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First Year Student Career Guide

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For First-Year Students

Your First Career Event

You’re a year or two away from a real job search — but career events are still for you. Here’s how to walk in knowing what you’re doing, even on your first one.

First-year students often skip career events because they think they “have nothing to offer”. You do. Recruiters know you’re first-year and they’re still happy to talk. The goal of your first event isn’t a job. It’s orientation.

1Things You’ve Heard That Aren’t True

Myth

“Career events are only for students close to graduation.”
Wrong. Sefa runs events specifically for first-years (the Career Month Junior), and even at the bigger events many companies actively want to meet earlier students.

Myth

“I have nothing on my CV — there’s no point.”
Wrong. Your CV at first year shows your direction, not your destination. Recruiters expect first-years to have student jobs, hobbies, and maybe a committee — not a full work history.

Myth

“You have to know exactly what you want to do.”
Wrong. The whole point of a career event is to find out what you want. Saying “I’m here to explore” is a totally acceptable opener.

Real talk

What you actually need: curiosity, a clean CV, business-casual clothes, and the willingness to ask questions. Everything else can be learned in one afternoon.

2Start Smart — The First-Year Plan

Step 1

Build the basics
  • Download the Sefa CV template
  • Fill in everything truthfully — student job, languages, extra-curriculars
  • Add even small projects from classes
  • Create a basic LinkedIn profile

Step 2

Pick the right first event
  • Career Month Junior (CMJ) — designed for you
  • Sefa Career Week — go to the open fair, even just for an hour
  • Open-to-join presentations and speaker events
  • Skip case rounds for now

Step 3

Go in with a goal
  • Aim for 3 honest conversations — not 15 nervous ones
  • Pick companies across different industries to broaden your view
  • Ask “what’s a day in the life like?”
  • Take notes after — not during — each conversation

3What to Ask as a First-Year

To understand the industry
  • “What’s changing fastest in your sector right now?”
  • “What kinds of roles do most people in your team come from?”
  • “If I wanted to work in this field by my master’s, what would you tell me to focus on now?”
To understand the role
  • “What’s a typical day actually look like — what fills your morning?”
  • “What’s the part of the job that people are surprised by?”
  • “What makes someone successful here in their first year?”
To understand yourself
  • “What kind of person thrives here, and what kind doesn’t?”
  • “What advice would you give someone in my year considering this path?”
  • “If you could start over today, would you take the same route?”
To understand the pipeline
  • “Do you offer first-year students any summer programme or insight day?”
  • “How do most internships at your company get filled?”
  • “When does your recruitment cycle for next year’s interns typically open?”

4Exact Things to Say (Steal These)

Opening lines for a recruiter at a fair
  • “Hi, I’m [name] — I’m in my first year of [programme] at the UvA. I’m at the start of figuring out what direction I want to take. What kind of work does your team do day-to-day?”
  • “Hello! I’m a first-year and I’m honestly here to explore — I’d love to hear what makes someone successful at [Company].”
  • “Hi, I’m [name]. I noticed [Company] has been working a lot on [topic] — could you tell me more about how that shows up day-to-day?”
Graceful exit lines
  • “This has been really helpful, thank you. I won’t keep you — could I connect with you on LinkedIn so I can stay in touch?”
  • “Thanks so much for your time — I know there’s a queue. Is the best way to follow up via LinkedIn?”
What to say when you don’t know what to ask
  • “What would you wish you had known when you were in your first year?”
  • “I don’t have my next question ready — what’s something you wish more students asked you?”

5Build the Habit Now

Read for 15 minutes

Subscribe to one business publication — FD, NRC, FT, or Sifted for startups. Skim daily. You’re learning the language of business.

Join one committee

A Sefa committee is the fastest way to build real CV content. Active members get exclusive training and contact with 250+ companies.

Speak to one alumnus

Find a UvA alumnus working somewhere that interests you on LinkedIn. Send a polite 15-minute coffee request. Most will say yes.

Your post-event checklist (within 48 hours)

  • ✓Send LinkedIn requests to everyone you spoke with — personal note each time
  • ✓Write a few notes per conversation while you still remember them
  • ✓List 2–3 things that surprised you, and one industry you want to learn more about
  • ✓Block 20 minutes to read one article about the industry that excited you most
🎓

One last thing: the first career event always feels harder than the second. The second feels easier than the third. By your fourth, you’ll wonder why you ever found this scary. Just go.
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