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(Study) Career Planning

The Career Service of the faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences assists students and recent graduates with study choice and career questions during their bachelor's and master's and with the transition from study to the first job.

Career Service FSW

Interested in career opportunities after your education? Still no idea what you want to do after graduation? Doubts about your choice of study or master's degree? Do you need tips on what else you can do during your education? No idea how to start looking for a suitable job?

The Career Service FSW can help you with the following support:

Leiden University Career Zone

Extensive information about the Career Service FSW, your preparation for the labour market and applying for jobs can be found on the LU Career Zone! Here you will find...

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Study choice guidance

Do you have doubts about your study choice? Are you considering changing your study?

Study advisors

Always discuss your doubts with the study advisor of your study programme first. Perhaps your doubts do not have so much to do with your choice as with your study approach or certain circumstances within or outside your study program.

Study choice- and career advisor Career Service

The study choice/career advisors of your faculty Career Service can help you with your choice of study (or re-selection) and how you can orientate yourself, if necessary, to a new study. With the study choice advisors, you can map out your doubts and go deeper into your choice of study.

Study (re)choice conversation

During a study (re)choice interview, various topics can be discussed, including:

  • how your study is currently progressing to clarify whether your doubts are related to your study choice or to your study approach, the degree of difficulty or other circumstances
  • how you made a choice before
  • insecurity and fear of making the wrong choice again
  • how do you come to a good/new choice
  • the steps in the study choice process: orientate, explore, deepen, decide, where are you and what do you still need?
  • discussing study choice test results
  • plan of action

The result may also be that you are in the right place with your current study. In any case, you have thoroughly researched your choice of study again.

More informatie

More information about making choices and looking for new study can be found on the LU Career Zone

Individual career guidance

Interested in career opportunities after your education? Doubts about your choice of study or master's degree? No idea how to start looking for a suitable job? Make an appointment for personal advice at the Career Service FSW! During a study (re)choice or career interview, you can discuss the following:

  • Plan your study career (including side jobs, internships, voluntary work, other side activities)
     
  • Guidance with study (re)choice or master's choice

  • How can you best make use of an gap period/ year?

  • Your personal profile (who am I, what am I good at, what do I want?)

  • Discuss career tests

  • Have your CV and cover letter checked 

  • Get tips about your LinkedIn profile 

  • Prepare or practice job interviews

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CV en LinkedIn profile tips & check

CV and LinkedIn profile tips
Check the information on CV and/or LinkedIn profile on the LU Career Zone for useful tips and start improving your CV and LinkedIn profile yourself! 
If you still have questions afterwards, you can ask them during a CV / LinkedIn profile check at the Career Service FSW.

This CV / LinkedIn profile check can be done in the following ways:

  • CV/LinkedIn profile check at the Student Plaza FSW
    You can have your CV/LinkedIn profile checked at the Student Plaza FSW (Pieter de la Court building, Leiden), on the following days:

    • Tuesday: 13.00-15.00 hrs

    • Wednesday: 10.00-13.00 hrs
       

  • CV/LinkedIn profile checks during Career Events
    During career events there is always an opportunity to have your CV or Linkedin profile checked. 
    Keep an eye on the course calendar for this!
     
  • Appointment with study/career advisor
    You can, after using the above tips, have your CV and LinkedIn profile, as well as your cover letter checked by one of the FSW Career Service's career advisors. Make an appointment via the online booking form
Job application workshops and career events

The Career Service FSW, in collaboration with other Career Services of the university, regularly organizes career workshops and events that help you to orientate the labour market and find a job.

The Career Colleges, given by professionals offer you a look behind the scenes of various work fields. The workshops will give you advice and tips for improving your CV and LinkedIn profile, writing a motivation letter, for job interviews, career stress… You name it!

Check the course calendar for upcoming career lectures, workshops and events!

workshops

Missed an event?

The Career Services of Leiden University regularly organize Career events. Did you miss events and want to watch the recorded webinars? You can!

Click here to watch the Career Events!

Career stress

Looking for a job or shaping your study career can cause (some) tension. Many students experience stress at some point in the search process. It is good to know that you are not alone in this. The following information can potentially help to visualize your obstacles in order to deal with them better. 

  • At the LU Career zone, you can find more information on career stress and how to deal with it. 

  • Every career has "successes and setbacks or failures". Employees of Career Services, other employees (of Leiden University), alumni and students tell on the ''Successes and Failures'' blog what has shaped them during their career.

  • On the student wellbeing website of Leiden University, you will find information to protect and improve your own wellbeing. If career stress has serious consequences for your mental well-being, read here where you can go.

Career planning roadmap

The Career Planning roadmap has been developed by the Career Services of Leiden University to support you in your orientation on the labour market and in your search for a suitable job. In this Career Planning step-by-step plan you go through the entire career orientation process based on a number of steps:

  • About the Career Planning
  • (1) Know Yourself
  • (2) Explore the job market
  • (3) Develop your (application) skills
  • (4) Find a job (vacancy)

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career planning
Alumni Mentor Netwerk

Through the Leiden University Mentor Network, students and young alumni can get in touch with experienced alumni and easily approach them for career advice. All students and recent graduates (young alumni) can use this portal for:

  • Application and career tips from Leiden alumni

  • Information about a specific sector, organization and/or function

  • Questions about career choices.

Sign up here!

Vacancies (Jobportal)

Looking for suitable vacancies? Find vacancies on the Leiden University Job Portal that employers have registered with the Career Services and look at the various job sites for internships, side jobs, starter jobs and volunteer work.

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