Futures Centre

Workshops are available at several moments throughout the year across the university, to help you with self-awareness, understanding the labour market, employability, networking and making successful applications, and more

Through the year the Futures Centre offers workshops on campus, on topics like writing effective CVs, and skills awareness These workshops are announced a few weeks in advance from the Futures Centre.

Writing and maintaining your CV is an essential part of planning your future, and also being ready for opportunities that arise while studying. The Futures Centre can advise on how to write a smart CV. You can also find good information online, for example, at the Utrecht University Career Services web page.

Interviews are your opportunity to get one step further in an application process, whether it is for further study or employment. Good preparation is key to any interview, and it might also help you to practice some of your techniques with a Futures Centre staff member in a ‘mock interview’. 

Work experience is very valuable for exploring which professional domains you enjoy, and for demonstrating your readiness for employment. This can include any type of part-time work, voluntary work in the community at home or abroad, a formal internship with a business, or any other exposure to responsible, working life. It is very important that you can reflect upon these experiences and articulate how they changed you - the Futures Centre staff members can help you with this.

Internships are excellent opportunities to gain relevant work experience and develop your professional competences. Although they are not formally a part of the University College Utrecht curriculum, there are various internship options available to students.

In UCU’s annual Alumni Internship Programme (AIP) a wide range of professional organisations, based both in the Netherlands and abroad, offer summer internships that are personally overseen by one of our own alumni employed there. These include English-spoken and Dutch-spoken internships, and all students can apply. AIP interns will gain valuable work experience, direct access to alumni know-how, and most also receive ‘customary compensation’ (a small payment). Information about the AIP and the list of available internships positions for the summer is usually distributed to a student via email and social media in early Spring.

Many students find internships by reaching out to their own networks and speculatively approaching organisations, rather than by applying only for published vacancies. The Futures Centre staff can help you in your proactive search for internship opportunities.

Depending on the content of the internship and the number of hours worked, it may be possible to register the internship for curriculum credits.

The majority of UCU students go on to do further study, most often in the Netherlands or the United Kingdom, whether it be straight after graduation or after a period of working and/or travelling. Tutors can offer the deepest support in considering which masters programmes are most suited to you and your ambitions, and Futures Centre staff can help you in how to enhance your applications.

University College Utrecht has an ever-expanding network of alumni, dating back to its first ever graduating cohort in 2000. This network now comprises over 3,500 alumni across the world, in all kinds of professional positions and study programmes, who may be able to support your next steps with tips, personal perspectives, work opportunities, or general networking. 

The best way to find alumni in your area of interest is to use the search option on University College Utrecht’s alumni page on LinkedIn. For example, you can filter alumni based on location, company, university or study programme.

The University College Alumni Association (UCAA), has an active group on Facebook, which is frequently used by students and alumni for seeking advice on matters related to further studies and career.