General information
Sefa is one of the largest study associations in the Netherlands. Together with 400 active members and 250 company contacts, we organize over 125 events per year for more than 7.500 members.
During a board year, you will be working full time within a team of highly motivated board members. You get the opportunity to develop your social, organizational and professional skills. You learn how to lead and supervise committees, create a long-term strategy and organize great events! Besides developing yourself at a rapid pace, it’s also a very relevant upgrade of your resume which is highly valued by companies. Do you want to kick-start your career? Become part of the 105th Sefa board and lead the organization in 2026/2027.
It doesn’t matter if you are not familiar with Sefa yet, or if you are not well informed about the association. Whether you are a former active member or someone totally new to Sefa: we are looking forward to meeting you!
If you have any questions or want to know more about what being in the board of Sefa entails, schedule a coffee meeting with our HR officer Ece Candemir and she will share her experience and tell you all about it.
Sefa in numbers What does a board year entail?
Available positions
The board consists of 8 different positions:
- Chairman – chairman@sefa.nl
- Operational Officer – operational@sefa.nl
- Treasurer – treasurer@sefa.nl
- Marketing Officer – marketing@sefa.nl
- Commercial Relations Officer – commercial@sefa.nl
- Human Resources Officer – hr@sefa.nl
- Information Strategy Officer – iso@sefa.nl
- Career Officer – career@sefa.nl
In addition to the tasks that every board member has within his or her function, there is one module that can be assigned to you, which is vice-chairman.
You can find more information about each position and the function-specific responsibilities on the board page. If you already have a question, you can always contact us, and we are more than happy to tell you all about it!
Testimonials
Jurjen van der Werf ”Applying for the Chairman position of Sefa was one of the best decisions in my student life. It provided me with the opportunity to “run” a million euro company together with a group of talented people, who eventually also became my closest friends. As a consultant at Strategy& I learned that it is only possible to drive change in an organization if you are able to convince people. The board year gave me the unique experience to really build this skill because I had to convince faculty staff, fellow board members and active members. My board year was an amazing experience that really enriched my student life and helped me become a better consultant today.” Joop Wijn ”It’s striking how, after more than 25 years, I still see my two years on the board of Sefa as one of the most educational periods in my life. Yet it was and felt like a playground. It was a great opportunity to develop skills and learn about teamwork, organisation, finance, and e.q. stakeholder management. The ”boardroom” dynamics of Sefa are really no different than those of even the biggest of companies. But above it all it was fun and I’ve made many friends for life.’ Matthijs de Gooijer “Doing a board year at Sefa has truly been a defining experience for me. It is a unique opportunity to take on real responsibility, develop leadership skills, and prepare for your future career. You get to lead and shape an organization that plays an important role in student life, while having a lot of fun along the way. My board year also helped me gain clarity on my career direction by exposing me to different companies and showing me what I did and did not enjoy in a setting that is somewhat similar to the corporate world. But most importantly, it allowed me to meet new people and build lasting friendships.” Sanneke van Walsem “Being a student for me was a time to have as much fun as possible, but it was also an opportunity to learn new things. That’s why I chose to apply for a board year. I cannot even begin to explain how incredible this year was, but I can tell you is that it’s a choice I have not regretted ever since. I learned so much in terms of leadership, collaboration, communication, negotiation and organizing skills. There is room for failure and I got more responsibility than I ever had before, and in some ways also more than in my current job as an analyst. I was in charge of managing a budget with a turnover of approximately EUR 1 million, led multiple impacting projects and introduced and executed new events. It was challenging at times, but also very rewarding. Furthermore, I met many amazing people that I am still in contact with today. I strongly recommend everyone to do a board year.” Noa Bogaart – Talent Attraction and Acquisition Specialist EY ”I think doing a board year at Sefa has a huge additional value because you get an insight into multiple large and smaller organizations, which helps to orient yourself on different corporations, helping you with applying to jobs. From a recruiter perspective, I think that doing a board year really shows that you’re very motivated and eager to learn. That is something that we really consider when looking at your CV. It also shows that you developed your soft skills already before being active in the working field. I was in contact a lot with multiple Sefa board members. I really enjoyed it because I enjoy having a personal connection with them as well. I really wanted to show them who we are as an organization, so that’s a big benefit of being on the board.” A board year during a Lustrum year. Bigger than you think. When I started my master’s program, Sefa was completely new to me. Before that, I studied Hotel Management in Maastricht. I ended up in Amsterdam through a pre-master’s program at the University of Amsterdam, and during COVID, Sefa managed to reach me as a master’s student. Even during that period, the association kept going. They organized online drinks and, as soon as possible, in-person activities. The energy remained. That was noticeable. The HR Officer of the 99th board asked if I had ever considered a board year. Honestly, I hadn’t. During my time at the Hotel Management School in Maastricht, I had considered a board year at the student association I was a member of. But a board year at a study association? I hadn’t seriously considered that. I was in my own bubble. Yet, it felt like an opportunity to try something new. I