The third edition of OHMYJOB, the event for students who want to kick-start their career the smart way, proves a hit

We welcomed a large group of graduating students to a cosy restaurant in Ghent for the third edition of OHMYJOB! Our intern Romy Poleyn helped us to prepare for the intimate, super-successful evening. As an intern, she still has one foot in the student life, which gave her a unique perspective on the event. Here, she offers her take on the evening.

An evening for students, by professionals

Romy: "As a student, it's always refreshing when a job event is not just about business agendas or marketing strategies, but about the people behind them – which is to say their stories, experiences and insights. This was the aim behind organising the OHMYJOB evening event, where the focus was primarily on the speakers rather than Pauwels Consulting as the organiser. It was a valuable experience that exposed students to a wealth of knowledge and insights from different sectors."

AI as a tool in the workplace

Jurgen Christiaens, HR Director at Oracle, kicked off the event with a talk about AI. "Although most students are already familiar with the concept of AI, we learned plenty of new things, such as the history of the technology", states Romy. "I didn't know that early AI models were already being tested in the 1950s, for example. Jurgen also explained how AI is used in practice in certain jobs, such as personality or competence tests as part of recruitment. AI even makes it possible to scan facial expressions to measure enthusiasm among candidates. Jurgen opened our eyes to the infinite potential, but also to the dangers of this technology, such as possible discrimination in the recruitment process."

Stakeholders in your job

Joke Germeys, Talent Development Manager at Ormit, then offered her insights into the steps she took in her career and linked this to an important lesson: aside from colleagues, customers, managers and other stakeholders, you are the most important person to manage your career. She provided tips on how to get the most out of your first job: learn as much as possible, discover everything about the structure and content of the company, and more.

Fun is the key

Romy: "Joke also emphasised that you can actively look for happiness in your work. If you don't enjoy your job, you can change it yourself by looking for solutions. You can do this by discussing the responsibilities assigned to you or by seeking out a new challenge that suits you better. Joke discussed this using examples from her own career and it was reassuring to see that everyone sometimes has doubts. Receiving this kind of advice from someone with a lot of work experience is very valuable, not to mention candid." Joke gave an example that she once had to choose between a job that was really cool and a job that paid better. She initially opted for the higher salary, but came back to the more fun job later on. Nothing is more valuable than feeling good about yourself.

Freelancer, consultant or employee?

Gwendolien Desrumeaux, freelance HR specialist, concluded the evening with some valuable insights into various job statuses as well as the advantages and disadvantages specific to each one. She used examples from her own career, where she first worked for a company as a salaried employee, then as a consultant, and now finally as a freelancer. Romy says: "I found Gwendolien's talk extremely interesting, because I didn't know exactly what 'consultancy' meant. Gwendolien also explained the difference between being a freelancer and a salaried employee. After her talk, I spoke to the other students in attendance. I found that they had the same questions as I did. As a student you learn a great deal, but the practical aspects of the world of work are taken for granted by professionals, meaning they sometimes skip over giving us the explicit explanations we need."

Inspiring in two ways

At the end of each talk, the students were given the opportunity to ask any questions they had. Having the chance to speak directly with people who have experience in various HR-related positions is worth its weight in gold. What did they study and how did they get into their current job? Romy: "It was refreshing to get such specific answers to our questions. Sometimes you just want to hear what you can do with your degree and that the future is not yet set in stone. By looking at the career steps taken by the speakers, you realise that learning does not stop after graduation. While working in your job, you can keep seizing opportunities to learn and discover something new."

Networking

After the talks, we took the opportunity to get to know each other with a bite to eat and a drink. Everyone had a lot to think about and seized the chance to share their opinions and discuss new ideas. Romy also chatted with the speakers: "The nice thing about an evening like OHMYJOB is the relaxed atmosphere. I was able to ask the speakers a few extra questions that came to mind afterwards, which is to say ones that specifically applied to me. I also talked a lot with other students. It was great to hear the kinds of questions we have and what paths we want to take with our degrees!"