{"id":134187,"date":"2021-12-14T13:54:46","date_gmt":"2021-12-14T12:54:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=134187"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:03","slug":"fake-it-till-you-make-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2021\/12\/14\/fake-it-till-you-make-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Fake it till you make it?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Students often complain that academic education is not very practical, and that it doesn\u2019t prepare you for real life outside the university campus. Recent research<\/a> shows that most international students prefer to stay in the Netherlands. According to the figures, nearly 90 percent of graduates land their first jobs within six months after graduating. However, there are several challenges they need to overcome at the start of the career journey. Career advisors and HR professionals share their thoughts and tips to prep students for their career challenge.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe try to help students embark on their careers. I guess our main message is: start thinking about your career now, get into the right mindset, because now <\/em>is not too early,\u201d says Meike Kiestra. Lisanne Keir and Kiestra are Career Development Managers at the RSM Career Centre. They actively help and guide students by offering workshops on networking, LinkedIn, interviewing, writing CVs and cover letters.<\/p>\n

Who am I?<\/h2>

\u201cThe three biggest questions you need to answer are: Who am I? What do I want? And how do I get there?\u201d, explains Keir. \u201cThese questions are directly related to personal branding and personal development, two topics that we actually built an entire course around.\u201d Associate professor of Marketing Maciej Szymanowski and the RSM Career Centre created a practical course: Your Future Career. The course is offered to RSM students as part of the curriculum,\u201d says Keir.<\/p>\n

It is important to start early, says Kiestra. \u201c<\/strong>One of the workshops we give in the first year is the LinkedIn workshop. We encourage students to start building their profile immediately. If you keep working on your network, you\u2019ll have a strong network in a few years. LinkedIn is a powerful tool: I actually got this job thanks to LinkedIn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Supporting students at the start of their career is worthwhile, Keir believes. \u201cWe recently had a meeting with a student, who was applying for an internship. We helped her tailor her CV, cover letter, and briefly coached her on interviewing skills. We were delighted because the results were immediate: she got the internship and called us to share the good news.\u201d<\/p>\n

Exploration<\/h2>

\u201cMany people working at Sendcloud are young professionals, who started their careers here,\u201d says Catia Fernandes. As a \u2018Talent Success Hero\u2019 at Sendcloud, an e-commerce shipping platform, she is responsible for talent management, learning and development within the company.<\/p>\n

Remember that internships are all about exploration, is her most important tip for students looking for an internship. \u201cWe had cases when students started their internship in one department and later moved to an entirely different one. We don\u2019t like to dictate where you should go, but rather give you freedom to explore and experiment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jevgenia Mishkins agrees. She is a human resources lead at TomTom, a Dutch multinational organisation founded in Amsterdam back in 1991. \u201cWe don\u2019t give boring assignments, but also aim to add value and help students acquire skills they can use in their future careers. Internships are meant to be an opportunity to deep dive into an area of your interest. With these positions, we are therefore looking for the cultural fit, your personality, eagerness, and hunger to learn and develop yourself,\u201d says Mishkins.<\/p>\n

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The perfect application<\/h2>

There is no such thing as a perfect CV. \u201cIt really differs according to the company and industry,\u201d Kiestra says. \u201cWriting a great cover letter can be a struggle as well. Try to think about what\u2019s in it for the employer, this will really increase your chances.\u201d<\/p>\n

When it comes to landing a job at a company like Sendcloud, Fernandes thinks it\u2019s very important to stay proactive. \u201cDon\u2019t sit back and wait for things to happen to you. Why don\u2019t you send an open application? Send a message to recruiters? If they see the potential, they\u2019ll contact you.\u201d Along with a proactive attitude, she values honesty. \u201cYour application should demonstrate your values openly; we don\u2019t want you to fake it. However, we do devote a lot of attention to the right culture fit<\/em>, the shared beliefs, behaviour and values, and solution-focused mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having outstanding achievements or even work experience is not the most important thing on your resume, Fernandes explains. It\u2019s rather your willingness and curiosity that the recruiters are looking for. \u201cApply even if you don\u2019t meet all the requirements, just go for it. You could try contacting some of the current employees. Just ask them to tell you a bit about the company and then use this information to write a great cover letter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speak up!<\/h2>

One thing international students are sometimes worried about is a language barrier. \u201cDutch is not a mandatory requirement at TomTom. We\u2019re open to hiring people with different backgrounds,\u201d says Mishkins. \u201cYour motivation is way more important. If you get asked about your motivation during the interview and you answer that it\u2019s a mandatory requirement at the university, that might not get you to the next stage. Our expectations are a little higher.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another question that you should be prepared for is: what do you know about the company? \u201cWe\u2019d like you to be very well prepared and up to date with the latest company news,\u201d says Mishkins. \u201cExcellent knowledge about the company is important because this shows your motivation and why you are choosing this organisation. Was it a considered choice or was it a random selection?\u201d<\/p>\n

Finally, Mishkins touched upon one of the biggest fears students face, not only before but also after they get an internship \u2013 the fear of being bold and proactive. \u201cSpeak up! Don\u2019t wait till the very last minute. Processes and approvals take time, especially in larger organisations. So, it\u2019s crucial that you express your interest as soon as possible if you\u2019d like to continue your career path at the same company.\u201d<\/p>\n\t

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Important tips in a nutshell<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. Start building your network now!<\/li>\n
  2. Apply anyway – even if your application doesn\u2019t look perfect and you don\u2019t meet all the mandatory requirements.<\/li>\n
  3. Be proactive – reach out to alumni, recruiters, employees of the company you\u2019re interested in.<\/li>\n
  4. Be open to exploring your interests through internships.<\/li>\n
  5. Do your homework – research the company history, news, culture.<\/li>\n
  6. Google yourself.<\/li>\n
  7. Don\u2019t fake it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t
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    De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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