was 21, just starting my master’s program, and had little to lose. My doubts stemmed mainly from the fact that I barely knew Sefa yet. But that turned out not to be a barrier. The association is open to new people and new perspectives. I decided to temporarily put my master’s program on hold and started as Marketing Officer on the 100th board. A lustrum year. That year was intense, educational, and above all, unforgettable. A board year offers enormous opportunities. Professionally, you learn more than in many internships: strategy, collaboration, taking responsibility, dealing with companies and stakeholders. Socially, you build a network that extends beyond just your academic year. And during a lustrum, everything is bigger. The entire association is involved. New members, active members, and alumni. Everyone wants to contribute. That sense of community creates energy and momentum. In Amsterdam, you also have plenty of room to go all out with events, dinners, and parties that make a lustrum special. What makes it extra special is the freedom. You’re trusted. Together with your board and the lustrum supervisory board, you determine the course. You get to develop ideas that might normally seem a bit too ambitious. Everything can be a little more creative and a little more impactful. A board year during a lustrum isn’t just an extra year. It’s an acceleration. In your development, in your network, and in your self-confidence. Are you hesitant because you don’t know Sefa well yet? I was too. This is precisely the moment. Een bestuursjaar tijdens een lustrum. Groter dan je denkt. Toen ik aan mijn master begon, was Sefa voor mij volledig nieuw. Daarvoor studeerde ik Hotel Management in Maastricht. Via een pre-master aan de UvA kwam ik in Amsterdam terecht en tijdens COVID wist Sefa mij als masterstudent te bereiken. Zelfs in die periode stond de vereniging niet stil. Er werden online borrels georganiseerd en zodra het kon ook weer offline activiteiten. De energie bleef. Dat viel op. De HR Officer van het 99e bestuur vroeg of ik ooit had gedacht aan een bestuursjaar. Eerlijk gezegd niet. Tijdens mijn tijd op de Hotelschool in Maastricht had ik wel eens overwogen om een bestuursjaar te doen bij de studentenvereniging waar ik lid van was. Maar een bestuursjaar bij een studievereniging? Daar had ik nog niet serieus over nagedacht. Ik zat in mijn eigen bubbel. Toch voelde het als een kans om iets nieuws te proberen. Ik was 21, net begonnen aan mijn master en had weinig te verliezen. Mijn twijfel zat vooral in het feit dat ik Sefa nog nauwelijks kende. Maar dat bleek juist geen belemmering. De vereniging staat open voor nieuwe mensen en nieuwe perspectieven. Ik besloot mijn master tijdelijk op pauze te zetten en startte als Marketing Officer van het 100e bestuur. Een lustrumjaar. Dat jaar was intens, leerzaam en vooral onvergetelijk. Een bestuursjaar biedt enorme kansen. Professioneel leer je meer dan in veel stages: strategie, samenwerken, verantwoordelijkheid nemen, omgaan met bedrijven en stakeholders. Sociaal bouw je een netwerk op dat verder gaat dan alleen je studiejaar. En tijdens een lustrum wordt alles groter. De hele vereniging leeft mee. Nieuwe leden, actieve leden en alumni, iedereen wil bijdragen. Dat gezamenlijke gevoel zorgt voor energie en momentum. In Amsterdam heb je daarnaast alle ruimte om groots uit te pakken met evenementen, diners en feesten die een lustrum bijzonder maken. Wat het extra bijzonder maakt, is de vrijheid. Je krijgt vertrouwen. Samen met je bestuur en de lustrumraad van toezicht bepaal je de koers. Je mag ideeën uitwerken die normaal misschien net te ambitieus lijken. Alles mag net iets creatiever en net iets impactvoller. Een bestuursjaar tijdens een lustrum is niet zomaar een extra jaar. Het is een versnelling. In je ontwikkeling, in je netwerk en in je zelfvertrouwen. Twijfel je omdat je Sefa nog niet goed kent? Dat deed ik ook. Juist dan is dit het moment. Learn more about the application and selection procedure for a board year below: Besides the fact that it is a good addition to your resume, you will experience how to run a large organization with a turnover of over € 1 million. Among other things, your board year will give you a unique chance to gain a lot of experience in making strategic decisions, guiding committees, managing projects, contacting different external parties and working together in a motivated team. The Sefa board is a full-time board. This means that it is not possible to follow a full-time study program. It is recommended to not take any courses, but if you still need one or two courses to pass, it is doable. Yes, you can! The Sefa board is open for international students. However, some positions require a good understanding of Dutch due to important daily contacts. You have to be enrolled in a study at the Economic and Business faculty. However, you will get a full refund of your tuition fees. Since you will be working hard during a board year at Sefa, there is little time left for activities like work. Therefore, Sefa compensates you financially. During your board year, Sefa compensates your tuition fee and provides you with a student grant. In addition, many activities related to Sefa will be compensated financially. It is no problem if you are new to Sefa. We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated students. Being a former active member of Sefa is not a requirement. During an internship, you will work for a company and will get limited responsibility. During a board year, you will get a lot of freedom. You are the ‘CEO’ of the Sefa and decide what will happen together with the whole board. You will get a lot of responsibility and learn a lot! Because students outside of the EU have to receive 30 EC to get their visa, it is harder to do a board year. However, if you graduated from your Bachelor or Master, it’s possible to apply for a year in which you can orientate yourself, for example by doing a board year! The application costs for an orientation year are covered by Sefa. Via the following link you can find more information: Sefa has 35 committees that are divided over our four pillars: Academic, Social, Career and International. You can find an overview here Do you want to have more information about a board year? Send an email to hr@sefa.nl to plan a call and get all the information you want about the board. 
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