On Thursday all of the Lund University student unions joined forces to host International Day, an event aimed towards helping international students prepare themselves for the Swedish job market.
Sweden may be just a pitstop in international students studies, but it could also be a future home. Therefore Lund University student union on Thursday arranges an International Day, a day to prepare international students for the Swedish job market.
The day provided with a wide range of opportunities for international students to craft their business and communication skills. In the morning, guest speaker Anna Ntinidou discussed the importance of having a drive to succeed, and making that passion and determination known to potential employers.
Resume reviewing popular
Students also had the opportunity to have their c.v. and resumes reviewed, which proved to be a very popular task.
Furthermore, students had the opportunity to have fika and mingle with their peers as well as employers of local companies, as a way to share their own thoughts, perspectives, and questions about joining the Swedish labor market.
“I was able to know myself better“
Lastly, roughly forty students remained to participate in the World Values Initiative workshop aimed towards strengthening self-awareness and communication. By sharing personal stories, students practiced their communication skills and employed active listening techniques.
To some students, active listening was a new concept that proved insightful.
“Through active listening, I was able to know myself better,“ says Swati J. Sen, an international student at Lund University. She continues:
“The person opposite you is talking to you to make you understand his views, so if I listen properly, if I listen actively, I will get his perception and I will be able to respond in a proper manner…so in this way I think I am better prepared for a job or an interview where the questions asked to me [are] with an expectation and I can meet that expectation if I listen actively, ”
Coordinators pleased with structure
Sandra Jönsson and Olivia Öhrström, coordinators of International Day, were very pleased with the structure of this year’s event.
“The international students are always talking to everyone. They are not there only to get the free stuff, they want to be there, and that’s nice to see,” says Jönsson.
Two years ago, International Day was more instruction based, and last year it resembled more of a career fair rather than an opportunity to build skills.
This year’s event, however, was a new balance between the two, with opportunities for both instruction and discussion. The students seemed to appreciate this unique opportunity to grow their business skills.
“There are so many international students coming to Sweden with a lot of competencies that we need here and we feel so sad when they leave and take their competencies with them. It would be nice if Lund could integrate them more into the labor market here and use their knowledge.” says Öhrström.
Helpful guidelines posted 0n Facebook
Students who were unable to attend the event but would like to learn more about how to prepare for the Swedish labor market should stay tuned to the #intday2015 Facebook page, where a recap of today’s events and helpful c.v. guidelines will be posted.
While International Day has taken place in December for the past three years, the coordinators received such positive feedback that they are considering sponsoring a c.v. and resume strengthening workshop in the spring, which could help not only international students, but Swedish students as well.
