EFR BOARD Find out more about the benefits of a board year, read about the different positions and discover how to apply! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!
Foreword Rector Magnificus We find that an association like EFR is of great value to both the university and of course to its students. EFR provides students with various kinds of activities and facilitates the relations between them, teachers and many other officials. Besides looking after students’ interests, EFR can also be relied on when it concerns high level activities. The Erasmus School of Economics and the Erasmus University as a whole owe a significant part of their good reputation to EFR. Thanks to EFR, world leaders like Gerhard Schröder, Benjamin Netanyahu, and José Barosso all visited our university in the past. Furthermore, EFR’s nationally broadcasted political debate makes our University the center of attention each year. EFR and its activities are actually quite unique. Where do you find a non-profit organization, run by over 100 students, organizing events like the ones above? Only the ambitious and down-to-earth attitude of Rotterdam and its students, and their great drive makes it possible to have activities like these at our university. But it is of utmost importance that our student organizations have good management! That’s why I suggest that you apply for a position on the management board. It is great to develop yourself by taking the opportunity that a board year offers.
Henk Schmidt Rector Magnificus Erasmus University Rotterdam
Foreword Myrthe van Dieijen Are you looking for a challenging and practical experience closely related to your studies? If so, then you might consider applying for the management board of one of Europe’s largest and most ambitious student organizations. With 7 fellow students you put your studies on hold for a year and spend your time managing EFR’s wide range of events for the students of Erasmus University. Each day the EFR-Board encounters many aspects of running an organization. Though you have a specific function in your team, you will be working closely with your fellow board members. Working that closely in a team is very inspiring for your entire working career and mastering it is certainly a valuable experience as it is a very important skill for later.
Myrthe van Dieijen EFR’s 47th President
Besides work there’s plenty of room for fun! You will fulfill an important role in Rotterdam’s student life, go to drinks and parties, meet new people and enjoy many unforgettable moments with your board and active members. A year on the EFR-Board is a great opportunity to develop yourself and it also signals your future employers that you put extra effort in your development, which is definitely an advantage when applying for a job. In short: a year full of great activities, working in a close team with over 120 enthusiastic active members, nice weekends and great social drinks. A year at EFR is truly unforgettable!
What will you gain? Professionally
Socially
Personally
You might have had a timemanagement class, or read something about giving feedback but it’s only after you have put it into practice that you begin to understand the fine nuances of these ‘soft’ skills.
You’ll also form a strong bond with your team and EFR members.
Exactly what you will gain here is hard to predict as everyone has something different to learn.
Learning to handle stress, providing effective feedback, receiving criticism, and making decisions around tight schedules are important skills that aren’t easily picked up in the classroom.
An EFR-Board year provides a constant environment to practice and develop these very valuable traits.
EFR organizes tons of social activities each year. As a board member you’ll be participating in almost all of them! From the very enjoyable constitution drinks of other associations at the start of the year to our own introduction weekends, parties, active member weekend, and other get togethers; there probably won’t be a week without something fun to do.
In some ways, a board year forces you to take a look into the mirror and confront yourself with the facts. Nobody is perfect and you might make mistakes, or lose your temper, but luckily you are not alone! Falling back on your team and receiving their feedback will provide you with something of inmeasurable value.
Support / Trainings Supervisory Board
As the EFR-Board you are not alone in making decisions. The supervisory board is there to help you when needed. The supervisory board exists of old board members and meets every six weeks with the EFR-Board. The supervisory board is there to keep track of the long-term vision, while the EFR-Board is responsible for their own year.
Management Trainings
Besides all the practical experience, EFR offers the EFR-Board management trainings by professional consultants. At the start of the year you receive a training to improve the teambuilding process. During the year you have the opportunity to receive more management trainings, specified for you and your board’s request.
You’re not alone, and there are a lot of ways to get support. Be it from old board members to professionals.
Study financing
An EFR-Board year means that you do not study for one year. The university encourages initiatives like board years and therefore provides you with another year of study financing to make up for the loss of delaying your graduation. Besides the fund provided by the university, EFR also compensates you for some costs made during the year.
Join Our Network. Students
An EFR-Year assures you come into contact with virtually every student on campus. Students of the ESE often look to the EFR and her board members for information, help and guidance.
Alumni
EFR keeps a tightly knit network of former EFR Members, Board Members, and ESE Students. This network stretches back to 1964, the birth of EFR in its current state.
This network is extremely valuable both on a personal level and to EFR in general, as it includes some very influencial CEO’s and business leaders.
Professionals
As an EFR board member, you are constantly in contact with profesionals from a wide selection of national and international companies. Every function within the EFR Board interacts with individuals from the corporate world in one way or another. As you can imagine, these contacts are not only of great importance to you as an EFR Board member, but also a great asset for when you graduate.
How about just having fun? With your active members
As an EFR Board member, you are surrounded by 120 enthusiastic active members who are always up for some fun. May it be during the introduction weekend, the active members weekend, EFR-Ski Trip, or the EFR Gala, there is always something fun going on.
Your board members will become your best friends and most entrusted colleagues
With your board
As one of eight members of the EFR Board, you need to trust each other at all times. This intensive working relationship goes hand in hand with a special social bond that knows no limit. You will experience the ups and downs with each other and you will become each others best friend, and will probably see each other more than you do your partner, house mates, parents or your dog.
