24 September- 3 October 2024

Career Week

 

Students in atrium
The sooner you start, the sooner you become great at something. This applies to all aspects in life, from hacking your study techniques to forming the foundations of professional success.
 
Being a student forms the early stages of your career, and this is the best time to take risks and try out new things.

Everything is about learning, and this booklet provides you with inspiration for how to learn more about yourself as an academic and professional.

As a part of this, we encourage you to get feedback on your applications and portfolio, increase your vocabulary when it comes to presenting your skills, building your professional network – and maybe ask inspiring alumni to connect on LinkedIn.

Finally: keep an eye out for the ITU Career Week: a social learning lab, where you and your fellow peers get a professional playground of events and workshops to start forming your career.

The ITU Study & Career Guidance 

Events and activities

IT IS IMPORTANT TO SIGN UP

If you want to join an event, make sure to sign up! You can see all events below in the calender 

The full programme for ITU Career Weeks fall 2024 semester is available by following the link

See the full programme

Study and Career guidance events

6 Essentials When Preparing for an Interview

Going to an interview is often trilling but can also be quite nerve-racking because you want to impress the hiring panel.

The most important thing to remember is that you already have IMPRESSED them with you profile, skills and experience. They already see you as an interesting and relevant candidate, so try to find some calmness and boost your own confidence in this fact.

But to ensure that the interview goes as smooth as possible then you can choose to plan and prepare adequately, so you can be sure to dazzle in any interview situation and make the most of the experience

1. Get calm and go with confidence (You got this!)
It is not always what you say but how you present yourself that makes an impression. Therefore, being mindful of your body language and nerves can ensure that you do not undersell yourself. Do whatever you need prior to the interview to set a calm and positive mindset. Have a coffee, go for a walk, call a good friend. This way you will have the energy to stay positive and show enthusiasm during the interview.

2. Know the job
You have heard this advice before. And it is true. To make a proper impression, you need to be well informed about the position you are interviewed for. Make sure to research well by looking up the job add, re-read your application and talk with people in similar positions. Putting in the extra effort will make you feel on top of things.

3. Brush up on your own story
You will be asked to tell about yourself. This is your chance to set the scene and you should make the most of these valuable minutes. Keep the job description in mind, comb through your experiences and highlight the things you have done that are impressive, relevant and will differentiate you form other candidates. Build a narrative around the three most important points that you want them to remember.

4. Know the different kinds of questions
You will often meet two types of questions; situational and behavioural interview questions. In situational questions, you are asked how you will solve a difficult issue or circumstance related to the job with the aim of uncovering your analytical and problem-solving skills, while behavioural questions will focus on your previous actions and performance in certain settings.

5. Elaborate on your answers
It is not enough to state that you have the needed qualifications; you need to demonstrate that you possess them. You will want to have a few anecdotes on hand to nail this part. If you state that you are a team player, elaborate with a personal example of a situation that shows you as a team player. Share how you handled the situation, and what impact it made. By making descriptive answers, you help the interviewer to understand you better.

6. Brainstorm on your questions
Questions are an essential way of demonstrating your interest in the position and future colleagues. Even if you do not have any questions, think of a few. Something simple like: “what is your favourite part about working here?” or “what is the most important skill a person needs to be successful in this position?” will suffice.

7 WAYS TO BRUSH UP YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE

How do you use LinkedIn? If you are like most people, you are a part of the social media network, but mostly ignore it, until the very moment you need it. Here you will find 7 quick and easy things you can do now (and maintain every few months) that will enable you to take advantage of all LinkedIn has to offer while you are a student!

1. Give your profile picture a check-up

Ask yourself if your picture is current enough, feels professional and will make a positive impression on those stopping by your profile. The best profile photo is of you alone in a somewhat professional outfit.

2. Make sure your headline is current and compelling

The right headline carries a lot of weight: it can give search engines valuable information and it can draw in readers. It is actually the first thing people see when they land on your profile. As a student, you might want to try writing what you specialize in or have a particular passion for, rather than just the title of your education.

3. Prioritize adding a summary

A personal summery of 40 words or more makes your profile more likely to turn up in searches. The summery should speak of your skills, motivation and interests. It will help people fully understand your skill set and reach out to your with relevant opportunities.




4. Highlight both your education, volunteer experience and jobs

Your online CV should represent all of you. Remember that you gain valuable skills from more than just the jobs where you where payed. List all the different roles and positions you have had and add a short description each place of what you learned or gained experience from.

5. Make use of multimedia

LinkedIn allows you to post videos, pictures and presentations of your work.

As a student this is a platform for you to share the projects you engage in each semester. That give people a better understanding of what you work on and how you work! Also, profiles with media elements get subsequently more views.

6. Do not be stingy with connection requests

It is always better to add recent connections straight away. Whether you are working with someone new or meet someone interesting at an event (such as IT Match Making), be proactive and reach out to people you admire or want to get to know. Connections are helpful for many reasons and an important part of using the platform effectively. Building a professional network while you study will not only help you in job search, but could give you valuable inputs from professionals on your papers and projects.

7. Browse your network and reconnect with people

Take a few moments every few months to look at your network and send people quick messages saying hello, congrats on the new job or anything else. You need to keep relationships strong before you are asking for a favour. If someone is doing something you are truly interested in, take it a step further and suggest a quick catch up or coffee.



How To Network With Confidence At It Match Making!

Networking can be an intimidating experience - especially when it is being hosted as an online event. However, it is important to participate because it can lead to new connections and opportunities while you study. We encourage you to grasp the opportunity! Therefore, we have gathered some tips for networking with confidence and reflective questions that will help you to connect the companies.

Perfect Your Story
All the people you meet will ask you about yourself and your skills, and rather than responding with a blank stare and a lot of hesitation, you are off to a good start if you have prepared a brief and powerful summary of your background, experiences and accomplishments.

  • How will I present myself to new acquaintances / companies at this event? 

  • Are there any particular projects, courses or extracurricular activities  it may be relevant to add?

Determine Your Goals Ahead Of Time
Having a clear idea of what you hope to get out of the experience, will fill you with purpose and direction from the start. It will also ensure that you are make the most of the time you have.

  • What is the objective of my participation in IT Match Making?

  • What would I define as a success criterion? 



Have Your Questions Prepared

Events with industry are perfect arenas for expanding your network or gain fruitful advice from experts on everything from exam projects to job search. Asking curious questions will make most people set aside time for you, so take some time to ensure you are adequately prepared.

  • Could the industry provide insights or advice useful for any of my current study projects? 

  • What expert advice could I get from the participants about job search? 

Prioritise Your Time
You will most likely not have time to meet all companies, so take your time to review the list of participants and list the three most important companies you need to speak with before leaving the event – and note down why. 



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