Virtual Bocconi and Jobs: First Edition Kicks off on 14 July

ANOTHER TRADITIONALLY IN PERSON EVENT, BOCCONI'S EMPLOYMENT FAIR, GOES ONLINE. BUT THE CAREER SERVICE ACTIVITIES REMAIN FOCUSED AND CUSTOMIZED

A preview of the future, from a time when smart working is the first option for many companies and for other ones a key resource not to be used only during emergencies. In this 2020 plagued by the coronavirus, many of the students used the Bocconi Career Service in distance mode. That means their first approach with prospective employers took place online, with all the difficulties this entails, especially done under the pressure of the health emergency.

None of the planned initiatives has been canceled, the format has only been changed to adapt to the technological tools available: from In Company Training to the Recruiting Dates, future graduates have every resource at their disposal to support them in their occupational choice. Thanks also to the availability of firms, which will be present in a substantial numbers (163 companies and law firms), Bocconi&Jobs has gone virtual. During the peak event of Bocconi Career Service activities, on 14 and 15 July from 11 am to 4 pm (registration  from 30 June to 9 July), students and graduates (up to one year after graduation) of the Undergraduate School and students and graduates (up to three years after graduation) of the Graduate School and School of Law, will be meeting employers online through individual or group chats or individual conference calls.

"Our goal is to improve collaboration with companies to continue meeting their recruitment needs and employer branding aspirations on the one hand," says Bocconi Rector Gianmario Verona, "and on the other, to find the best professional placement for our students and graduates, both in Italy and abroad. The message we want to convey," continues Verona, "is that the job market never stops, in spite of the pandemic. We are very proud of the high number of students and companies that have joined our activities to date and we are happy that this intitial season of a digital Career Service reaches its peak with the first virtual edition of Bocconi&Jobs ".

The virtuous relationship between Bocconi and the world of work is demonstrated by its growing success in placement: 95.7% of graduates are working one year after graduation (and of these 31.1% are abroad) even if the average time of entry into employment is only 24 days. Even more significant is the employment rate on graduation day when 73.2% of students already have a job (of which 32.1% abroad). These data are made available thanks to the 685 companies that have chosen Bocconi for their recruiting activities in the last year.

“There are many trends that are having an impact on the world of work: some are transversal, such as innovation, sustainability and the impact of digital technologies, others are industry-specific but all are leading to a business transformation that is already having a great impact on the job environment", says Antonella Carù, Dean of the Graduate School. "The health emergency has spurred immediate changes that have found a fundamental support in technology. This virtual Bocconi & Jobs highlights the ability to react by innovating and strengthening the scope of an event that represents a classic appointment for companies and students at Bocconi. It will be a useful experience to enrich the formats of future editions with the integration of physical and digital, as will be the case for academic teaching".

"For me, since I am abroad for my Double Degree, having the opportunity to follow the Career Service activities online was very helpful," says Gaia Fiordispini, enrolled in the second year of the MSc in Marketing Management, "I have profited by participating in many meetings. In particular, as regards In Company Training, I appreciated those interactive presentations where students were directly involved in some activities. I believe that this format, more than just frontal presentations, should be implemented ".

According to Leonardo Spolaor, a 21-year-old Venetian enrolled in the third year of the BSc in Economics and Finance and active in a virtual In Company Training with Intesa Sanpaolo, "the distance working method allows the people involved greater autonomy and consequently a higher dose of responsibility, because contacts with managers are less frequent. I was part of a team of three students, coordinated by an Intesa manager, who worked on generational passage in family companies. The work went smoothly, what was missing is actual contact with people. A mixed solution would be ideal."

by Davide Ripamonti
Translated by Alex Foti