gave me unbelievable insight into how organisations work and how to manage them in the right way. This capability proved to be indispensable when ING sent me to Tokyo as a business manager, with challenges that were surprisingly similar to the challenges that I faced in my board year!
– Robert Breugelmans ING Corporate Banking Chairman Sefa Board 2005-2006
KPMG
OC&C
Eyecatcher! A board year at Sefa is not just an absolute enhancement of your CV, above all it is an absolute addition to your personal experience.
During a board year at Sefa you develop skills that are not covered during your education. In my opinion, it is one of the best ways to distinguish yourself from your fellow students. After graduating, I got the chance to start working at OC&C Strategy Consultants. Looking back, a board year has a lot of similarities with strategy consulting. You work in teams analysing complex situations from diverse perspectives to help organisations reach the next level. In both situations there are no 9-5 office hours, but striving for the best results together with your team gave me a lot of energy. I come across challenges that have convinced me that my board year gave me a huge advantage every day. A board year also gives you the necessary amount of fun as well as really close friendships.
– Sofie Kemps Recruiter KPMG
STRATEGY& Being in the Sefa board was an incredible and transformative experience. The amount of responsibility and freedom you have is huge and the skills you learn are invaluable (which I notice in my current job every day). On top of that, I met some amazing people that I am still in contact with today. That is why I advise every ambitious stuents to consider it!
– Hederik de Vries STRATEGY& Chairman Sefa Board 2010-2011
– Andrea van Vliet OC&C Strategy Consultants Treasurer Sefa Board 2009-2010
RECOMMENDATION ARNOUD BOOT Dear student Everybody knows that extracurricular activities are important for your resume. After all, the time that recruiters only looked at your grades has long passed. Now you have a chance to do a board year at Sefa, an opportunity that I wholeheartedly recommend to all ambitious students at our faculty! Sefa is the dedicated faculty association that reflects the ambitious aspirations of our university. With 6500 members Sefa is one of the largest faculty associations in the Netherlands, offering a diverse portfolio of
activities. The opportunity to lead this professional organisation will give you the possibility to put your theoretical knowledge into practice. You will get the chance to develop yourself in various fields and the many challenges you will face ask for creative solutions. You will learn to work efficiently in a team with 7 other highly motivated board members. To set up ambitious projects and help the association develop and achieve its long-term goals. A year in the Sefa board makes you aware of what your strengths are, where your interests lie and what motivates you. You will experinece business, government bodies, policy and come into contact with a lot of companies. A year on the Sefa board will provide you with personal development, experience and an exceptional resume. Grab your chance and sign up for the 20152016 Sefa board! Kind regards,
Prof. Dr. Arnoud Boot Professor Corporate Finance and Financial Marktets at the Universitity of Amsterdam
ABOUT SEFA Sefa has been the faculty association of Economics and Business at the University of Amsterdam since 1922. We believe that students should be able to develop thier full potential. We do this by organising unique activities in the following four areas:
• • • •
Academic Career International Social
ACADEMIC: A glance at the current situation in the world
Sefa gives students the chance to broaden their horizon on current economic issues by organising academic events • • • • •
List Sefa for FSR Room for Discussion Rostra Economica Sefa Conference Master study clubs
One of the most well known academic activities is Room for Discussion. Room for Discussion organises weekly sessions where students interview big shots from politics, business and academics. They have had the likes of Thomas Piketty, Christine Lagarde, Mario Draghi and Jeroen Dijsselbloem. This is how Sefa creates a bridge between academics and the real world.
CAREER:
Meet your future employer
Sefa organises various career activities that give students the opportunity to get in touch with potential future employers. • • • • • • • • •
Amsterdamse Carrière Dagen Accountancy Tour Amsterdam Marketing Challenge Consultancy Event Entrepreneurship event Top of tax International Career Event Masters of Finance Sefa social consulting group
One of Sefa’s largest career events is the Amsterdamse Carrière Dagen. During this event 2100 students get the opportunity to meet around 70 top companies and multinationals. The ACD takes place at the WTC on the Zuidas, where companies like AkzoNobel, Nike, ING, Pon and Shell hold company presentations, case sessions, lunches and individual recruitment talks.
