Career Event 2021 #getinspired: a flying start of your career

Even though Floortje Dessing - producer, entrepreneur, presenter, publisher and writer - knew early on that she wanted to do something with traveling, it took about 25 years before she really knew what she wanted. And that's okay. Finding your passion takes time, she says. “It sounds a bit cheesy, but my advice is to follow your heart. Stop, sit down, be quiet and listen to the voice in your head.”

Floortje’s advice to get the internship you want: “Know what you want and know why you want it. Show the organisation you want to work with the things you are focused on. Be straightforward, be fierce, work your ass off. And if you fail? It doesn’t matter. You’re a student. You’re learning. Fail and learn from your mistakes. The best thing about being a student is you’re free to fly wherever you want to go!”

“We all have great ideas”, says Jouri Schoemaker, entrepreneur, speaker, elevator pitch trainer and Dutch Pitch Champion (2016). “But how do we bring these ideas to life? Well, just do it. First pitch, then make. Because pitching is a way to bring your ideas to execution.” And that’s exactly what Jouri did as a successful entrepreneur.  

In this inspiration session Jouri tells the students all about Shake-on, a tech start-up that he was a co-founder of, and Pieter Pot, a successful packaging-free online supermarket he founded as well. Jouri’s tip: “Make mistakes! You have to make mistakes, because then you learn. We also made a lot of ‘fuck-ups’ ourselves, that’s how we came this far. We did all this by learning. Learning by doing.”

‘Pitch Queen’ of the Netherlands Nathalie Mangelaars tells Tio students during her masterclass all about the perfect pitch. Nathalie: “I believe everyone has a story to tell”, but the real challenge is: how to get it heard? A selection of her tips and tricks:

• Tell about your functional skills (cv, work experience)
• Tell about your emotional skills (what drives you, what are your personality traits)
• Tell about your expressive skills (clothing, first impression)

Furthermore, it is important to be authentic. It’s not a problem if something goes wrong, because people can more easily connect to people who are authentic. And how to deal with nerves? Just accept them! The adrenaline in your body can even help you giving an even better pitch.

With all these tips in mind, no doubt Tio students will present themselves smoothly and will get their desired internships!

“Today I’m going to tell you an amazing story that seems to be about avocados, but actually isn’t.” Right from the first moment, Ron caught the attention of all the students at home. Ron is a creative entrepreneur, an inspirational keynote speaker and the founder of The Avocado Show: the first avocado based restaurant in the world.

Full of enthusiasm Ron shares the secret behind the success of The Avocado Show with the students. He tells about how the idea came about, how he deals with COVID, which mistakes he made and what his goals for the future are. His advice: “If you have an idea, if you have a dream, speak it out and do it. No matter what everyone else thinks. I believe that you can speak things into existence.”  

Michael Ross is a digital native, serial-entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of Bidroom, the first membership hotel booking platform that can really guarantee the best hotel price for its members and increase revenue for hotels. Michael is an entrepreneur pur sang and he started his first company when he was just 18.

“If you want to be an entrepreneur, you have to be ready to take risks”, says Michael, who has booked a lot of success with his businesses in the travel and hospitality industry. “Be creative, be passionate and be focused. Have a goal-mindset. The road to success is not always easy. So keep pushing, keep believing in yourself and never give up!”  

“Let’s talk about how you can get noticed with social video!”, opens Pelpina Trip, social media video expert, her masterclass. According to her, there are three bumps you need to get over:

• You don’t have the tools, money or skills > but you really don’t need much: a camera (phone) mic (headset), tripod (selfiestick or just use tape), light (window or construction light) and editing apps.
• You think making video is awkward > but you will not die doing it! Just stand instead of sitting, keep recording, give yourself time, keep breathing and practice, and all will be allright.
• You don’t know where to start > start with People (who do you want to reach), Purpose (what is your goal) and Platform (for which medium are you making the video). Make a video plan and practice!

But most importantly: don’t just be visible but connect, and be real.

She is called the secret weapon of Hilversum. And today, she is the secret weapon of Tio! Machteld Kooij, media and presentation trainer, is the coach of a lot of professional hosts in the Netherlands. In this last inspiration session of the day the Tio students are treated by Machteld to a lot of practical tips and tricks for their own presentation skills. Super useful!

So, how to make a great impression during an internship interview? Machteld: “First, show the interviewer something. Tell why it’s important for you. Make a connection with your skills. Second, tell the interviewer a story about yourself. Take one moment out of your life. Give a scenery and show your enthusiasm. Third, watch your body language. It’s not only what you say, but also how. Finally: prepare and enjoy. Then you will make a great impression!”