Activity Conducted by Experienced Consultant Olfertjan Niemeijer

With the goal of providing bachelor’s and master’s students with skills that will be useful when searching for a job, Wittenborg hosted the hybrid workshop ‘How to Enhance Your CV’ on 16 June at its Amsterdam study location. The activity was conducted by the Managing Consultant and founder of Independent Recruiters Group Olfertjan Niemeijer, who has been active in the recruitment sector since 1992, having helped thousands of candidates find new opportunities.

At the beginning of the workshop, Niemeijer spoke about the main factors that help applicants get jobs in the Netherlands, such as work experience, education, fluency in English, choice of professional field and having a Dutch work permit. He also mentioned some of the most important actions people need to take in order to be more efficient when looking for jobs, including investing in their network, having a LinkedIn profile and preparing for interviews.

Next, the guest speaker addressed the main topic of the session, explaining how students can draw up a CV from the perspective of the company they are applying to instead of doing it from their own perspectives. Among other advice, Niemeijer pointed out that job applicants should always mention their present location in their CVs, as well as their previous activities and scale of former employers. On the other hand, candidates should avoid including non-business pictures or photos where they are not smiling in their applications. Moreover, writing too much text or using bullet points can negatively affect the recruiters’ impressions.

“There is no such thing as a perfect CV; you always have to adapt the content of your CV to the vacancy and company that you are applying for, because it might land you the interview that could change your life by kickstarting your career,” he stressed.

In total, 12 students attended the activity, out of which nine were physically present and three participated online. After giving a number of tips on how to write CVs effectively, Niemeijer analysed the CVs of the participants, who had been required to submit these documents in order to register for the session. Apart from highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each student’s CV, the guest speaker answered their questions and comments. “This was a productive session, and I am really satisfied with how the students participated in it. They asked many questions, keeping up with the previous lectures I delivered at Wittenborg,” he said.

MBA student Amin Nadervandi, specialising in International Management, said that the lecture was very helpful and gave students important information on how to apply for a job. “I am totally in favour of Wittenborg organising more activities like this, because getting a job can be a real challenge once students graduate. The workshop was great, and I particularly liked how the guest speaker took the time to give feedback on each CV individually.”

According to Selin Ünalan, who is also studying for an MBA degree in International Management, activities like this help participants learn more about the work culture of the Netherlands – a knowledge that will be essential for their future careers. “As foreigners, we do not exactly know what is important for recruiters in the Netherlands. This workshop gave me insights into their perspective and what matters to them. For example, I never used to include my picture in my CV, because I thought recruiters did not pay attention to this; however, the reality is different and these small things do make a difference.”

WUP 19/7/2022
by Ulisses Sawczuk
©WUAS Press