On 9 March, the IQS gardens hosted the 16th IQS Job Forum, organized by the Career Services department. The forum served as a meeting place between companies and students, giving future graduates who will soon join the workforce the chance to participate in the hiring process and offering companies the opportunity to recruit talent.
El passat 9 de març, els jardins d’IQS van acollir el XVI Fòrum d'Ocupació IQS, organitzat per Career Services, que suposa un espai de trobada entre empreses i estudiants permetent-los participar en processos de selecció afavorint la seva inserció laboral; i al mateix temps facilitant la captació de talent per part de les empreses
More than 200 4th year undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni attended this year's event, featuring activities of professional interest offered by the more than 50 participating companies. 20 of these companies are also members of the IQS Business Foundation: AC Marca, AGC Pharma, AIQS, BASF Española, Catalonia Hotels & Resorts, CELSA Group, EMSA Tecnologia, Firmenich, Grifols, IQOXE, J.Juan, LyonDellBasell, Lubrizol, LLuch Essence, Morchem, Multivac Production Spain, Naturgy, Puratos, PWC i Technip Energies Iberia.
The companies that took part in the Job Forum greatly valued being able to participate as the event gives them the chance to gain visibility among university students and spend time with the participants in person. The company Naturgy highlighted how the event makes it possible for them to see beyond a resume: "Education is great, it's an important requirement, but we are looking for people who have a good attitude and are ready to work, learn, and have aspirations. You can't see that on a piece of paper."
The Job Forum clearly showed that proactivity, a good attitude, initiative, resolve, a desire to learn, teamwork, and communication are skills that are in high demand by employers.
Regarding the international dimension, all companies agreed that it is a key element and highly valuable. Some companies claim international experience can be a decisive element when choosing between two applicants, while other companies say it is not necessarily a deciding factor when it comes to offering a job. “English is a must, and any additional language is an added bonus. Having studied abroad or holding an international degree makes us think that the candidate has a series of highly valuable power-skills," stated BIP.
In this sense, IQS students have been described by companies as having a good attitude, enthusiasm, initiative, a desire to learn, and solid preparation. BASF summed it up as follows: “We have seen excellent profiles. The students are very well prepared, they were all very polite, and they were proactive in seeking to work with us. They explained to us what they were studying and most of them have an excellent English level (along with other foreign languages) and could be a great fit for us."
Most Sought After Profiles
The event also featured the conference "Professional opportunities for young university students: infinite or nothing," by Joan Cuenca, an IQS alumnus and CEO of Proarcai, who analysed the possibilities young graduates have for finding employment. Cuenca highlighted that only 23% of young Spaniards have completed university studies and that the country is bringing up the rear in Europe in terms of English: "Well prepared young people are a valuable asset in the current labour market."
This phenomenon is even more evident for graduates with technical and scientific degrees. The most demanded professional profiles are those associated with creating or improving companies, alongside positions in B2B areas such as the Chemical, Food, and Pharmaceutical industries, among others. Although these backgrounds are among the most demanded profiles on the job market, they aren't always among the most demanded degrees in the country, which creates a greater need for companies and greater opportunities for students in the sector.
Moreover, "the growth in GDP is opening up an enormous opportunity for young graduates to find employment," said Cuenca. European countries are experiencing declining birthrates, which means that there won't be enough people to fill all the jobs in a few years' time. In order to find qualified employees, companies need to start looking more proactively.
The IQS Career Services department offers advising and opportunities for professional growth to students through mentoring sessions, resume enhancement workshops, talent highlighting efforts, and activities with companies, among other actions.