INTERNATIONAL: Broaden your horizon in a globalising world
In the globalising world we live in it is important to gain experience with foreign organisations and cultures. That is why, Sefa organises various activities that give students the opportunity to broaden their horizon abroad. • • • • •
International Development Project International Week Research Project Sefa Entrepreneurship Trip Sefa Study Trip
The Research Project is the most imaginative project in the international pillar of Sefa. Each year, the participants acquire assignments, from Dutch companies, to research business opportunities in emerging markets. This year, participants will spend four weeks in the Philippines doing research and getting to know the culture. Previous years the RP went to countries to including Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brazil, India and South Africa.
SOCIAL:
Meet your fellow students
At Sefa, the social aspect of student life is well represented. We organise monthly drinks, winter sports, active members weekends and a Grand Ball. Social activities provide active and passive members an opportunity to socialiwe and get to know other students. • • • •
Sefa Introduction Camp Grand Ball Kingsday Monthly drinks
Every year in August the Sefa Introduction Camp takes place. More than 200 new students get together with a group of active members. This way, the new students can get to know eachother by participating in several events and parties. In addition, the annual Sefa Grand Ball takes place in a dreamy castle. The luxurious dinner followed by a big party makes this event one of the active member highlights
THE EIGHT POSITIONS:
CHAIRMAN Chairman
Tasks
As chairman of the Sefa board you are responsible for the overall strategy. You are the primary contact with the faculty, which means that you meet frequently with the faculty’s dean and management. You are also responsible for maintaining good relations with other study associations. Furthermore, as a chairman you are the coordinator of the board and thus responsible for the smooth and proper functioning of all board members. Of course, you also chair the weekly board meetings and the General meeting.
• • • • •
Organize and chair board meetings and general meetings Develop and implement overall strategy Maintain good relation with faculty, supervisory board and other study associations Ensure proper functioning of the board Share financial responsibility with the treasurer
Capacities: leadership, team player, strategic insight, diplomatic Jurjen’s personal experience “Each new board starts out with one week of policy making in a house in Volendam. As chairman I was responsible for this week which meant that I had to make sure that those seven days would be spend effectively. Because I believe that getting to know each other is extremely important, I started the first day with exercises that helped us to learn more about each other. Moreover, a sound strategy only works if the team has a shared vision of Sefa. Therefore, I organised several brainstorm sessions in which we talked about what we believe Sefa should be for Economics and Business students. After formulating a vision and developing an overall strategy, we translated each strategic goal into concrete targets and actions. Even now we are still sharing the same vision and working towards the strategic goals set during our policy week” Jurjen van der Werf Chairman Sefa Board 2014-2015
THE EIGHT POSITIONS:
SECRETARY Secretary
Tasks
The role of secretary of the board is very diverse. Since you hold a relatively free role there is much room for personal initiative. As a sparring partner for fellow board members you learn all the ins and outs of the association. As the contact person for other student associations, you learn about faculty and university broad politics. The work is therefore extremely diverse and interesting. Being able to multitask and switch rapidly is absolutely no unnecessary luxury. Since you have the space to think about long-term challenges, a critical and innovative view is also important.
• • • • • •
Communication between Sefa and all its members Overseeing the Sefa Store Innovator and catalyst of new concepts Managing the membership records Responsible for the physical facilities Maintaining faculty relations
Capacities: team player, punctual, efficient, flexible, innovative, strong negotiator Ruben’s Personal experience “A board year is a golden opportunity to gain a vast amount of hands-on experience within a short time. After I graduated for my bachelor degree, I decided I wanted to get an experience which you can not simpl y acquire with an internships The combination of a large amount of responsibility with the practical experience of managing such a large association fitted this desire. My typical day usuall y consists of a number of meetings, for example with the management of the UvA or with fellow board members, maintaining contact with parties responsible for study support products, such as large publishers. In my year on the Sefa board I have learnt a lot about my strengths and points for improvement, but it also helped to give me a clearer idea on where my interests lie and on what career path I want to follow.” Ruben Cardol Secretary Sefa Board 2014-2015
THE EIGHT POSITIONS:
TREASURER Treasurer
TASKS
As treasurer, you are responsible for the financial position of Sefa. This means you personally have to monitor every euro spent by the association. But it’s a lot more that just controlling, the treasurer also has a huge role in making financial plans and helps the board and other committees set out a strategy that is financially sound. You will make sure that your fellow board members always spend money in the most efficient way. Furthermore, the treasurer has an important role during the General Meetings by justifying the financial choices made by the board. These include preparing Sefa’s overall budget and realisation and giving an adequate explanation.
