Hi there! I am Kathleen, a master’s business student at UvA and president of the Careers Beyond Borders committee of the MAA. I started studying at UvA this year and being a student from far far away (i.e., where Amsterdam people perceive my precious Utrecht to be), I didn’t know many people or places in Amsterdam yet. To become part of the UvA culture, I already knew that I wanted to become an active member of the MAA by joining a committee. During the semester’s introduction at the beginning of the year, all study associations were presenting themselves at the information market, and the MAA board told me about the different committees that were looking for members. I was surprised by how many different committees they offered, both professionally orientated committees like the Company Speeddate or Recruitment event, as well as more socially oriented committees like the Lustrum and Careers Beyond Borders. Since I have a passion for traveling, exploring new places, meeting new people, and pursuing an international career, I immediately got enthusiastic about the CBB.
The Careers Beyond Borders committee organizes a networking event for ambitious and internationally oriented business/marketing students from UvA, VU and Nyenrode University. One thing I love about Amsterdam’s student life is how international it is, with a large amount of international students coming in every semester. This is also why the CBB committee appealed to me mostly; it would mean working together with international students and companies. The CBB offers the best of both worlds: it is socially orientated (25 students having fun in a foreign city) and professionally orientated (building international connections abroad). This year we will go to Berlin and visit a variety of interesting companies. Both well-known companies that everyone knows, as well as smaller start-ups are eager to meet us. It is great for networking with companies outside the Dutch borders while exploring another city at the same time. Since we’ll spend five days there, we’ll have plenty of time for socializing with fellow students and experiencing both the professional German daily life as well as the exciting Berlin nightlife.
One thing I am really grateful for is my fellow CBB committee members. We are a team of seven amazing people and have happily been working hard to make this trip a great success! I am looking forward to meeting all the new people that are joining for the trip. I know we will all have a blast together and get inspired by the companies we will visit. It will be a rewarding pay-off for all the hard work the CBB has put into preparing the trip. We are just a couple of weeks ahead now from the CBB 2020 kick-off to Berlin and I honestly can’t wait! There still are some last free spots available, so I would definitely encourage all students who have not signed up yet to do so. This trip will be a valuable contribution to both your academic and career orientation and international business network as to your social life, meeting new people and explore Berlin together! Check out the CBB event on facebook for more information.
