More than 350 students and 35 leading companies attended the 2nd IQS Internship Forum organized by IQS Careers following the huge success of the first edition last year.
Students in the final years of bachelor's and master's degrees had the opportunity to interact with HR professionals throughout the IQS Internship Forum. They were also able to discover which jobs companies are offering and which profiles have the highest demand. "We're getting to know students who are interested in growing professionally and gaining their first experience in the workplace. When there's an internship opening, we take students into account as we wish to incorporate young talent," stated Beatriz García, People Specialist at Laboratorios Rubió. She added: "meeting students in person enables us to see their attitude and drive. They tell you what they're seeking, which can be difficult to know at times when considering studies alone. When talking with them and finding out more about their profile and considering our needs, the match is more successful."
Students also greatly appreciated the opportunity offered by IQS to bring the business world closer to the university. For Lucía María Castro, a 3rd year student in the Undergraduate Programme in Biotechnology, this experience allowed her to "get a closer look at the job market and gain initial contact with biotechnology companies. I started my studies out not really knowing what companies I could join or what work I could do. It's also giving me the chance to get my name out there too.”
The variety of companies at the Forum is also worth highlighting. The 35 companies that attended, fourteen more than in the previous edition, belong to the following sectors: Consulting/Professional Services/Services (PWC, KPMG, Abante Asesores, Mazars, Gran Thorton, Accenture, TDV, GPO Ingeniería y Arquitectura, Jori Armengol, Tech Data Europ S&O, Areas Sau); Consumer Goods (Danone, Grupo AC Marca, Winche); Hospitality (Hotel Casa Bonay, Alabriga Hotel & Home Suites, Catalonia Hotels, Nobu Hotel Barcelona, Hotel W Barcelona, Aire Ancient Baths); and Pharma/Cosmetics (Eurofins, Grifols, Laboratorios Rubió, AGC Pharma, Dallant, Lluch Essence); Engineering/Chemical/Industrial Sector (Scharlab, Akzo Nobel, Engie, Technip Energies, Rimsa, J.Juan, Celsa Group, Teide Refractory Solutions, Metal Technology).
Out of the above companies, the following belong to the IQS Business Foundation: PWC, Jori Armengol, Catalonia Hotels, Grifols, Laboratorios Rubió, AGC Pharma, Dallant, Lluch Essence,Technip Energies, J.Juan and Celsa Group.
A Forum that benefits both companies and students
Marius Tarrés, the R&D Development Manager at Scharlab, summarized another one of the benefits that the 2nd IQS Internship Forum brings to companies: "The biggest advantage is that all the students are present in one place and can we do multiple interviews at the same time.” Having IQS alumni within the company is also key. The head of HR at Scharlab, Juan Manuel Pérez, agreed that they have "solid references regarding former students who work at Scharlab."
Sheila Sánchez, Payroll Manager at Mazars, stated that the reasons for coming to the Forum are evident: "we're looking for talented students who really have the desire to do internships with us and who may end up wishing to stay and build a solid professional career with us. It also gives us the chance to make ourselves known and explain things personally and in detail, dedicating however much time is needed."
From the point of view of the students, another one of the advantages offered by the forum was summed up by Lola Álvarez, a 3rd year student in the Undergraduate Programme in Chemical Engineering: "we can ask questions and they can get to know us in a way that's different from formal interviews that often create a lot of pressure, especially for students who don't have any work experience." She explained how students were able to work with the IQS Careers department on their CVs, LinkedIn profiles, and personal skills to be able to present themselves in the best possible way to companies and get quality internships.
The Internship Forum, along with the Employment Forum which will be held a few months from now, forms part of the actions carried out by IQS Careers to promote employability and networking between companies and students.
It is also worth noting that a highly structured professional skills training plan has been incorporated and fully integrated into the academic experience of students starting in academic year 22-23.