Jorg van Velzen: Using your academic and extracurricular experience

By Pascale van Gils

At the end of his stay at UCLA during his second RMA-year, Jorg received an email from a friend, encouraging him to become a board member for ISO, the largest student organization of the Netherlands. He applied for the job and got it. He became responsible for the public affairs of the organization and had to maintain the contacts with all relevant politicians. Near the end of his year at ISO he thought about proceeding a career in public affairs, but he was also offered a number of jobs at companies and organizations. He chose to become a project leader at one of them.

During his stay at UCLA he forced himself to think about his worth for companies. He figured out this would be the particular set of skills he had acquired during the RMA as well as his extracurricular activities. The analytical skills, the ability to view an issue from various perspectives, to write on complex matters in an accessible way and to work independently, turned out to be very useful.

Jorg’s advice:

“It might sound strange, but do not focus too much on your life after graduation. I have always done what I liked to do, I did not do it because I thought it would help me find a job more easily. What you should do, however, is to reflect on your set of skills and think of a way to explain to companies and organizations why that set of skills means that they should hire you.” And on the process of finding a job: “do not look for one too specific.”