Bulgaria or the Netherlands?

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If you consider yourself as a citizen of Europe and geographical borders are something long outdated to you… here are some options you may wish to consider if your aspirations are to land a job with a multinational company.

Firstly, you can earn your degree at a university in Bulgaria and then seek job opportunities within international companies located in the country. Despite recent negative criticism of the Bulgarian higher education system, if you are a person eager to acquire knowledge with a clear vision of your future, you should seize each and every opportunity that comes your way. I’m not going to preach about the importance of knowledge… I’ll spare you that :). So I’m going straight to the opportunities that the EU Erasmus Program presents – And do not pass them by too easily. The student exchange among partner universities is an excellent opportunity to spend a semester abroad. So I plead with you :). Don’t miss this opportunity.

Check out the webpage of your university and get familiar with the requirements. Stay up to date with the conferences, workshops and seminars, both in Bulgaria and abroad that you can apply for and earn a slot in. You can do your internship at an international company in Bulgaria as almost all of them provide such opportunities for university students. What we can do best is assist you in finding the internship that suits your unique needs. With all said, the perspective to study and work in Bulgaria no longer seems to be gloomy, does it? :). To sum it up, studying and working in Bulgaria would mean that you can stay in a familiar environment with your family and friends on-hand close by. And you’ll be given the chance to get acquainted with the corporate culture within both a local and international company. However, you should bear in mind that for good career prospects you need not only the expertise in your area of specialisation but also very good language and communication skills. Today the minimum requirement is fluent English and additionally at least one more foreign language. If you find this too much now then later on you’ll realise that I was right. These are the new realities :)

Secondly, you can continue your education abroad. If you want to study and work in the Netherlands for example, here are some key sectors you should be aware of. Even before choosing a subject area in which to pursue a degree. And I guess you realise the challenges that will lie ahead of you such as: new environment, new culture and being far away from your family and friends. You are mature enough to know that you will experience some rough times :). On the other hand, consider it to be an excellent opportunity to make new friends and establish connections that may help you find the job you’ve always wanted :). Probably whilst surfing ‘the Net’ you’ve come across that piece of information saying that the completion of an internship is a mandatory requirement for graduation at most Dutch universities. It will give you first-hand experience and you will find out more about yourself if a job in the Netherlands is what you really want. Another thing to consider is good command of the Dutch language, without it finding a job there will be a mission impossible :). You can read a very useful article about these key sectors in the Dutch economy here: hollandalumni.nl. I will now draw your attention to just some of them. I will also outline some Bachelor’s and Master’s programs because the completion of which will increase your chances of finding a good job there.

Creative Industries

The Netherlands has old well established traditions in architecture. Building projects pay special attention to the spatial design of a building, its sustainability and social context. Interior design, on the other hand, implements technology advancements in everyday life, defining how we experience our living environment. Many projects have been carried out in the area of visual communications, interactive design and ‘way finding,’ such as those at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam and J.F. Kennedy in New York. The development and production of video games is among the leading sectors in the Netherlands. Fashion and music also have a big role to play. If I mention the name of Armin van Buren, it will immediately bring back memories of his great performance in Sofia this spring :)

So here are some programs that could make a smooth transition into a job within the creative industries:

Architecture
Bachelor in Urban Design, Saxion University of Applied Sciences
Interior Design
Interior Architecture, University of the Arts,The Hague
Music
Bachelor of Music in Jazz and Pop, The Utrecht School of the Arts
Video games
Bachelor in Game Creation and Producing, Saxion University of Applied Sciences
Bachelor Game Architecture and Design, NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences
MA Creative Media and Game Technologies Digital Cultures, The Utrecht School of the Arts
Interactive design
Interactive Media Design, University of the Arts,The Hague
Fashion

Fashion and Textile Technologies, Bachelor’s Program, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Applied Sciences

 

Energy

The Netherlands is a major producer and broker of natural gas in Europe. The Groningen Energy Delta Institute is one of the leaders in providing training to executives in the gas sector. The country is one of the most energy efficient economies in the world. The research in the area of renewable energy sources has made the Netherlands a partner with a strong international reputation. For those of you who take an interest in the energy sector a prerequisite for a successful career would be the completion of programs such as:

European Master in Renweable Energy, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen
Sustainable Innovation, Bachelor’s Program, Eindhoven University of Technology
Chemistry: Science for Energy and Sustainability, Master’s Program, University of Amsterdam
Applied Physics, Bachelor’s Program, University of Groningen

 

Agriculture and food

By covering the whole agri-food chain, from seed to consumer, and in combination with very well developed logistics the Netherlands has become a key player in this sector and on a global scale. Dutch suppliers are innovative and hold leading positions in ingredients, enzymes, animal husbandry and biological crop protection, as well as machinery for poultry processing, bakery and cheese production. Wageningen University and Research Centre are among the leading agri-food and nutrition research hubs in Europe and the world. Another important aspect of Dutch agriculture is investment in environmental protection procedures and improvements in animal welfare. Wageningen University offers an abundance of programs in the area but the Bachelor’s courses are mainly taught in Dutch.

