Futures Centre

The Futures Centre is there to help you prepare for your next steps after graduating. The Futures Centre is available for all University College Utrecht students, right from the first semester until after graduation.

The Centre acts as a hub for a wide range of information, advice and guidance on internships, further study, employability, CVs, alumni connections and the labour market. At the Centre you can speak with University College Utrecht staff members who have special interest and experience in helping students plan their next steps. 

In cooperation with Utrecht University Career Services, the Futures Centre organises a range of special activities: 

Workshops

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

Several times a year the Futures Centre offers career workshops on campus, on topics like writing a CV. These workshops are announced a few weeks in advance in the student newsletter and on the student website. 

Workshops by UU Career Services

CV review

Writing and maintaining your CV is an essential part of planning your future after University College Utrecht. The Futures Centre advises you on how to build a smart CV. You can also find good information online; for example, consult the information of Utrecht University Career Services or the CV guide of Manchester University.

Practice interviews

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 and interviews

Work experience is highly valuable in demonstrating your readiness and suitability for employment. This can include part-time work in a supermarket, 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 crucial that you can reflect upon and articulate these experiences, and the Futures Centre staff members can help you with this. 

Internships

Doing an internship is an excellent way of gaining relevant work experience and building your CV. Although internships are not formally a part of University College Utrecht curriculum, there are various options for students who want to enhance their professional skills through an internship.

University College Utrecht offers the annual Alumni Internship Programme (AIP), in which a range of professional organisations based in the Netherlands offer summer internships that are personally overseen by one of our own alumni employed there. These include English-spoken and Dutch-spoken internships, and are open to all of our students. With the AIP, interns will gain excellent work experience, direct access to alumni know-how, and also receive ‘customary compensation’ (a small payment). Information about the AIP and the list of available internships positions for the summer is usually distributed in January.

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

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

Read more about internship opportunities

Further study advice

The majority of University College Utrecht 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. The Futures Centre staff members offer support in considering which programmes of study are most suitable for you and your ambitions, and how to successfully apply. 

Alumni events

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 3,000 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 expertise 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.

Read stories from UCU alumni

Contact

The Futures Centre currently shares an office with the Writing and Skills Centre in Locke LL. Students need to schedule a meeting in advance as for the moment, we only work appointment-based. If you would like to set up a meeting, please book an appointment with one of the career officers at the UCU Futures Centre (Gerda van Rossum, Mark Baldwin) via the calendar below. In the calendar, you can select an appointment on location or an online appointment.

Book an appointment

If you have an urgent request, if there are no more timeslots available, or if you have other questions, please contact us at ucu.futures@uu.nl, and we will get in touch with you.