Career Preparation
Career preparation at Leiden University
In addition to offering you a solid university education, Leiden University aims to prepare you as well as possible for the labour market, and in doing so contribute to the development of your employability. In this way, it will become easier for you to make the transition to the labour market, to remain employable in a dynamic labour market, in a (career) job that suits your own personal values, preferences and development.
'Employability' consists of the following aspects that you will develop within your study programme, among others:
1. Discipline-specific knowledge and skills
Knowledge and skills specific to your study programme.
2. Transferable skills
These are skills that are relevant to every student and that you can use in all kinds of jobs irrespective of your study programme, for example: researching, analysing, project-based working, generating solutions, digital skills, collaborating, oral communication, written communication, presenting, societal awareness, independent learning, resilience.
3. Self-reflection
This concerns self-reflection in the context of your (study) career, including reflecting on the choices you make as a student during your studies, what can you do with your knowledge and skills on the labour market?
In addition, reflecting on your own profile and your personal and professional development. Who are you, what can you do well, what do you find interesting, what suits you, what do you find important, what do you want to do?
4. Practical experience
Gaining practical experience through internships, work placements, projects, practical (social) assignments, which are integrated into an elective, minor or graduation assignment.
5. Labour market orientation
Gaining insight into the labour market, fields of work, jobs and career paths through, for example, guest speakers and alumni experiences from the work field, career events within the study programme, the use of the alumni mentor network, interviewing people from the work field, and shadowing/visiting companies in the context of a particular subject.
Employability in the curriculum of Computer Science
General
During the master Computer Science (CS), we want to provide you with the best possible preparation to enter the job market after graduation.
The master CS programme is strongly research-driven, which allows training of discipline-specific knowledge and skills, but also teaches students to work in a professional environment and fosters the development of an extensive set of transferable skills. This makes its graduates also well-prepared for a career outside academia.
In addition, in the Master Class, which runs over the entire second year of the programme, students are explicitly trained in several aspects of academic skills and are stimulated to make self-directed, conscious choices for their own professional development and preparation for a successful start of their career on the job market.
Activities contributing to employability
First and/or second year
All courses (discipline-specific knowledge and skills)
Science Skills Platform with a Personal and Professional development domain (transferable skills, self-reflection)
Mentorship and tutoring (transferable skills, self-reflection)
Visits to companies and organisations as part of courses (practical experience, labour market orientation)
‘Inhousedays’ at companies via study association De Leidsche Flesch (labour market orientation)
Symposia and seminars by study association De Leidsche Flesch (labour market orientation)
Workshops and Career Colleges Science Career Service (transferable skills, self-reflection, labour market orientation)
Second year
Master’s Thesis Research Project (discipline-specific knowledge and skills, transferable skills, self-reflection, practical experience)
o Optional: internship (practical experience, labour market orientation)
Master Class (transferable skills, self-reflection)
o Including: career orientation (e.g., guest lectures) (labour market orientation)
Activities to prepare for the labour market co-curricular or outside the curriculum
Every year, various activities take place, within, alongside and outside of the CS study programme, which contribute to your preparation for the labour market, especially where it concerns orientation towards the work field/the labour market, (career) skills and self-reflection. These may be information meetings on decision moments within your programme, but also career workshops and events organised by the CS programme, the faculty Career Service, study association De Leidsche Flesch, or others, including:
Career Service, LU Career Zone and career workshops calendar
Faculty Career Service
The Career Service of your faculty offers information and advice on study (re)orientation and master's choice, (study) career planning, orientation on the labour market and job applications.
Leiden University Career Zone
Leiden University Career Zone is the website for students and alumni of Leiden University to support their (study) career. You can find advice, information, (career) tests and tools in the area of (study) career planning, career possibilities with your study, job market orientation, job applications, the Alumni Mentor network, job portal, workshops and events and career services.
Workshops and events
On the course calendar you will find an overview of career and application workshops, organised by the Career services.
