College Life Accelerate is a program created specifically for non-EEA students and graduates in the Netherlands. The program’s aim is to help you land a job after graduation in your preferred industry, field and company size.
College Life interviewed one of the programme’s alumni, Hrishikesh, to share his experience as well as some insights to what the programme offered to him.
“I didn’t know how to approach companies when a job was not listed, or what recruiters were looking for in a resume and cover letter. I decided to join College Life Accelerate to solve both of these challenges to make my job hunting journey easier.”
The International Student Challenges
As an international student who only had a few months left before his Zoekjaar visa expired, Hrishikesh needed to find a suitable job, otherwise he would be forced to leave the Netherlands. After several job rejections for job applications he had sent through job portals, Hrishikesh decided to join the College Life Accelerate program in hopes to land a job.
The College Life Accelerate Programme
“My favorite part of the programme were the tailored fireside chats with mentors, industry experts and recruiters. I used the knowledge provided by the founder in the horticulture industry during an interview to showcase my understanding of the industry itself. Getting the crux of relevant information can be obtained through these fireside chats only as experience matters.”
College Life Accelerate is tailor-made for international students and graduates. The 4-week evening programme allows non-EU/EEA students and graduates like Hrishikesh to improve their strategy and successfully land a job. The modules that international students and graduates participate in are:
- Evaluation: This module thoroughly evaluates soft and hard skills using the Capability Scan. Students and graduates learn how to build their personal roadmap using direct insights. Last, a Process Audit of how to approach the labour market is conducted.
- Acquisition: Using tools and techniques that focus on reaching out and making connections with prospective employers, students learn how to approach companies with the intent to get hired even when there is no job posting.
- Conversion: By helping build an extraordinary CV and cover letter tailor-made to potential employers, students and graduates learn the fundamentals of what recruiters look for in a resume and cover letter with ease. Students also learn how to ask insightful questions that allow them to leave a long-lasting positive impression.
- Retention: Students and graduates are taught processes that allow them to build relationships and trust with a prospective employer. The aim is to help these potential employees become indispensable by acquiring an entrepreneurial mindset while continuously growing within the company.
- Fireside Chats with Guests: Through conversation with industry experts such as HR managers, CEOs and Partners, Hrishikesh used the knowledge and professional insights that he acquired by applying it to his subsequent job application to showcase his thorough understanding of the industry.
Hrishikesh’s Success Story
“I started approaching people via email and LinkedIn; this proactive behavior was well received by most people. It also contributed to providing me with more interviews during my job hunt.”
Hrishikesh made use of the acquisition tools and techniques and started by shortlisting the companies that he was interested to work for. He then began approaching recruiters and employers via email and LinkedIn. Employers were impressed by his attitude and confidence.
As a result, he had several job interviews, one of which he did not go forward with as it did not meet his expectations . The knowledge he acquired as a result of the program, in combination with the confidence gained from numerous job interviews eventually led him to landing a job with a recognized IND sponsor, just two weeks before his Zoekjaar visa expiration date.
“I would definitely recommend College Life Accelerate to all job seekers as getting a job is not easy. Believe me, this course will make it a lot easier. Kristian has figured out the right potion needed to help job seekers.”
