Internships, trainee and ambassador programs, Research Grants and direct hiring. These are the opportunities that participants in another edition of the Talent Bootcamp can achieve. Between 21 and 22 November, Técnico students had the opportunity to be in contact with more than 200 companies. Between the Noble Hall and the Atrium of the Central Pavilion of the Alameda campus, participants were able to work on employability skills, interviews, public presentations and how to improve a CV.
For Rogério Colaço, President of Instituto Superior Técnico, “this event is very important, especially for Técnico students”. “When the journey nears the end, it is very important to prepare students for what the job market is, for what is the presentation of their curriculum and for what differentiates them from employers”, he adds. Regarding the feedback from previous editions, “it is excellent, both from students and from companies, which can come here.” In this edition “we have more than 200 companies that want to come and talk to our students. It is the first opportunity to make a first contact, identify areas of interest, identify people, profiles that can later occur in hiring, in professional paths, in internships in the future”.
For students, the event can be a gateway, both in the job market and in the world of contacts. This is the purpose of André Torcato’s participation in the event, PhD student in Physics. “I want to see what’s in the industry, what I can apply from what I’ve learned. This event is excellent for networking, I come here to meet a lot of companies, but it’s not just the companies, the people of the companies”. This feeling is common to more students, as the case of Raquel Vieira, a student of the degree in Physics and Technological Engineering: “My motivation to participate in this event was to have more contact with companies because it is a good opportunity to get to know what is being done abroad. Explore what alternatives I may have for my future”.
Tiago Videira, a Master’s student in Telecommunications and Computer Engineering, says that he joined the event at the invitation of a colleague and that it is useful because “it can help to understand where we fit in the world of work and in companies”. In this sense, Sofia Lopes, a Master’s student in Chemical Engineering, considers the event as “a good bridge”, since “we are used here at the faculty to contact only with professors and we lack this connection with the real world, with professionals”.
Companies seek to create a relationship with “young people right here in college”
If students are looking for opportunities, opportunities need students. Raquel Correia, Talent Acquisition at Air Liquid, is already a regular presence at the Talent Bootcamp and admits that the event “always brings benefits, either for internships or for the beginning of a career within our company and that is an asset”. Regarding what makes Técnico students stand out from the others, he says that they “can differentiate themselves because they are people who are very focused on solving problems. Any course here ends up forcing them to think about solving problems and that is the mindset we bring to our company”.
For Joana Ferreira, Employee & Lifecycle Technician in the Talent Management Area at Fidelidade, “Técnico is and continues to be a renowned school”. “We believe that in some way this is also differentiating in the way of teaching and in what the student’s curriculum is”, he adds. He also shares that the event is very important for companies to be able to “create a relationship with these young people right here at college” and for students to understand “how they can have an impact on what our activity is”. Beatriz Guedes, Employee & Lifecycle Technician in the Training Area at Fidelidade, highlights the soft skills that Técnico students develop from a transversal point of view that can bring many added value to Fidelidade in the most diverse areas”.
