What skills are companies looking for? How can you navigate the job market and stand out in the recruitment process? Representatives from businesses in the Lubusz region answered these and many other questions during a series of meetings with students under the "Bridges to Careers" ("Mosty do kariery") program. During the meeting summarizing this year-long initiative, an agreement was signed to provide UZ students with even greater opportunities to secure their dream jobs.
The initiative, co-organized by the UZ Institute of Management and Quality Studies, the Department of Management of Human Social Potential in Organizations, and the Nowa Sól branch of AUDIT HR Sp. z o.o., aimed to prepare students for the first steps of their professional journey.
As explained by Dr. Hab. Eng. Sebastian Saniuk, Prof. UZ, Director of the Institute of Management and Quality Studies:
"We organized six meetings, which drew a total of nearly 900 students. Major enterprises from our region participated in these sessions to present the practical aspects of corporate operations and the expectations they hold regarding our graduates."
The meetings established a platform for exchanging ideas, benefiting the university, the students, and the businesses alike. Prof. Saniuk added:
"First, the university benefited because we engaged companies to actively participate in the educational process. We asked them to provide valuable feedback on our degree curricula—specifically, what could be supplemented or introduced into individual programs to better equip graduates for running their own businesses or working in specific enterprises. For students, it is an invaluable encounter with practical experience. Above all, it allows them to confront their acquired knowledge and competencies with the real requirements of companies. They can gain a practical outlook on the current labor market and its demands. For employers, the advantage lies in seeing who they will be working with in the future, as we know that generations currently entering the workforce differ significantly from previous ones."
Dr. Jarosław Flakowski, Vice-President of the City of Zielona Góra, drew attention to the importance of students developing their passions and encouraged them to remain consistent in pursuing their goals. Meanwhile, Dr. Hab. Andrzej Bisztyga, Prof. UZ, Dean of the Faculty of Law and Economics at UZ, encouraged students to explore the fields of study available at the faculty and highlighted the immense value of university-business synergy.
Bridging Theory and Practical Expectations
Students Natalia Skrzypczak and Agnieszka Sroka attended several of these meetings with Lubusz employers. They highly praised the initiative, primarily because it allowed them to verify their assumptions about professional work against current market demands:
"We learned that the theoretical knowledge we acquire at the university acts as a set of tools we can later apply in our jobs. On the other hand, the companies demonstrated exactly what skills and competencies they expect from us. The labor market is no longer a mystery to us. We know what will be expected, what we need to learn, or where we need additional training. This will make it much easier for us to enter the market and gain our first experiences," concluded Natalia Skrzypczak.
The students also discovered what factors, aside from theoretical knowledge, are highly valued during the recruitment process:
"Companies, especially manufacturing ones, greatly value skills such as quick learning, teamwork capabilities, and technical or manual skills, depending on the sector. However, the most vital traits are the ability to cooperate, a willingness to learn, openness, and commitment. Soft skills like kindness and the capacity to apply knowledge in practice are equally crucial," added Agnieszka Sroka.
Concrete Partnerships for the Future
The "Bridges to Careers" program culminated in the official signing of a partnership agreement by Prof. Dr. Hab. Wojciech Strzyżewski, Rector of the University of Zielona Góra, and Klaudia Dolata, Vice-President of AUDIT HR Sp. z o.o. Prof. Strzyżewski emphasized that such agreements between the university and corporate partners have a direct, tangible impact on helping UZ graduates find attractive employment within the region:
"The University of Zielona Góra continuously strives to prepare its students for their future professional careers in the best possible way. We have already signed several hundred such cooperation agreements. Each new partnership aims to bring our students closer to the local job market. It is worth noting that a vast majority of our graduates find employment directly in Zielona Góra or within the Lubusz Voivodeship."
The summary meeting was accompanied by a panel debate featuring business representatives who discussed effective ways to bridge science and commerce. Karol Dąbrowski, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer at the University of Zielona Góra, outlined the university's role in building these career bridges, while also pointing out opportunities for patenting innovative solutions and developing startups.
A prime example of these practices was presented by Dr. Michał Żejmo from the Prof. Janusz Gil Institute of Astronomy, who showcased "Cosmic Business"—a successful startup operating within the space sector. Participants also had the chance to draw inspiration from the success stories shared by local entrepreneurs detailing their paths to success.
