Graduation - what now?

In mid-November, students, doctoral candidates and alumni from all over Switzerland gathered for the Long Night of Careers. The event, in which 16 Swiss universities and universities of applied sciences are now participating, creates a framework in which employers and students can exchange ideas and get to know each other in a fun way. Each of the universities* offers an individual program with workshops and presentations on topics such as personal brand, the importance of social media in the application process and public speaking. There are also various training opportunities for job interviews, assessments, CV checks, career speed dating and application photo shoots. The "Long Night of Careers" is organized by the Swiss Career Services Network CSNCH or the Career Services of the participating universities in cooperation with the companies.Graduate fairsGraduate fairs are another important platform for making contact with potential employers. The leading provider is the eastern Swiss company together agwhich, in cooperation with the universities, organizes numerous events that are also of interest to marketing and communication graduates. Graduate fair Switzerland students have the opportunity to get to know top employers from the business world in face-to-face interviews. There are also specialist presentations and a supporting program with coaching for job interviews in English, styling tips for job interviews and a company catwalk where all employers showcase their creative side.similar programs, but with a regional focus, are offered by the Graduate fair Basel and the Graduate fair BernAm Retail Day employers such as ALDI, Coop, Denner, IKEA, Migros, Lidl and Dosenbach-Ochsner present themselves. They offer entry-level opportunities to graduates of universities of applied sciences or universities. In addition to a keynote speech, the event includes various workshops that provide a look behind the scenes at retailers as well as a marketplace where you can find out about internships, bachelor's and master's theses, trainee programs and entry-level positions in an informal atmosphere.Promoting the future Universities and universities of applied sciences offer students and graduates so-called career services. The Career Services Center of the University of St.Gallen (HSG) comprises a team of coaches and career advisors who draw on a broad range of expertise from a wide variety of industries and fields. In addition, the HSG Career Services Center organizes various career-related events. For example, the HSG Talents Conference, the largest recruitment event in Switzerland for the fields of business, law and social sciences, takes place in the spring semester. In the fall semester, industry-specific events are held, including the HSG Banking Days, the HSG Industrial Day, the HSG Luxury Day and the HSG Consumer Goods and Retail Days. At these events, students can also find out about the field of marketing in the various sectors. HWZ University of Applied Sciences Zurichthe largest exclusively part-time university of applied sciences in the field of business in Switzerland, is strongly geared towards combining studies and work. Preparation for the future takes place actively during the course. On the one hand, there are the "living cases", real problems from business, administration or NGOs, which are worked on by students and sharpen their understanding of team constellations, team building, team processes and their management tools. On the other hand, students have the opportunity to develop on a personal level, for example in the Bachelor's degree program in Communication with the specially designed module "Career", which includes the courses "Entrepreneurship" and "Persuasion & Personal Branding". Real Player Coachingwhere students on the Bachelor's degree course in Communication have the opportunity to clarify and reflect on their self-competence in individual consultations. The counseling points include the diversity of perspectives when starting a career (which field of work suits me?), goal orientation when making decisions (where do I want to go?), behavioral autonomy when looking for a job (how do I get my dream job?), dealing with emotions in the professional environment (how do I integrate fear/uncertainty?) and communication clarity in the application situation (how do I get my strengths across?). Students are supported with these questions by a qualified psychologist and marketing specialist in the areas of selection, assessment and coaching on behalf of the IAM. The IAM offers Real Player Coaching exclusively for its students. They can also use the ZHAW Career Services for up to six months after completing their studies. The Career Services include various information and advisory services for the transition from studying to working life. The portal zhaw.ch/careerservices answers questions about career planning, career development and the application process.The ZHAW Graduate Day, the largest university of applied sciences contact fair in Switzerland, takes place once a year. Around 100 companies present themselves, and there are additional career entry offers around the fair. These include a job exchange, photo shoots, CV checks and networking events.*Universities taking part in the "Long Night of Careers":- ETH Zurich- FHNW School of Business- St. Gallen University of Applied SciencesGallen, Hochschule Luzern HSLU- Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Chur HTW Chur- Hochschule für Wirtschaft Freiburg HSW-FR- University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland SUPSI- Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil- Università della Svizzera Italiana USI- Universität St.Gallen HSG- Universität Basel- Universität Bern- Université de Genève- Université de Neuchâtel- Universität Zürich- Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften ZHAW