“Today you will have a great opportunity to ask any and all questions”, said professor Luís Caldas de Oliveira, Vice-president of Técnico for Entrepreneurship and Corporate Relations, to the students who attended the 11th edition of Alumni Talks, held this Wednesday, May 9.
António Castel-Branco (Mercer), Bárbara Simões (A.T. Kearney), Bruno Martinho (Accenture), Marcos Ribeiro (Santander Universities), João Bargiel Pestana (KPMG), Nuno Catarino (McKinsey), Ricardo Constantino (Everis), Sérgio Carvalho (Deloitte) and Tiago Godinho (EY), all Técnico alumni, attended this edition to enlighten the participants about the diversity of this area and to share their experiences. “At a certain point I wanted to study medicine, then I changed my mind and I decided to take a risk and I went to Técnico to study electrical engineering. Nowadays, although I do not work in the field of engineering I still solve problems, which is what we are taught here” says Bruno Martinho. “Doing different things, in different areas, with different people allow us to have a diversified professional experience and make life more fun and exciting”, said Nuno Catarino.
Entering the labour market, the recruitment process or how to enrich the curricula were also part of the alumni speeches. “Técnico helps us to develop persistence and this will always help us”, stressed Tiago Godinho. “Job interview questions are never about what you know but about your ability and will to learn what you don’t know”, said the alumnus. According to Tomás Silva, 3rd year Aerospace Engineering student, “I am glad I came here because now I know a lot more about consulting”, says the student who also confessed that it was something that he would like to try in a couple of years. “Being here made me realise I must enrich my curriculum the best I can”, says Tomás Silva.
“I am finishing my PhD in Bioengineering so maybe it’s weird to be here”, said Vanessa Cunha, another student who attended this year’s edition. “I don’t want to impose limits on my future and on my professional choices, so I came here to try to understand if consulting is right for me”, says the student.
As referred by António Castel-Branco “these future engineers are facing the same challenges that I faced when I was their age and it’s very rewarding to be able to share my experience with them and help them to clarify their doubts about the future”. “Técnico will always be part of our lives and it can always count on me”, stresses Bruno Martinho. “If problem-solving is something that captivates these students consulting should be considered as a possibility”.
