One on one with Aurora

For this first edition of the NEXT Newsletter we had an interview with Aurora Sayes, graduate from the Masters Writing, Editing and Mediating at the Faculty of Arts. Aurora is now heading towards the labor market but she found out that it is harder than she thought to find a nice job. This is the reason she decided to follow some of NEXT’s workshops. We settle down in a quiet and comfortable corner of the UB. Aurora just finished the NEXT- workshop ‘before you apply’. We are curious who she is, what she does and what her story is. Time for a short interview!

The three W- questions, who are you, what do you do and what do you want?

“My name is Aurora Sayers and I first studied English for my Bachelor and just recently finished my Masters in Writing, Editing and Mediating. For a while now I’m working for publisher Noordhoff as a freelancer, but I would love to get a permanent job. That’s also why I’m here at NEXT, to prepare myself for the labor market.”

Why did you choose for this NEXT-workshop?

“I subscribed for multiple workshops and this specific workshop was kind of my first step. In this workshop it was all about what to do before you apply, and when do you know if you are ready to apply in the first place? Instead of just taking a leap of faith by sending my CV and cover letter to random companies, I wanted to prepare myself more thoroughly. This way I’ve increased my chances of success.”

On your road to a fulltime job, what will be your next step after this workshop?

“The most important thing is that I’m going to adjust my CV and LinkedIn profile. I just got some really handy tips about this in the workshop. Besides that, I have planned a couple more workshops like: ‘LinkedIn for advanced users’, ‘Networking’ and ‘How to apply successful’. These are the next steps for now.”

How do you see the transition from student life to labor market?

“Not so fluently,” she says with a meaningful look. “Within my studies I was not really prepared for this transition. The labor market for people with an English degree is quite limited anyways, you have to start looking more broadly. I had some luck with the internship I did for Noordhoff publishers and that I could keep working for them as freelancer.”

What did NEXT mean to you in this process?

“NEXT specifically emphasized the importance to distinguish yourself from others through your CV and motivational letter. Also NEXT thought me that you are more than your diploma. It is essential to figure out who you are and what you want in the company you would like to work for, and try to translate this into you CV and motivational letter.”

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

“I would really like to work in a middle-management function, for a company that does not only focusses on good products and making money, but that also want to contribute to a better society. A company who has a vision you, in collaboration with enthusiastic colleagues, can contribute to.”

Is this also something that is important for peers?

“I think for people who are driven and want more than just a monthly paycheck it is definitely something that lives – although I do not want to generalize. The labor market is changing I think, beforehand you should know what drives you and you should focus on the things you’re good at. These are very important aspects you need to keep in mind I think, before you will get hired somewhere.”

Any last tips for your fellow students?

“Take the time to critically think about who you are and what you’re capable of besides your studies. Maybe you will run into surprising though interesting ideas and competences which you did not realize you had.”