The Biomedical Engineering student group at Instituto Superior Técnico (NEBM) organised the 1st Biomedical Engineering Week – JOB2BE, on 6th and 7th April.
Carolina Bento, coordinator of JOB2BE explains why NEBM decided to organise this after another successful edition of the Bioengineering Week (SBE), which is also aimed at Biomedical Engineering students. “SBE is an event of great importance to the entire Department of Bioengineering. In this event, we have the opportunity to get to know the emerging issues in Bioengineering, as well as to speak with researchers, professors and professionals from broad areas of expertise. However, we felt that contact with the business world, especially for Biomedical Engineering, could be reinforced with a job fair”, says the student. “The Job2BE aims to bring together students and companies”, she adds.
In order to promote this approach of students to the job market, the organisation invited several companies to the virtual job fair, organised networking sessions and workshops. “We invited biomedical companies that do not normally attend other job fairs. In addition, we invited the companies particularly directed at each master programme”, says Susana Afonso, also coordinator of JOB2BE. “We are particularly proud of having Kinetikos in this job fair, a company that focuses on Biomechanics, with which most students have little contact”, she adds.
CUF, Noesis, everis, iBET, Celfocus, Medtronic, etc., were some companies that attended the job fair.
The JOB2BE also incuded a round table with PLUX and Nevaro representatives, which captivated dozens of participants.
Sara Gonçalves, Innovation Manager at PLUX, Francisca Canais and Rita Maçorano, the co-founders of NEVARO, shared their professional challenges and highlighted the importance of networking and funding for business growth.
“It takes a lot of resilience, I do think it is the most important thing. There are very complicated moments. You must be able to deal with criticism and to ask for help, because that is what will make the company grow”, said Sara Gonçalves. “It is also important to surround ourselves with people who help us, and to expand our contact networks. There is no harm in failing, because failure will help you learn and improve”, highlighted Rita Maçorano. “I think it is important to know how to find, to take advantage and to adapt to opportunities. At Nevaro we take advantage of our training, Biomedical Engineering is very present in what we do. We use Science and the part of physiological signals to bring value to mental health”.
“Everything has gone incredibly well. The feedback we have received from students and company representatives has been very positive”, shares Carolina Bento. “We are sure that more editions will come”, stresses the coordinator of JOB2BE.