• • • •
Responsible for budgets and quarterly realisations Have a complete overview of the financial position of the association Manage and authorize all cash flows Coordinate the finances of committees
Capacities: stress resistant, punctual, reliable, confident Maurice’s personal experience “During my year on the board, I’ve learned a a lot being the association’s financial officer. As a treasurer your tasks are very diverse, for example, you coordinate committees, discuss strategic issues and keep track of the financial situation of Sefa and its committees. I learned to do many things at once, to make important decisions and to deal with the big financial responsibility. As a result I have much better idea what is waiting for me in the future, how can I deal with it and which I want to steer my career!”
Maurice Bernards Treasurer Sefa Board 2014-2015
THE EIGHT POSITIONS:
MARKETING OFFICER Marketing Officer
Tasks
As Marketing Officer you are responsible for building and maintaining a strong brand. It is your task to lift the marketing and PR strategy to the next level. This is done by coordinating promotion and brand display for all activities, recruitment and Sefa in general. It’s your ambition to strive perfection, so that all expressions and promotional outings are unique, appealing and professional. One of the most important parts is forming an holistic marketing plan that covers all promotion channels and every target group.
• • • •
Position Sefa as an attractive and high-quality brand Responsible for Sefa’s marketing and PR policy Responsible for the look & feel of the website and the social media Designing all of Sefa’s general promotional
Capacities: creative, ‘out of the box’ thinking, eye for detail, flexible, curious Mark’s personal experience “Being at the head of a large organisation at a young age is not for every body. The amount of responsibility that lgive you the chance to improve a lot of personal aspects. The Marketing Officer is invol ved in every step of a campaign, from concept to execution, where creativity is central. Besides specific position related duties and the coordinating committees, you are also closel y invol ved with the active and passive members in the association. Knowing what is happening in the association is key to this position. The board enables you to participate in a large number of trainings. This is where I found out what my strengths and weaknesses are and that is very valuable at this young age!”
THE EIGHT POSITIONS:
HR OFFICER HR Officer
Tasks
As HR Officer you are responsible for all the members of the association and for creating committees that are great teams. For potentials members you are the first point of contact, but you also aim to build a good relationship with current members. Recruiting members is crucial for the association and as HR Officer you are responsible for the application procedures and taking most of the interviews. Together with your fellow board members you will then make the best possible selection and fill more than 300 positions within a year!
• • • • • • •
bers
Coaching and retaining active members Recruitment of new members and taking interviews Defining growth opportunities for committee members Supervising new active members Developing and improving the HR strategy
Capacities: enthusiastic, accessible, socially representative, persuasive and communicative Nicky’s personal experience “The seven people that I’ve worked with this year during many eighty-hour workweeks are what made this year special for me. We became reall y good friends, but we’ve also learned so much from each other in terms of teamwork and communication. Some of the things that I’m proud of having achieved this year is the start of the collaboration between Sefa and the International Student Committee, giving a presentation in front of 700 students and their parents, starting up a Personal Development Plan for active members and creating a monthl y Active Members Mailing. Because of my board year experience, I am more aware of my strengths and weaknesses and I am more certain of what I want to do in the future. It’s definitel y the best choice I’ve ever made!” Nicky Caron HR Officer Sefa Board 2014-2015
THE EIGHT POSITIONS:
PROJECT OFFICER Project Officer
Tasks
As Project Officer your main responsibility is managing Sefa’s career projects. You’re the contact person from the board for the committee members and you supervise them in planning, promotion and acquisition. In addition, you are responsible for the synergy between these committees and are responsible for the long-term strategy within the career pillar. This involves critically reviewing the set-up of current committees and looking into new possibilities to improve Sefa’s portfolio of events. Because you are the link between the students and the companies, you will also go on company visits with the Commercial Officer to provide them with information about Sefa’s career events.
• • • • •
Responsible for Sefa’s large career projects Guide committees in organization, planning and acquisition Maintaining contact with companies together with the Commercial Officer Assisting the HR Officer with recruitment of active members Organising trainings for Sefa’s active members to improve their developement
Capacities: team player, strategic, efficient, assertive, committed and enthusiastic Roline’s personal experience ”As Project Officer you are responsible for Sefa’s largest career projects, these include most of the following: Amsterdam Marketing Challenge, Consultancy Event, Masters of Finance, Top of Tax, International Career Event and the Master Study Clubs. The Project Officer will focus on the professional development of active members and is therefore the contact person from the board for these committees and will guide them in the fields of planning and acquisition. Besides these hands on tasks you also need to have a long-term vision on projects and be ambitious and enthusiastic to achieve these goals. As you can tell companies a lot about your events, you also support the Commercial Officer on company visits. Roline Deken Project Officer Sefa Board 2014-2015
THE EIGHT POSITIONS:
COMMERCIAL OFFICER Commercial Officer
Tasks
The Commercial Officer of Sefa is responsible for the external affairs. This means that all contacts with companies and sponsors fall under your responsibility. In practice this comes down to visiting a broad range of different companies, managing relationships and negotiating contracts. It is your aim to set up long-term relationships with different parties en to ensure that the collaboration has a positive outcome for both parties. Additionally, you can transfer the necessary knowledge to starting acquisition members in committees and you are always looking for new interesting partners for Sefa.
