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And how are things in San Francisco? More and more TU/e students go abroad for their studies to follow courses, internships or a doctorate path. What is it like to find your way in a new country? Students tell their stories.

When you think of summer in California, you probably think sun, sea and surfing. So did I, until I spent July and August in San Francisco. The cool wind and heavy fog have led to phrases like “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco”. This doesn’t make it less great though; the city is fantastic with its many hills, Victorian buildings, big parks and lovely people. San Francisco is also known as the gay and hippie capital of the US. During my first weekend here, the big Love Pride took place. More than a million people assembled in downtown San Francisco to support and cheer for equal rights and love for everyone. I don’t think I could have wished for a more appropriate first weekend! This summer, I’m in San Francisco for three months doing my internship. I don’t think TU/e and UCSF maintain a solid partnership, but since the university is known for its high-quality clinic and research facilities, it’s an attractive destination for a Medical Engineering grad student. I work in a very nice lab on the brand new Mission Bay Campus, where I try to make stem cells from human endothelial cells. We want to determine the cell’s ‘identity’ during reprogramming - to see if other cells originate that are partial stem cells. It’s very interesting, and very different from the applied sciences at TU/e. Outside the lab I do fun things with other international students, whom I met through the International Students and Scholars Office. We went out of town for a weekend to go rafting, see the Californian capital Sacramento, and taste wines in Sonoma, for example. All in all San Francisco is an amazing destination that I can recommend to anyone!

Ell studeenn Schmitz, Enginte Medical ering Would you also like to write an article about your time abroad? Please send an email to cursor@tue.nl.

Read more stories online: www.cursor.tue.nl/en

Life after TU/e Name: Bobby Johny Varocky Place of Birth: Kerala, India Date of Birth: 23 May 1987 Studied at TU/e from August 2009 - October 2011 Master of Science in Automotive Technology Current position: sales support specialist at The Mathworks BV in Eindhov en Why did you choose to study at TU/e at the time? There were several reasons. The Automotive program is a multidisciplinar y one, the Brainport Region is home to many high-tech industries, and German y -the home of Automotive- is next door. The Dutch are friendly enough, and they’re used to speaking English. On top of that, studying in the Netherlands is cheaper than in the US. What happened after you graduated from TU/e? I was very fortunate to get a job upon graduating. I was employed by TNO under their Talent Development Program, where I worked as a development enginee r for eighteen months. After that I switched from TNO, a technology and research driven company, to MathWorks. MathWorks is a world player in computational math and simulations software technology. I’m glad I was able to change from a technical area to sales, because my new position suits me. Where I’ll go from here? Only time will tell. But I know I’m headed in the right direction. How did you find a job? It wasn’t too difficult finding a job, but I do know friends who’ve struggle d. One thing that helped me is my extensive network. I attended many social gatherin gs where I met lots of people, and through these people I knew what was going on in the job market. It has definitely helped me to make the right move at the right time.

What happens to international students after they graduate from TU/e? Do they go job hunting in the Netherlands, pack their bags and explore the world, or return to their home countries? International TU/e graduates talk about their lives after TU/e.

Do you have any advice for others looking for a job? I recommend expanding your network to the best of your abilities. Today, maintaining a current LinkedIn profile is quite important. Many employers check social networking profiles for additional information about potential employee. If you’re patient, and if you can make do for some time, opportunities will come along. I guess anyone will have a number of jobs before they have a fair idea of what they’re looking for in a career. An academic education gives you the power to move ahead, but the directio n is up to you. Don’t be afraid to take an exit, make a U-turn, stop and think, or just drive straight ahead. Just go for it - you’ll learn.


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