One of the most decisive moments in any student’s life is the transition from college into their profession. Although academic institutions are increasingly committed to facilitating this “soft landing”, companies demand skills and expertise that candidates must demonstrate from day one.
In such a dynamic and competitive work environment, the skills required for new jobs have evolved significantly. Skills that were previously considered secondary, such as “soft skills” – including effective communication, teamwork, problem-solving and time management – have become so important that they are now referred to as “power skills” in the HR field.
In the interest of strengthening these interpersonal skills and solidly connecting a university education with the demands of the labor market, CIS University, in collaboration with Next Job, organized The CIS University Hackathon 3.0.
Real challenges of real companies, and finding innovative solutions
This time, ING Direct and Robert Walters presented real challenges for the students. The financial institution ING Direct asked participants to develop a strategy to identify the values that make a specific bank the preferred option for younger generations of new clients. Robert Walters, a firm specializing in Human Resources, proposed finding strategies and solutions to increase its client portfolio by 20% for the Executive Search Program in Spain.
Teamwork, the key to finding solutions to complex problems
To address these challenges, the activity was structured on two different days. The first, called “Definition and Prototyping”, involved participants gathering and analyzing relevant data provided by each organization. A week later, the sales pitch took place, where the teams presented their proposals to representatives of the participating companies, professors and peers, closely simulating a professional environment.
The groups took turns giving their presentations in front of an audience that evaluated each proposal attentively, creating an atmosphere that faithfully reflected the dynamics of corporate presentations that take place daily in any organization’s boardroom.
The Hackathon is an excellent opportunity for our students to experience firsthand the collaborative and strategic processes they will encounter in the business world,” said Gabriel Ferrer, professor in the Department of Communication at CIS University, ”Their involvement has been significant and their proposals have demonstrated the talent and preparation of our students to face professional challenges in the future. This has undoubtedly been an experience that connects education with the business world”.
From all of us at CIS University, we would like to congratulate the participating students, companies, and organizers for the success of this Hackathon. We look forward to seeing you next time!
