Bryan Hogewoning | Face of FEB
Want to get to know about the FEB Career Services Student Team? Then meet Bryan who has been an active part of the team for a long time now.
Written by Alina Schmidt-Pfitzner from the EBF Academy Committee.
Can you tell me something about yourself first?
My name is Bryan and I am 24 years old, currently doing an internship in The Hague at the Dutch government. I grew up near Zwolle where I went to high school and afterwards I started my bachelor in Business Administration here at the RUG. Quickly, I realized that this is something I do not want to do in my future which is why I started doing a bachelor in Philosophy simultaneously. I am very happy I did this as I learned to approach issues differently.
Afterwards I did my pre-master in Economics due to my strong interest in politics and economics and here I am doing an internship at the Dutch Government.
What about your free time, do you do any extra activities?
In my first years, I joined Albertus Magnus and did several committees at EBF, most notably the ESR committee in which we organized a study trip to Prague. Following that year, I did a part-time board year at Integrand and advised and the board of Albertus Magnus regarding their board selection procedure. Last but not least, I have a position in the FEB Career Services Student Team which I am going to tell you more about today. Oh, and the internship of course!
So, what is the Career Services Student Team actually and what does it offer to other FEB students?
The Career Services Student Team essentially helps students with any matters regarding their future career. We have walk-in hours from Tuesday to Thursday from 11am to 2pm where students can just walk by to get some tips for example on their CV or motivation letter or to ask about career activities we organize. Basically, the team works as the in-between between companies and students by advising them on how to reach their career goals.
Why did you apply for the job?
Before I applied, I did a part-time board year at Integrand where I acquired the skills regarding CVs and motivation letters. Therefore, I thought it would be a nice fit if I already have the knowledge and experience and can combine that with getting in contact with other students and helping them.
What is in this position for you and what do you do?
Everyone participates in working at the opening hours once a week to answer any questions that students approach us with. Also, every member could choose a project from FEB Career Services they are interested in. For me, I focused on quality assurance and I worked on projects like the Career Services evaluation reports and creating additional CV formats and tips for the students. Additionally, I was responsible for the coordination between the FEB Career Services and the Student Team and helped with communication, planning and some formalization.
What do you like about it?
Especially the dynamics of such a large organization impressed me because it gave me a lot of know-how on the way such an organization operates. This is a unique way to learn in my opinion. The contact with students and employee was also something I really liked about that job. It is just great to see the amount of initiative students take here at the FEB which really surprised me.
That sounds great! And what are you currently doing in Den Haag?
I am doing an internship at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment in The Hague currently, which I really like and I will continue until mid-August. The two main projects I am working on are the Committee Regulation of Work which is an independent committee that aims to prepare the Dutch labour market for the future given the trends and developments that are going on. The second project is focused on pension policy, more specifically the Dutch pension system, that is currently up for debate. I am doing a lot of research in the consequences for the labor market regarding one of the alternatives. To me this is a great opportunity to gain experience!
And do you already have any future plans?
Well, that is always hard to answer because I am still developing my passions and do not know specifically where I want to head. For now, economics and policy are the two major components I want to pursue after I’ve finished my master in Economics which is starting in September.
What I really want to emphasize, is that the experience I gained not only through the Career Services team but also through other extracurricular activities really helped me. I think the most important point is to experience and do things although in the beginning you might not know how they will turn out to be. These experiences are the things that make you special and prepare you for your future.
| Last modified: | 30 October 2019 1.42 p.m. |