`An enormous number of companies asked to take part in this year's Company Days,' says Vincent Ilmer, PR Representative of the CD board. `There are still about 75 companies on the alternate list. We could make a very good selection from the offers. We have something for every discipline, even for Applied Communication Science or Industrial Design Engineering students. It was always rather hard to find suitable companies for those programs of study.'
Such a great variety is a result of the decreasing labor market, says Sharon Rahmee, chairman of the board. `So this edition of the Company Days is bigger than ever.' Rahmee also says the board is focusing on `regional, international and informal.' `We equipped a special corner of the event hall for regional top companies together with the Career Center Twente and the Kennispark (Knowledge Park.) The region is getting more attractive, more and more top companies settle in Twente. That's why we organized a special Technology Tour of Twente. We will visit technological top companies in the region with a red double-decker bus.'
For the first time the board of the Company Days took international master's students into account. `Especially the multinationals, like Shell, don't mind where you're coming from. They even want your CV to be English. Moreover international students are a growing target group,' says Rahmee.
The set-up of the Company Days consists of an information market, training sessions, company dinners, presentations and time for personal conversations between students and companies. Rahmee and Ilmer wanted the event to be less formal. `So we have a golf clinic with PRC, a cart clinic with Tebonin and a high tea with Nuon. We heard from students that this is a good and relaxing way to get to know potential employers and vice versa, of course.' Rahmee also wants to emphasize there's no need to visit the Company Days in a suit. `Our advice is to come in a suit to the company dinners and training sessions. You can even wear jeans to the information market, as long as it looks neat.'
Thursday, September 27 is the special kick-off to open the Company Days, a paintball competition on the field in front of the Vrijhof. The information market with company stands is October 3 and 4 in the big event hall on the Ganzenveld. For exact dates and times for the training sessions, company dinners, other activities and registration visit www.bedrijvendagentwente.nl.
