Judging by the conversations between technology students and our companies, the second edition of the High Tech Career Competition (HTCC) passed. About 50 students, nearly half of them foreign, ‘shopped’ Saturday morning, May 25, about the internship and graduate market of Northern high-tech companies at Resato International in Assen. No lack of motivation. Some had to get up early to look for that beautiful graduation assignment.
They know where to find the internship market, thanks to social media and the internship boards at school. And some know it from the first edition last year Philips in Drachten. Yde, an electrical engineering student at NHL-Stenden electrical engineering, finds the market a breath of fresh air. ,,I know you from last time and from a high-tech safari and I like this concept. At ordinary fairs, secondment companies are intrusively breathing down your neck. Here I talk directly to the companies themselves. I like that much better!’’
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Jeroen, an electrical engineering student at Hanze University Groningen, is also enthusiastic. ’’Online there is little supply of embedded software and here I can choose!'' Still, he sees many companies for the first time, including VDH Products from Roden. ’’They don't know us,’’ says Jacco, a software engineer at VDH Products, ’’so I have to try a little harder to explain that we are interesting.’’ That succeeds, because Jeroen has his eye on a graduation project on low-cost Ethernet for industrial use. ''I know the technology at the center of this project from a previous internship and it really appeals to me.'' According to Jacco, Jeroen has a good chance of getting the assignment. ''It fits well with his education and interests and importantly, he is enthusiastic. If someone is not motivated, you see it in the end result.''
dirty hands
Brenda, graduate at the HRM department at Neopost in Drachten, has a good first impression. ,,The supply of students matches well with what we are looking for. Compared to the last career day at NHL-Stenden, there are now many more software engineers. Exactly the techies we are looking for.’’ Brenda and her colleagues pay attention not only to the knowledge, but certainly also to the practical skills of the students. For example, whether they tinker with technology in their spare time. ’’A techie is only really a techie if he likes to get his hands dirty.''
To score
There is plenty of attention at the host Resato booth, despite some very specialized job openings. ’’I would have liked to see a little more business administration students,’’ Peter says. He is quality assurance manager, but he is certainly not there for nothing. ,,From the conversations I learn what young people find interesting and what they get up for. That is valuable, because it allows us to better connect with our future colleagues.'' Rob, software engineer at FMI in Drachten. He pays particular attention to how eager the student himself is and what his drive is. ’’Those who are up front and know what they are talking about score points.''