• • • •
Communication with commercial relations Generating Sefa’s cash flow Exploring the market and making new contacts Assist committees with acquisition
Capacities: reliable, representative, commercial, convincing & target driven Ralph’s personal experience “As Commercial Officer you are responsible for all the business relations of Sefa. The Commercial Officer constantly faces different wishes of organisations. By supporting companies in their recruitment challenges and involving them in Sefa’s activities, the ultimate goal is a win-win situation. All the company visits and contact moments gave me a much clearer picture of where I would like to start my career.”
Ralph van Burik Commercial Officer Sefa Board 2014-2015
THE EIGHT POSITIONS:
function related IT strategies
INFORMATION & STRATEGY OFFICER Information & Strategy Officer
Task
The role of IT keeps growing every year and there is always room to improve this aspect within the association. For example, as the Information & Strategy Officer you will determine the policy on the use and storage of information. What data needs to be collected to be able to make long-term data driven strategic decisions? What are the effects of new policies and methods? What are the risks and uncertainties we are dealing with? Those are the questions you will answer!
• • • • •
Data management & data analysis, for example col lecting statistics about the association Integration of IT systems such as CRM/HRM, website and mailings systems Finding software related solutions and improvement of current systems Setting out a digital communication strategy Sparring partner to fellow board members in terms of function related IT strategies
Capacities: Analytic, resourceful, thorough, result oriented, innovative Mathijs’s personal experience ““As Information and Strategy officer you are responsible for gathering data and translating this data into marketing planning & event strategy. A large part of Sefa’s policy is based on the work that you do. The implementation of the new CRM system is one of the most important ways of gathering this data, it is essential that the software works in an optimal way. This large responsibility makes the ISO’s tasks extremely challenging and will give you a head start in the consultancy world”
Mathijs Pladdet Information & Strategy Officer Sefa Board 2014-2015
THE EIGHT POSITIONS:
THE 93ND BOARD
MODULES Besides the duties that every board member has within his/her function, there are several modules that a board member can exercise that give an extra dimension to their funtion.
VICE-CHAIRMAN The Vice Chairman assist the Chairman in strategic planning and decision making. The Vice Chairman acts as an important partner when it comes to negotiations and meetings with members of the faculty. The Vice Chairman acts as a sparring partner when it comes teambuilding and inter-Board issues.
STORE & EDUCATION Coordinate the Sefa Store and its daily operations. You are the person responsible for maintaining relations with different parties that offer study support, but also for making deals with large study book retailers. You are responsible For the quality of these services and the “cheepest study books in Amsterdam� promise that we make to our members.
MODULES SOCIAL Creating a Sefa/faculty community is important. The Responsibillities for this module are creating synergies between the social acitivities that Sefa organises and implementing a new social strategy that is being developed. You will also coordinate the Social I and Social II Committee that organise most of our social events.
ALUMNI The Alumni module entails maintaining and coordinating Sefa’s alumni network. There is a lot of value in our Alumni network and with this module we strive to maximise its value.
COMPLIENCE Within the compliance module, you make sure that Sefa operates along the lines of the law. Affinity with law is not a prerequisite, but definitely helps!
IMPORTANT DATES Monday 2 of March | start application period nd
Start of the application period for the Sefa Board of 2014-2015 Send your motivation letter and CV to board@sefa.nl Wednesday 11th of March & Wednesday 1st of April | information meeting Information gathering providing an opportunity for you to ask al your questions and meet the current board. Sunday 12th of April Deadline application board 2015-2016 April | interviews If we are convinced, by your motivation letter and CV, we will invite you for an interview in mid-April with members of the current board. This can result in a second interview in the last week of April with members of the Supervisory Board Beginning of May | Selection During an individual meeting, we will evaluate your interviews and we’ll inform you about the outcome of the selection procedure End of May | General meeting At the General Meeting, the new Board will be introduced and voted on