AmCham Belgium > Publications > AmCham Connect > Student to Work (January 2012)

Bridging the University to Work Gap

The transition from university to the world of work can be difficult for both graduates and their first employer. Belgian universities have a range of programs to help bridge this gap and ensure their students find rewarding work opportunities.

For example, the HEC Management School at the University of Liege (HEC-ULg) partners with corporations to develop programs and workshops that make the transition easier for everyone involved. “One of the biggest mistakes is for the student’s first job to be their first experience with the corporate world,” says Thomas Froehlicher, Director General and Dean, HEC-ULg.

Career Days Popular

HEC-ULg regularly organizes Job Days and on-campus recruitment fairs where companies can meet prospective employees. Students get an idea of the type of jobs available, the skills that are being sought, and have an opportunity to practice their interview skills.

Vlerick Management School in Gent has three main events where companies and students can meet. The first is in September for Vlerick’s closest corporate partners. A second event is held in October, which is targeted at the financial and consulting industry, while the final event in February is open to all companies.

Around 60 percent of Boston University’s Brussels students are ‘non-traditional’ and have returned to study to gain a skill they need for their careers. “Typically they are already working and do not need help,” notes Pam Dalby, Student Affairs Manager. As a result, Boston concentrates on providing advice on internships with specific organizations that might need the student’s skill-set.

Like HEC-ULg and Vlerick, Boston relies on their network of former alumni to feed back information on vacancies and other opportunities within their companies to the school.

Specific Workshops and Seminars

HEC-ULg recently created the Workshop to Prepare for Hire. Each workshop is designed to be a real-life experience for the students with sessions conducted by companies, recruitment consultants and coaches. “In the end, our students are excited about how ready they feel to apply for a summer internship or their first job,” says Sandra Delforge, Head of Corporate Relations.

Vlerick offers a two-day career skills seminar. “Each seminar teaches students how to prepare resumes and cover letters, they can do practice interviews with recruiters, or receive direct coaching,” says Joke De Leeuw, Careers Adviser. Personal feedback is available to each student on request.

The school also maintains a password-protected careers website where companies can list details of traineeships or jobs they have available. Students can upload a resume for companies to search. The school also offers an optional lecture that helps students establish themselves on professional networking sites such as LinkedIn.

In-Company Training

Opportunities for in-company training are often limited for Masters candidates. Vlerick’s programs include a component that sees small groups of students spend around three months working for a company to complete a specific project. Many are hired directly by the host companies as a result of this work.

Boston University offers two internships to the US mission to NATO. While only open to US citizens, taking Boston’s Master of Arts in International Relations or Masters of Science and Leadership, they are highly sought-after. “It is a very prestigious position,” explains Dalby.

All three universities offer highly valuable education programs that makes sure their graduates are quickly taken on by employers. The additional support provided to each student by their university ensures that almost all should quickly find rewarding and fulfilling careers after graduation.

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Internships: Bridging the gap between academia and the professional marketplace

In European universities, internships are increasingly becoming an important part of pre-professional training. Brussels, a city unique in its location and in its role in European politics, offers students a host of outstanding opportunities for challenging, high-quality internships. Furthermore, the presence of the European Union has contributed to the city’s attractiveness to a diverse, motivated and international crowd of young people, all hoping to obtain high-level professional positions as a result of their Brussels internship experience.

These factors give the town, and particularly its European quarter, a very special flavor: it’s a place where a cosmopolitan community of young people meet, work and and, in practice, cooperate to construct a new Europe. Add to this the presence of other international institutions, like NATO, numerous international NGOs and a thriving and equally cosmopolitan business community, and it’s clear that Brussels is an ideal place for students to make this important first step towards a high-level career.

The Internship Programme at Vesalius College, the prominent English-language undergraduate college in Brussels, offers its students a unique opportunity to become part of this community of young interns for one semester, while at the same time continuing their studies and receiving academic credit for their internship. The Vesalius Internship Programme offers internships in Business, Communication and International Affairs at important firms such as Citibank and MasterCard, at EU-related media centers such as the European Journalism Centre and the weekly New Europe periodical, but also at key European political organizations such as the European Parliament, NATO, Missions to the EU, lobby organizations and advocacy groups such as the European Youth Forum.

The internship experience in Brussels provides student interns with the unique opportunity to be actively involved in a high-level professional environment, regardless of their field of interest. Working at the European Parliament or with advocacy groups, for example, gives students the opportunity to participate at a critical level in the policy-making process. It can include participation in plenary groups or committees of the Parliament, and in meetings with high-ranking officials from the European Commission or member states.

Internship positions can give students experience in any field of European policy-making, but frequently expose the student to a global perspective. For example, in the case of NGOs, student interns typically work with the relations between European institutions and the world. In their internships, students are also commonly offered opportunities to travel with their sponsoring organization. For example, many students working in EU organizations have been given the opportunity to travel to Strasbourg, the other seat of the European Parliament, but some have even found themselves involved in missions to African countries, or other locations where European involvement is key.

Internships can provide students with an invaluable high-level professional experience and can give them the opportunity not only to test their acquired knowledge and skills but also to build a professional network. Vesalius College’s global internship experience in Brussels offers its participants a crucial head start, a winning card for the beginning of a professional career in Brussels or anywhere else in the world.

Internships: Bridging the gap between academia and the professional marketplace

European Council of American Chambers of Commerce