This week, more than 350 students and graduates will meet representatives from 70 companies at the unibz Career Fair at the Campus Bozen-Bolzano. Why are universities involved in the career planning of their students?

Iris Tappeiner: Career services were originally developed at Anglo-American universities, with a long tradition of preparing students for the world of work during their studies. In Italy, the first attempts to establish these services at universities began with the Bologna reform in 2003. At unibz, we quickly responded, developing the initial placement office for curricular internships into the service centre it is today.

Given the acute shortage of skilled workers, you could say that unibz graduates would have no problem finding jobs even without such a service centre...

It is very important for us to provide students and graduates with realistic career guidance. So, it's not just about finding a job after graduation, but about finding a good job.

What is a good job?

The kind of work that feels right and important to a person, that allows them to use their talents fully, and that gives them satisfaction. Especially at a time when the world of work is changing rapidly and radically, Young people must learn to plan their educational and professional careers carefully and to reassess them regularly. Lifelong learning will become increasingly important.

What can a career service do to help?

We offer a wide range of activities, from our two major recruitment fairs—the Career Fair and Job Speed Dating—to internships, career talks, alumni talks, and company presentations. Ideally, we aim to support our students with their individual needs from their first year onwards.

Why at the beginning of their studies?

To avoid situations where students come to us at the end of their studies and ask: What now? This decision-making and orientation process should begin much earlier. It also means that students who experience the professional world and explore their options during their studies are often much more motivated and focused.

Does this apply to all faculties?

Our service is deliberately interdisciplinary and covers all faculties. There are courses where the career path is already quite clear, and these sometimes (but not always!) require less support, while for others, it is still very unclear. When a course offers a wide range of career opportunities, we have found it particularly important for students to explore what options are available to them and what they are passionate about as early as possible.

What would you suggest to freshers who don’t yet know what you offer?

It's not easy to give a general answer, as every student is different. For some, big events like the Career Fair are exactly what they need, while others may prefer a smaller company presentation with an aperitif. What's important to know is that students can also approach us individually. Every year we conduct around 300 one-to-one interviews, ranging from simple CV checks to in-depth career guidance discussions. People often come to us even after they have graduated, for example, to ask if they could benefit from an internship.

The Career Service isn’t only a resource for students and graduates, it also supports companies. What kind of assistance do you offer to businesses?

In addition to all the events we organise, our Career Hub is a very popular service. This is an online platform where companies can register to post their internship and job vacancies and present themselves in a virtual showcase. We currently have over 3,800 companies registered, not only from South Tyrol but also from the rest of Italy, the DACH region, and around the world. We also currently have around 1,200 active internship agreements.

Those are quite impressive figures for a small university.

Yes, absolutely. We have always had a large surplus of offers, and the challenge of attracting talent has become even more acute after the pandemic.

Do you also help companies find specific students or graduates?

No, we don’t act as a recruitment agency. Our support for companies is to give them as many opportunities as possible to connect with students and graduates and present their company and job offers—whether through large fairs or company presentations and tours. So, we don't organise specific, individual pre-selection processes for companies. However, I must say it often happens that companies find the right candidate through our services or events. We are, of course, very happy about that.

What kind of feedback do you generally get from companies?

In general, they are very grateful for the wide range of opportunities we offer them. Sometimes we get frustration when companies can’t find what they’re looking for, but the competition is very, very tough, and trilingualism plays a big role in that.

In what way?

The demand for trilingual graduates is extremely high. I regularly receive feedback from companies about the incredible added value of having employees who have studied in three languages. This cannot be compared to a C1 level in a foreign language, which can be acquired through a language course.

What is the role of unibz alumni in the Career Service?

Our alumni are very important to us in many ways. On one hand, we are very active in setting up a platform that allows former unibz students to network. One of the highlights is the Alumni Homecoming, which we will hold for the fourth time in 2025. But there are also so-called chapters in various cities, such as Munich, Vienna, and, most recently, New York, where unibz alumni meet regularly. All these initiatives are about networking, which remains one of the most effective tools for career advancement.

Are alumni also role models for current students?

Yes, of course, they are real role models. This is evident in our monthly Alumni Talks, where graduates discuss their careers or current jobs. This often leads to new contacts; we have already seen students apply to companies after hearing an inspiring talk. In 2025, we aim to expand our offerings by launching an alumni mentoring programme, where graduates with professional experience help young students start their careers. And, of course, it is always a great pleasure to meet former students at the company tables at our career fairs. They bring first-hand experience and, naturally, have a special connection to our university.