ESCP alumna, Barbora Rebrošová, currently Talent & Development Expert at AB InBev got her first internship by connecting with AB InBev recruiters at the 2021 Highered EFMD Global Virtual Career Fair! We interviewed her to get the scoop!
How did you hear about Highered? What attracted you to register for the virtual fair?
Babora: I heard about Highered through my previous university, ESCP Business School, where I was studying for my Master’s in Management. As a part of my studies, I spent a semester on the Madrid campus. Towards the end of the semester, sometime in April, we received an email from the career services in Madrid with an invitation to the EFMD Global Virtual Fair by Highered. It came at the perfect moment as I was searching for a summer internship which was compulsory to fulfill my graduation requirements. What interested me the most was the emphasis on the fact that only an exclusive network of top-notch universities across the globe were invited to join the event. Also, I was attracted by the possibility to sign up for 1-to-1 chats with recruiters, visit online booths or join company presentations in real time.
Can you tell us about your experience using Highered and attending the Global Virtual Fair to find a job/internship?
Barbora: I ended up joining an online webinar hosted by AB InBev Prague where the center lead was introducing the company, its vision, goals as well as specificities of the Prague office. This already gave me a very good and unique feeling because I could directly ask relevant questions and gain various insights first hand. I got in touch with the Talent & Development Specialist during this event who later guided me through the application process. Thus, thanks to the networking opportunity we had as students during this career fair, I received my first Talent & Development internship position.
Would you recommend Highered to other job seekers looking to kickstart their careers?
Barbora: I can only recommend Highered to others like me looking to kickstart their careers. The platform allowed me to browse different job/internship opportunities and through the virtual fair gain visibility among employers, which can be very helpful at the beginning! I am sure many students can relate to the following situation: You are sitting at your desk behind your computer, searching for potentially interesting internship or job opportunities in different cities, career fields or companies. You know you need to find one to be able to graduate and at the same time you would like to apply the skills you have learned at university and gain valuable work experience. You spend a lot of time writing motivation letters and sending out your CV. At times, it might get a little bit frustrating especially when you receive a rejection or no response at all from companies. Therefore, in my opinion, career fairs like this can certainly help bring you a bit closer to the actual employers, discover whether the company culture fits your own values and network with the company representatives. In my case, the recruiter I met became my line manager during the internship and a dear colleague now that I have started in the full-time role.
Was AB InBev on your wish list of companies to work for before the fair or is it something you came across?
Barbora: During my studies, I came across the name “AB InBev” multiple times before attending the Highered Virtual Career Fair. Already in the first semester, AB InBev was one of the companies participating in the career days of my university and I attended their round table to find out more about its culture and career opportunities. I also remember having a speaker from AB InBev at one of our Strategic Management classes. So AB InBev was definitely on my wish list before; Highered helped me with the final push to actually dare to apply for an internship there.
Finally, now that you have secured a job, what advice would you give to other early talent users on Highered who are still searching for their first job?
Barbora: I would advise talent to mainly stay open-minded and curious 🙂 and maybe even go the extra mile to stand out from the crowd a little bit. You should take advantage of the opportunities the university provides you with (career fairs, panels, guest lectures) to develop new connections on the job market, be it with recruiters, managers, alumni or other fellow students. You should be able to showcase that you are willing to learn new skills and develop both on a personal as well as professional level thanks to the feedback you receive.
