Careers Counsellor
This was my final year as a careers counsellor, after three years having had the privilege of advising and guiding students and parents in making choices for future educational paths, I will continue at ISRLO as the MYP Department Leader after summer. I wish my successor Sophie Auton, an ISRLO Alumnus, the very best. She will introduce herself in this Newsletter.
The career guidance program focuses on three pillars; making informed choices, reflection on transferable skills, and self-advocacy, which guide our career events. It is impossible to share all career experiences in this newsletter but I like to mention a few highlights.
The MP5 World of Work Week (WoWW). In March MP5 went on a 4 day internship and visit to Leiden University Campus the Hague. Afterwords, they presented their learning to MP4 in April in 1-1 conversations. The conversations inspired MP4 to start thinking about their future choices and it was excellent opportunity for MP5 to proudly share their work experience during their internships which for some took even took them to Aruba, France or Italy. You can read more about their experiences in this Newsletter.
Another highlight of the year was the DP1 parent and student Career information evening in November supporting DP1 in making informed choices about their next steps after graduation. ISRLO alumni from the class of 2022 and 2023 shared not only their university experiences but also their valuable reflection on the choices they made while in DP1.
Around the same time the MP5 Career Afternoon took place: the kick-start for MP5 to think about subject package choices. Current DP1 students and ISRLO alumni supported MP5 students in sharing DP subject specific experiences as well as experience in other pathways such as vocational courses (MBO) and the IBCP program.
Last but not least, DP1 and DP2 Career Days taking place in January and September which are very exciting opportunities for all (pre) exam students to engae with professionals from different fields of work coming in to deliver workshops or participate in panel discussions. These days are joined events with the TTO and VWO/HAVO sections of the school and supports the bonding of the different communities at our school.
I truly enjoyed the conversations with students and parents in the past years and would like to thank you for making me part of your future plans and I look forward to continue working with many of you in my new role.
I wish you an inspirational and relaxing summer break.
Anne Lamers
Career Counsellor
IntroducingâŚâŚ. Sophie Auton, ISRLO Careers Counsellor from August 2024
Hi all! I attended ISRLO from 2009-2014, completing MP3-DP2. As of August, I’ll be stepping up as the international school career counsellor. I teach Geography and the DP Environmental Systems and Societies courses. Since I got my own IB diploma, I’ve been lucky enough to go to 5 universities across the Netherlands, UK and Canada. I’ve studied full-time, part-time, online, face-to-face, on campus and as a commuter. I also really enjoyed taking an accidental gap year. Each course and university offer a different student experience, so it’s worth taking the time to decide what’s right for you. I look forward to helping MP4-DP2 students next year to explore their next steps!
DP1/VWO5/HAVO4/TTO5 Careers Day in January
This event is greatly supported from RLO/ISRLO parents from various sectors of industry and local organisations. Set up as a panel of speakers from a sector of industry such as engineering, finance the defence services etc, these workshops allow students to ask panel members questions regarding education, job, role and career progression. The information they gather, gives them a clearer understanding of the steps they need to take, to get into that specific industry. There are several Workshops for the students to choose from, such as DUO Financing, several universities (Research & Applied Science), Police, Taking a Gap Year to name a few.
Forthcoming Event â DP2/VW06/HAVO5/TTO6 Career Day will be taking place on Wednesday 25th September whereby the students will be able to ask questions to a panel of external guests from specific sectors of industry regarding higher education qualifications and job roles and career progression.
DP1 Visits to Research Universities and Universities of Applied Science.
In July DP1 students visited Erasmus University at Erasmus University College in Rotterdam to gain an insight to both types of universities and the bachelor programmes that are taught in English.
Workshops given by outside professionals to DP1 students
Salma de Graaf, HR Director of Skyscanner facilitated an interactive workshop on CV Skills and Interview Techniques and gave advice to students who showed their CV to her. Kelly Vellinga Chan, a Lecturer from HAN University of Applied Sciences gave an overview of the courses offered at HAN and also explained the differences between a Research University to that of an Applied Science University.
Support from Alumni
ISRLO Alumni gave up their free time to come into school and offer advice and guidance about DP2, Applying to Higher Education, going on a Gap Year, employment.
