Story #17
Originally from: Belgium
Undergraduate degree/ major: Bachelor of Economics and Management Sciences
University and Country: HEC Liege Belgium, Belgium
Started working since: Mar 2017
Currently based in: Belgium
First and current job: Traineeship in foreign trade, AWEX Belgium
Q: How did you decide on your undergraduate course of study?
A: In Belgium, you cannot choose your courses. When you start university, you accept the "package" of courses linked to the matter you study. When I did my exchange in Macau, I could choose my courses and I took all the management and international oriented courses.
Q: In retrospect, what did you think were the most useful lessons/ skills/ knowledge you'd gained from your undergraduate education?
A: The soft-skills courses, the courses in which you had to give your ideas about a topic and organize a debate around it. Management courses were also obviously really interesting. And of course, it is important to develop your analytical mind by practising maths or finance.
Q: What are some additional areas you wish your undergraduate education could have covered?
A: More language courses, and more courses in which you are in small group and you have to interact about a topic.
Q: Briefly describe your current job scope.
A: My traineeship gives me the opportunity to offer my services to a Belgian company in a 3-month internship in order to prospect new markets.
Q: How has your undergraduate education influenced your career choice?
A: It helped me knowing what I did not want: working in a huge audit company.
Q: To what extent is your current job related to your undergraduate course of study?
A: Somewhat related.
Q: What is one competitive advantage your university offers? (From your perspective)
A: Reputation.
If you would like to contact Somja Aurore for more information regarding education/ career choices, feel free to drop us a mail via the Contact Us section below. We'll link you up!