Have you been working at VU Amsterdam for at least two years? Then you can make an appointment with an external career coach through the HR & Development Expertise Centre. They can help you with questions such as:

• Which step should I take next in my career?

Or:

• How can I become more effective in my work?

Together with your careers coach, you will identify your qualities and points for development and draw up a plan for a new career in your current field, or in a new area of the labour market. For example, you may benefit from a time management course or personal effectiveness course.

Are you looking for a new impetus in your career? Or would you like to learn from an experienced professional? Our mentorship programme pairs you with someone who is further progressed in his/her career, within another department or faculty. During a series of meetings, your mentor will help you to make progress and to develop professionally.

There are also special tracks such as careers services for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers that help you think about the next steps in your career, with support provided through coaching and workshops.  For example the course PhD success and personal efficacy and Career orientation for PhD Candidates and Post docs.

Even if you cannot continue your career at VU Amsterdam, we provide excellent guidance to help you make the transition to a new job and to make the most of your talents. The Expertise Centre for HR & Development organizes special workshops for job-to-job support in the months leading up to the end of your employment contract, such as the workshop on ‘Skills and Networking' and 'Successful applications via LinkedIn'.

The Expertise Centre also holds monthly careers meetings with interesting guest speakers to help you practise and reflect on your job application skills, and focusing on useful career skills such as making presentations.