GROW UP AND GET A JOB!
GROW UP AND GET A JOB! Do you remember being 13 years old and admiringly looking up to the students of the final year of high school? Surely these young adults were all grown up and had everything figured out. Until… you reached the final year of high school and you realized that still hadn’t figured out life. Still you were expected to make a study choice. Congratulations you picked the VUB, a smart choice.
Charlotte De Grauwe Law student at the VUB. Before graduating I hope to become the sidekick of Caroline Pauwels during one week. I would like to: • have a more eco-friendly campus • simplify administrative procedures • adress mental health issues, many students and academics are suffering. I want to break the silence and adress these issues • strengthen the bond bet- ween the VUB (community) and Brussels • strengthen the reputation of the VUB on a(n) (inter) national level Scientiae vincere tenebras.
Life however doesn’t stop at university. There is one certainty at a certain moment in your life, for some students sooner than later, you will leave the VUB, spread your wings, land a job and start your professional life. You might look up to students in their final year and think that they have everything figured out, let me burst that bubble. Most of them haven’t got a clue. So yet again, when you will leave the VUB you will be confronted with the important and complicated question, what do I want to do with my life. Maybe you are spared this anguish, because you already knew that you wanted to become an accountant, doctor, writer,.. since you were 6 years old. Most of us however are not so lucky and need proper guidance to discover and maximize our professional potential and ambitions. The VUB can provide this guidance. REALLY? Yes really. THE VUB CAREER CENTER First of all, go to the recently created VUB Career Center, their main aim is to reduce the gap between students and the labour market. They have career coaches of Adecco to offer professional aid when you are drafting your resume or preparing for an interview. Or just pass by to have a chat about your future (goals). The VUB Ca-
reer Center is also responsible for the creation of your internships agreement. Seriously check out their website. Many students however are insufficiently familiar with the existence and functioning of this career center. This of course will take some time, but a proactive approach of the center, f.e. by organizing informative workshops, career days and (fun) events will definitely help in this regard. Another way to help students find their way to the center is by cooperating with the existing (alumni) organizations and “KRINGEN.’’ These often organize their own career days, networking events and other (in) formative lectures. This shows how well the VUB community is organized and how much students actively contribute to shaping their own future and those of their fellow students. However some coordination by the VUB might improve the quality of these events and also familiarize the members of these organizations and KRINGEN with the career center. So clearly some room for improvement here. There is no need for rivalry, when we all have the same goal landing the VUB students the best possible job. HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES So now you know that the career center exists, you might feel
tempted to tell yourself; ‘’Cool, I’ll pop by my final year.’’ But you would be missing out. Not only your studies are taken in account when you are job hunting. Also your extracurricular activities count, it might be a good idea to discuss these with the coaches of the center. This way you can already strengthen your market value during your studies, amongst others by doing voluntary work, entrepreneurial projects, interesting hobbies.... You might be enjoying your time at the VUB a little too much (I don’t blame you) and completely forget to visit the center. This should not let you miss out on the help that they can provide. The center should take a proactive approach and contact the students on a regular basis, inviting them for a chat or work shops. Remember nobody is forcing you to go, but by reaching out they do give you the opportunity to contemplate about your (professional) future. PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE DURING ACADEMIC STUDIES OK, I sold you on the importance of getting professional career help. Next step convincing the VUB to offer students as many internship possibilities as possible. There is clearly a need for more practice orientated education. Students should not only be stimulated intellectually, but also gain practical experience during their studies. This will help students such as yourself strengthen their self-
esteem and provide you with an opportunity to make the first useful professional contacts. The VUB should consider replacing the ‘classic’ Master thesis (partially) with an internship. Of course, not every field of study lends itself to such internships, but every faculty should investigate this possibility. The VUB Career Center would guide you in your search for a suitable internship. Maybe you are already doing internships on a voluntary basis in the summer time. Excellent! However many students do have to remake some exams in that period and don’t have the free time to do such an internship. Exactly for these students it would be a great advantage to intern during their studies at the VUB.
is so lucky. So why not have your ALMA MATER teach you these vital practical skills? I hope that the VUB will soon organize such practical workshops for her students. This will undoubtedly strengthen the self-confidence of these students in the transition of a structured university environment to the (uncertain) job market.
One last thing that I hope to convince the VUB of is to not be blind for the procrastination, existential doubts and fear of failure that her students are confronted with whilst taking the challenging step to the labor market. We all bear the weight of aspired perfection. The performance pressure, both at academic, personal and professional levels, is overwhelming. The VUB needs to stay on I also hope to convince the VUB to the lookout for the (mental) wellinclude you as much as possible being of her students. The Career in the projects that the universi- Center can possibly provide an ty organizes. This would give you important role by mentally supthe possibility to acquire practical porting the VUB fFstudent in their experience as well as boost your transition to the labor market. self-confidence in your own abilities. Most importantly he VUB In short, relatively minor changes would give a strong signal that in the existing structure can have she has faith in (the professiona- a real impact on reducing the gap between students and the labour lism) of her students. market. This way the VUB will provide students with the best possiPREPARED FOR THE FUTURE? ble guidance. At the VUB we enjoy Now another hard question, do an education that enables us to you feel well-prepared for ‘grown become assertive, critical citizens. up’ life? Do you know how to We know that ‘thinking must nefill in your taxes, get insurance, ver submit itself. So you, being a loans, the basics of labour law? part of this amazing VUB commuIf you have a sensible and loving nity, you know that you have what family, they will probably pass it takes to make it professionally on these skills, but not everyone and that the VUB offers the means to help you on your way. In the end there is only one person that can make the important decision of what YOU want to do when you will leave the VUB, don’t worry if you find it a bit daunting. I do to. Just try, visit the career center, work hard and believe in yourself. If your first job doesn’t work out, no biggie. Try something new the career center is also there to support alumni of the VUB. To conclude I would like to quote the amazing Baz Luhrmann; “Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what to do with your life, the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t.’’
An article by Charlotte De Grauwe