The 13th Pitch Bootcamp@Técnico has gone virtual. The first day, October 8, was dedicated to students self-assessment. Miguel Gonçalves, responsible for Spark Agency, motivated and advised more than 180 participants in an enthusiastic way. “We want to help you know yourself better, to make you understand how you can make the difference and to give you relevant information about the job market so that you can make a conscious decision”, explained Miguel Gonçalves. “At Pitch Bootcamp we make the future happen,” he added.
The experience shared by two Técnico alumni inspired the participants
Two Técnico alumni – Rui Oliveira, CEO of EDP Production, and Pedro Afonso, CEO of VINCI Energies Portugal – participated in the “Lessons Learned” panel. The alumni shared their experiences and highlighted the importance of Técnico in their careers.
“Throughout my career I have learned that I have to work hard and to give my best in everything I do. If the right opportunity arises, we will know how to take advantage of it”, said Rui Teixeira. “Impress people with your speech. Read, be curious. You have the tools to change the world, but you must use them wisely to make it happen”, advised Pedro Afonso. Madalena Zambujeiro, one of the participants, stresses “I feel much more confindent and positive about the future after being here”.
More than 100 companies participated in the event
The president of Técnico, professor Rogério Colaço, attended the opening session held on the second day, October 9. “This is an extraordinary event that allows students to work on new skills. It is an immersive experience where you get to know each other, learn how to build your contact network, understand the value of your social and technical skills, reconciling fun and learning at the same time”.
“The job market has a huge hunger for you, because you study in an excellent school”, said Miguel Gonçalves. Approximately 150 company representatives (Unbabel, Accenture, BCG, KPMG, Novabase, Galp, Altice, Critical Software, etc.) attended the pitch presentations.
“When I see a finalist I always remember myself. We had no idea of our enormous potential and the cruel world that awaits us, but this journey is still worth”, shares Miguel Guedes, Técnico alumnus who currently works at Ericsson. Miguel Guedes finds some differences between his generation of students and the current one, however “far more unites us than divides us”. “The biggest difference is the access to information, which today is a lot more easy. Another very important difference is that today there is broad gender balance”, he adds.
“I was very surprised by the fact that the event went so well in virtual format, as a result of the pandemic. But I already miss face-to-face events”, said Miguel Guedes. “Broaden your horizons and don’t limit yourself”, he added.
“Being able to support and guide these students at this stage of their lives is very important”, said Filipe Farelo, Técnico alumnus and Managing Partner at Accelerator. “Técnico has been doing a fantastic work, making our school more human and closer to business reality. These events allow me to remain close to young professionals and to understand their own motivations. These Pitch bootcamps are a very good opportunity for recruitment”, adds the alumnus.
Filipe Farelo always gives students the same advice: “Whatever you do, be happy! Then I adapt the conversation according to the student profile”, he says. More than a dozen profiles went through his hands this time, some of which sharpened his willingness to recruit.
Entering the job market: From stress to motivation
Daniel Oliveira is doing his master’s degree in Biotechnology at Técnico and he was pleasantly surprised: “Técnico has built strong links with the job market/companies, which provide students with unique opportunities during the course”. “I decided to participate in Pitch Bootcamp to prepare myself for the job market, to get to know the companies and their recruitment processes, to meet the people responsible, which is something that is not possible to do online”, he says.
The feedback he received in both pitches “was very positive. Everyone liked my profile and skills, in particular my resilience and adaptability skills”.
“Companies are interested in Técnico students as a result of the skills we have developed along our academic path”, says Daniel Oliveira. After this experience, the Técnico student feels “more prepared and motivated to approach the job market.