MP5 Career Afternoon in November â Making the Right Decision
This afternoon gives the MP5 students to chat to Students who have chosen to do the IB Diploma Programme, students who are studying the CP programme at the International School of the Hague and those studying MBO and HBO qualifications, The aim of this afternoon is to help the MP5 students in their decision making after completing the Middle Years Programme.
MP5 students also have their first taste of a visit to a university and in March they visited Leiden University Campus, The Hague and Leiden University College.
MP5 World of Work Week (WoWW)
As part of the ISRLO Careers Curriculum Programme , MP5 students will undertake an unpaid work experience placement as part of the World of World Week co-ordinated by the International Careers Department at school. Work Experience offers the students the opportunity to prepare for the challenges of tomorrow. It will enable them to become familiar with the skills and attitudes which modern business requires of its workforce. Students are encouraged to source a placement that is connected to their own interests and plans for the future.
Here are experiences from several MP5 students
Arthur Stassen
World of work week is an annual event for MYP5 where everyone visits a workplace and has a short internship there. World of work week happens during the travel week. This year for my internship, I visited Tilburg University. I helped out with organizing events (like the open days) and attended multiple meetings and activities. During this week I experienced an office Job and had a really good time. I also practiced my communication skills by asking questions and approaching people. The thing that I enjoyed the most during my World of work week was simply walking around the building and the campus and talking to people. I think my world of work week was a success, and I really enjoyed my time on the job.
Space Sustainability: CleanSpace at ESA and my World of Work Week Experience by Alice Rinalducci in MP5c
In MYP5 one of the most anticipated activities is the World of Work Week. This is the chance for students to experience working in a real work environment; whether this be a company, a shop, a school, or an organisation. It helps you understand what it means to work especially for a job you’re interested in. I spent several months reflecting on where I wanted to go; which passion should I zoom into and discover? As the World of Work Week approached, I still had no work placement decided. Grudgingly, I went to my father for help. Low and behold, within a couple of weeks I had a placement at the European Space Agency (ESA, ESTEC), and although maths and physics are not my forte, I was brought to the Clean Space office and found my place rather quickly…
Although no one talks about it, space missions are some of the most polluting human activities there are. Both by the enormous carbondioxide emissions which greatly contribute to global warming, and by the constantly increasing debris left in Space. The philosophy appears to be âif it’s polluting Space, it’s not really a problem to us here on Earth!â. But there are roughly 12,500 satellites in Low Earth Orbit used for things like getting GPS and weather forecasting and over 4,000 no longer in use junk. Chances of collisions are high, and there already are several cases of people finding 600kg worth of space debris in their backyard. This is extremely dangerous for people and threatening to Space missions now and risking that in the future we won’t have âspace leftâ to send more stuff into space.
At Clean Space, the goals are to enforce regulations for these things, avoid and clean up debris, and use the most sustainable methods to build, test, and maintain rockets using Life Cycle Analysis. It is often easy to say, âjust be better,â âjust do betterâ, âbe more sustainable.â But what does that even mean? With the Clean Space team, I learnt that this is no easy feat. Just like many things nowadays, we are reliant on Space activity for all sorts of things, but at the rate at which we are working, it cannot be sustained. The concepts of keeping Space clean are still new and being developed, but even the smallest steps are of great importance. We only have one Earth, and protecting it is one of the most valuable things we can do.
Whether it is sustainability or medicine or sports that you’re interested in, the World of Work Week is the perfect opportunity to become aware of the impact you want to have on the world. I found that this week opened my eyes to the types of careers I could have and the things that are important to me. I was able to involve myself with the subjects in the direction I preferred â writing â and learnt so much about sustainability in the Space sector and beyond. I conclude this piece with gratitude for this experience, and the hope that others begin holding themselves, their peers, businesses, and governments accountable for making positive impact for the environment.
Jessica Gardener
During this week, MP5 took part in a work placement event, and I went to the Hortus Botanicus in Leiden. During my time there I learnt a lot about myself and what type of work I prefer doing. I learnt that I enjoy working individually and as a group, however I struggle working for long periods of time in an office. I got to experience many aspects of what goes on behind an organisation, such as the education department (which was where I worked). My favourite part of this week was testing out the illustration workshop with my supervisor, where we combined art with maths!
