Oleksandra participates in the Top Talent Programme: ‘I especially enjoy the continuous growth and self-development.’
Have you found yourself, as a first year student, doing well in your studies and are you perhaps interested in dedicating some extra time to either broaden or deepen your knowledge and give yourself an advantage in the job market in the next few years? Then the Top Talent Programme may be ideal for you! In an interview conducted with Oleksandra Shevchenko, a 3rd year Hotel Management student from Ukraine, we discussed the ins and outs of the Top Talent scheme offered through Saxion and also talked about her own experiences with the programme she has chosen herself.
Hi Oleksandra! Could you tell us more about the Top Talent Programme?
‘In essence, there are two routes to go when choosing a programme. Firstly, there are the Honours programmes. The idea of these programmes is essentially to broaden the knowledge which the student has, allowing them to branch out and learn about topics which may be new to them but relevant to the field they could work in in the future.
Secondly, there are the Excellence Tracks. Contrary to the Honours Programmes, Excellence tracks deepen the knowledge rather than broaden it. This means that the student is taken to the next step of the ladder, learning more information about topics they may already be familiar with relating to their field of study and hence the field they could work in in the future.’
And what route did you follow?
‘I went down the Honours Programme route. While in the first year of my bachelor, I found the workload to be relatively light and craved an extra challenge alongside my studies. In order to acquire some additional development which I can use in my professional work in the future, the programme I chose was Innovation and Business Creation. This programme is suited to students with an open and entrepreneurial mindset, since there is a key focus on business and also self-development. In addition, I found that Hotel Management was quite a narrow study, so following an Honours programme is the perfect opportunity to broaden my knowledge in regard to creating businesses and developing innovative ideas.’
In relation to the programmes themselves, willingness seems to be the underlying factor necessary to be a successful candidate in one of these schemes. How is that for you?
‘A huge bonus, which was touched upon earlier, is the self-development advantages of the Top Talent Programmes. The process of discovering yourself, your passions and clarifying the path of your future career is extremely valuable. By recognizing your strengths and weaknesses, you can then create a vision for yourself and goals that you want to reach. Discussing with my fellow students about why they need information on the topics that are taught, why these are necessary and how it will help with their futures, allows me to keep on track with the direction I am going and therefore I have a clear goal to reach. Being essentially pushed out of the comfort zone with the Top Talent Programme with new challenges also aids development; experiencing organizational challenges when trying to arrange a guest speaker for example, is a practical way to learn how to deal with problems and act proactively in order to avoid issues in the future.’
The process of discovering yourself, your passions and clarifying the path of your future career is extremely valuable.
What are other valuable aspects of the programme according to you?
‘Connection and networking opportunities are also a valuable aspect of the programmes. By bringing together a collection of like-minded individuals from different backgrounds and cultures, which you may not have found in your main study course, this initiates a metaphorical 'melting pot' of ideas related to one key topic – in this case Innovation and Business Creation. It also opens the door to make connections with individuals who are not students of Saxion. With the use of guest speakers which I mentioned, there is also the possibility of meeting future colleagues or employers as well!’
What is your favourite aspect concerning your Top Talent experience?
‘I especially enjoy the continuous growth and self-development. In regard to downsides, aside from the increased consumption of time, there really is no downside for me. Working on my organizational and personal management skills is more of a challenge than a downside for me, showcasing a clear example of the self-development experienced while taking part in one of these programmes.’
Do you have any advice for students who are considering to apply for an Honours Programme?
‘It is clear that each programme is unique and that its very important to put in the work to make sure that whatever you may choose is the right fit for you. Aside from setting aside the appropriate time to adequately take part in the courses, one also needs an intrinsic motivation to work hard at it and a drive for commitment when it comes to the learning and development. If you find one to be a good fit and are willing to commit these principles to complete the course, then I would recommend applying to join a Top Talent Programme!
If this interests you and you would like to find more information in regard to applying or learning more, please feel free to visit this page (Dutch) or this page (English) on the Saxion website.