Get your professional ball rolling: from myCareerCompanion to Job Teaser

How can I determine which career paths I should explore? Which jobs inside and outside academia match my passions and interests? How can I prepare myself better for the next step in my professional journey?

In this reflective and interactive career development workshop by Rosanne Ceuppens you will discover how you can align your career decisions with your personal and professional needs. The digital platforms myCareerCompanion and PhD Talent Pool Flanders will be used throughout the two sessions to guide you through your career exploration. By means of a personalized career compass on myCareerCompanion you will get a better understanding of (1) your career drivers and interests and (2) how various roles and environments match these interests. After having a better understanding of your professional identity, we will discuss several vacancies on the PhD Talent Pool. Furthermore, various interviews from employers regarding recruitment advice will be focused on. This way, participants will be able to get a better understanding of what a recruiter is looking for in order to feel more prepared for the next step.  

The programme looks as follows:

Session 1: Exploring your professional DNA (core values, competences, corresponding jobs and work environments)

Session 2: Discovering the current job market (vacancies, recruitment tips & tricks, required competences)

This event is part of the career week 2026. The Career Week is a joint initiative of the Doctoral Schools and HR Department. During this week, it’s all about exploring your opportunities, discovering which career path suit you and preparing for a better transition after finishing your PhD. The full programme can be viewed by clicking on the red button on top of this page. 

Preparation

The participants will get a unique access code to log on to the myCareerCompanion platform and will have to create a (free) account on PhD Talent Pool Flanders. In preparation for both sessions, participants will be asked to complete a few assignments. The outcome of these assignments will be reflected upon both individually and together with peers during the two sessions. Participants should plan 1 to 2 hours of preparation before each session.

Learning outcomes

After having attended this workshop, you will ...

• have gained insight into your strengths and interests
• have a better idea of possible jobs that suit you well
• discover what type of organisation you feel most comfortable in
• have an understanding of skills that are valued beyond academia
• feel more prepared for the recruitment process

Competences

An important part of preparing for any further professional step is becoming (more) aware of the competences you have developed and/or want to develop. In the current workshop, the following competences from the UHasselt competency overview are actively dealt with:

• interpersonal competences:
  • stakeholder awareness
  • written communication
• personal effectiveness:
  • self-development
  • self-confidence
  • initiative
    
    

For whom?

• Early career researchers ((≥ 2nd year) and postdocs
• This session is oriented at career path explorers and therefore not that suitable for researchers who already have a specific career path in mind. However, the session can still be relevant in case you want to identify your strengths and interests even further. 
• 15 places available.

When and where?

• October 7, 2026: 14:00-16:00
• October 14, 2026: 14:00-17:00
• Location: campus Diepenbeek - Room B2 (October 7) and Room A9 (October 14)

Registration?

• Registration is possible via this link from June 17 until September 18.  
• As places are limited, registering does not automatically imply that you will be able to participate. You will be notified by email after the registration deadline has passed.
• Please cancel your registration at least one week in advance in case you cannot make it (cf. cancellation & no-show policy).

Acknowledged as?

• DS BSH: category 'career management & personal development' - workshop on career management
• DS HLS: category 'transferable skills' - half of a course on transferable skills
• DS ST: category 'career & personal development' - course about career development