Master Organic Agriculture, Wageningen University
International Diploma Poultry Husbandry, PYC+

 

Horticulture

The Netherlands is famous for its greenhouse horticulture. It holds a leading position in green genomics which aims to achieve better yields, sustainable and safe production, resistance to disease, or taste and design changes.

Agribusiness and Business Administration, Van Hall Larenstein, University of Applied Sciences
Horticulture and Business Management, HAS University of Applied Sciences

 

Logistics

All sea ports in the Netherlands are serviced by companies specialised in storage, transshipment, industrial processing and auxiliary services, as well as packing, freight, warehousing and distribution. The country is also one of the leading road transport hubs in Europe and the largest inland shipper. Appropriate programs in this area would be:

Logistics Management (Economics), HAN University of Applied Sciences
International Logistics and Transport Management, NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences
IBA (Bachelor) Logistics and International Trade, Wittenborg University of Applied Sciences
Master in Urban, Port & Transport Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam

As you can see there are plenty of opportunities for you to take the career path of choice. But it is up to you to choose the best one for you. Should you have any concerns or you just need someone to talk to, we are always at your disposal :). And remember: We are here for YOU!:)

New Common Application launches on August 1, 2013

Status

For those of you aspiting to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in the US the new Common Application launches on Aufust 1, 2013. One of the new things about the application is the replacement of the 6 essay prompts, plus the Topic of your choice, with five new. Another change is the length of the eassay. It has been incresed from 500 words to 650. The new prompts are designed to encourage reflection and introspection. If your essay contains self-analysis, then you have done a good job:). For the new essay prompts, as well as some practical advice, check out the website of About.com.

Source: About.com 

Education in Sweeden? Sounds like a good option:)!

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Sweden is a country well-known for its free higher education system. It offers excellent opportunities for students aspiring to apply their academic knowledge in a real business environment, gaining the practical experience needed to give them ‘that edge’ over other graduates in a competitive labour market. The question is this; Do you want to be one of them? :). If yes, then you should explore this option :).

There are 51 higher education institutions which fall under two main groups – universities and university colleges. The main difference between them is that only the first type offers doctoral programs. If you wish to continue your higher education in Sweden you can choose from over 600 programs taught entirely in English. Besides the general requirements there are also specific ones set out by the university offering the program in question. So to be on the safe side go to their website and read carefully both the general and specific requirements and start your prep.

 For a Bachelor’s program at a Swedish university the entry requirements are basically the grades in your high school diploma and English language test certificate. In this relation, if you are a student in your senior year of high school, it is not recommended to apply for consideration for the autumn semester. You’d better wait until the spring semester. At Swedish universities selection is made mainly on your grades and achievements. By the time your final results come out, many student places, if not all on the program, will have been offered to other candidates who submitted their grades earlier. To be eligible for consideration you have to submit a copy of your high school diploma and a transcript and identification document proving your citizenship. All of which will need to be attested and translated into English by an authorised person.

For a Master’s program the admission requirements are a diploma (showing completion of the first cycle of higher education Bachelor’s degree), a language test certificate and some additional documents proving your eligibility for the program you are applying for.

The application process is streamlined and you will have to submit your application for either a Bachelor’s or Master’s program via universityAdmission.se. There are four application stages altogether – for the autum semester in January and April, and for the spring, one in August and October. It’s of great importance to send all of the requested documents in the manner and order as clearly specified by the university. More useful information on the application process can be read here.

If you want to pursue a PhD program you will need to send the required documents directly to the university offering that PhD program.

There is a huge selection of programs you can enroll on, with Master’s programs far outnumbering Bachelor’s. If you are to pursue your first higher education degree you could think about choosing from Human Rights, European Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, International Business, International Economics and Policy, Social Work with International Social Work, Computer Sciences and Visualisation. Or further, Electrical Engineering with Specialisation in Communications, Network Security and many others. What particularly grabbed my own attention from the long list of Master’s programs offered was European Spacious Planning and Regional Development, Food – Innovations and Marketing, Social Work and Human Rights, Sustainable Architecture Production, Child Culture Design, Jewellery, Art and Design and many others focusing on music, computer sciences, programming, public health and political and social sciences.

In order to start your studies in Sweden the only thing you need to do is register with the Swedish Migration Board. As soon as you get your residence permit you can also look for a part-time job. But it’s up to you to decide how best to balance your studies and work. It’s not an easy job, trust me :). You can find out more about the local culture, life style and cost of living here. And don’t forget too, some knowledge of Swedish always helps, either to better immerse yourself into the local culture or to establish good contacts with the locals :). Displaying some command of Swedish during a job interview might also help :).

*All listed admission requirements are applicable only to EU candidates.

Source: sweden.se/study in sweden