Dozens of Employers and Alumni Connect with AUP Students During 2023 Career Week

From September 11th to 15th, the Center for Academic, Career, and Experiential Advising (ACE Center) hosted a lively and engaging Career Week, with virtual and on-campus presentations from international employers and alumni. The week culminated in a vibrant Career Fair on Friday, September 15th, during which 14 companies and NGOs visited campus to connect over AUP students for internship and employment opportunities. The week’s events, in addition to the supportive network of ACE Center staff, advisors, professors and alumni, is evidence of AUP’s extensive career services, a vital component of student success.

Dozens of international companies, organizations and associations participated in Career Week events, both on AUP’s campus and online. Representatives from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Parenthèse visited campus to give presentations on jobs and internships, and two AUP alumnae who recently founded a publication, Revue Version Originale, spoke about starting a business in France. Seven other AUP alumni and two current professors shared their advice and experiences working at the United Nations and in the fields of consulting, real estate investment, and psychology. For increased accessibility, many of the week’s events were held online, with virtual presentations from Amazon Luxembourg, Echios, Going Global and PwC Luxembourg.

The Career Fair featured 14 multinational companies, organizations, and associations, including Expedia, France24, Deezer, Le Wagon, the European-American Chamber of Commerce and the American Friends of Musee D’Orsay. To prepare students for speaking directly with employers at the 2023 Career Fair, the ACE Center has been offering an increasing number of workshops throughout the year, on topics such as “Power Up Your Resume,” “Looking for a Job or Internship” and “Design Your AUP.”

The Career Fair saw a large number of students engaging with visiting employers, and participating companies had a positive response in terms of recruitment and AUP student profiles. Stephen Carlile, ’23, who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in human rights and data science, is one of the many students who took full advantage of the week’s events. He shared that AUP’s Career Week was “incredibly valuable [in] supporting students’ career development. Additionally, the inclusion of larger tech companies is a noteworthy development, catering to a broader range of majors.”

Outside of Career Week and workshops, the ACE Center – which provides academic advising, career preparedness, and professional development support – regularly offers students two time slots of office hours each week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, for personalized assistance. Appointments with academic advisors, career advisors and GPS advisors are available to book online. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the ACE Center’s services throughout their time at AUP, especially for assistance in developing their resume and securing internship and employment opportunities.

The ACE Center is led by Center Director Darcee Caron. Spearheading Career Week this year is Mary Brémond, Relationship and Experiential Learning Coordinator. As Brémond, who came onboard with AUP in early 2023, explained of her work organizing Career Week, “When I took the position, it was the first time someone could dedicate their entire full-time position to relationship building and management. It’s really exciting to show what the Career Center, and what AUP in general, can do.”

For the 2023 Career Week, the ACE Center team was presented with an opportunity to innovate how – and where – events were held. Caron had the idea to hold the Career Fair in the lobbies of the Combes and Quai buildings, which meant every student who attended classes or came to campus on Friday walked through a portion of the fair, a decision that increased visibility and student engagement with employers. As Brémond noted, “We have an opportunity to build a culture around companies, employers and associations coming to AUP and meeting our students. We felt that having the Career Fair in a very public space would be the best way to build these habits in the students’ minds.”

We congratulate Caron, Brémond, and the entire ACE Center team on an outstanding 2023 Career Week and Career Fair, and for their ongoing support in helping students feel prepared and confident as they transition to their careers.