Who are we looking for? Ambition?
We are looking for enthusiastic students, who are ready to dedicate one year to aim for one single goal: making sure that EFR remains as successful as it already is, while also developing yourself professionally, socially and personally. You should be willing to make a change and remain persistent. You do not need to be active at EFR in order to apply for the EFR-Board.
Teamwork Determination Enthusiasm
EFR-Board is open to students of all faculties (BA2 to Masters)
You do not need to be active at EFR to apply
Persistance Initiative
President What’s the job like?
The President is the ‘face’ of the organization. The President is expected to manage and provide support to the board. The EFR-Board will become a close team, and it is your job to keep the team together. Maintaining important contacts is an essential part of this. It is therefore important to be a real people’s person. The President has the final responsibility for EFR’s day-today business; a faculty association with a great history and an even greater future. The President is a highly skilled diplomat, a great listener, and an excellent communicator who is not afraid to make decisions and has a creative way of dealing with acute or stressful problems. Coaching is a significant aspect of your job. You will have an important role in the strategy and policy of the association. It is of great importance to make sure that the Board will reach the goals that are set at the beginning of the year. The President is involved in lots of different operations and expected to assist if things do not run as smoothly as they ought to be. Leading EFR for a year and being on the Board is a year of hard work and commitment, but there’s nothing more inspiring than working that closely with a fantastic team of eight people.
Characteristics Diplomatic Determined Charismatic Good communicator
Carry a vision, lead a strong team. President Myrthe van Dieijen thanking Dutch politicians at the EFR-Lijsttrekkersdebat.
Secretary Vice-President What’s the job like?
As a Secretary/Vice-President, you’ll be responsible for all contact with EFR’s members as well as with all associations in Rotterdam and besides that you’ll be in contact with EFR alumni and alumni of the Erasmus School of Economics by organizing several activities for them. You also handle all formal external communication. As a Secretary/Vice-President you are part of several agreements. You are chairman of the Convent of Study Associations consisting of AEclipse, EUREOS, FSR, In Duplo, Marketing Associatie EUR, Transito, and VRiSBI. Besides, you are responsible for the contact with all economic associations in the Netherlands. Furthermore, you are supervisor of a whole new committee, called ‘External Affairs’, a committee that tries to manage and expand EFR’s network. The Secretary/Vice-President has excellent social and communicative skills, is flexible, diplomatic and immune to stress. He has a strategic view and takes many considerations into account. Multitasking is one of the good qualities the Secretary/Vice-President possesses. Further, he is the right hand of the President, and will replace the president when he is absent.
Characteristics Diplomatic Good communicator Structured Immune to stress
Maintain our valuable network of contacts Secretary/Vice-President Maarten Groen gets in touch with one of our sister associations.
Treasurer What’s the job like?
During the summer every board sets out their strategic and operational policy and goals for the forthcoming year. It is your responsibility to translate this into the year’s budget. The year’s budget must stroke with the long term strategic policy of the association. During the year you must continuously adjust the budget to new expectations of costs and revenues in order to make the right investment decisions for all the projects. This requires you to have close contact with all the committee members and the corresponding board members who are supervising them to gain the most up-to-date information. Moreover, the treasurer takes care of the financial administration, vouches for timely payment of debtors, supervision of the correctness of incoming invoices and makes sure that EFR is in comply with the financial legislation. The treasurer has affinity with financial figures and has a good sense of responsibility. He should be accurate and capable of keeping a good overview of the whole association. He is able to stand his ground and manage risk.
Characteristics Accurate Affinity with financial figures Responsible Strategic
Financial control and responsibility. Treasurer Marc Julianus lives by the motto, “Cash is King.�
Marketing Officer Marketing Officer What’s the job like?
The Marketing Officer is EFR’s internal and external marketing coordinator. You’ll take care of the entire marketing and promotional policy. Almost every expression of communication, as well as to the students as to the press is your responsibility. Positioning EFR as one of the largest and most professional faculty associations is one of your core tasks, but your tasks are much more diverse. As the Marketing Officer knows best what we stand for, EFR’s entire marketing and promotional policy is your responsibility. Further, you are also responsible for the yearbook committee and together with the editor-in-chief of the Eclaire you make sure that your magazine is released several times a year. Moreover, the Marketing Officer assures that the website is up to date and look professional at all times. He also takes care of the technical part of the website. The Marketing Officer is a creative genius, a versatile person, social and good in communication and gives everything to keep EFR’s name in high respects.
Characteristics Creative Versatile Affinity with IT Dare to take risks
Communicate value, create a presence, be remarkable. Marketing Officer Hubert W. de Nie enjoying the Business Week marketing stunt.
Activities Officer What’s the job like?
The Activities Officer is responsible for the organization of one of the largest and most prominent student congresses in Western Europe; The EFRBusiness Week. For nine months you’ll accompany the EFR-Business Week Committee consisting of 6 individuals. Together you work on EFR’s most prestigious event, which will be organized for the 28th time next year. The Activities Officer is also in charge of the Activities Committee the Start Committee, the High Five Committee and the EFR-Ski Trip Committee. With them you’ll organize many activities like symposia, workshops, trips and parties. Together with these committees you make sure that the activities will have the professionalism, creativeness and quality of which EFR is proud of. The Activities Officer should be able to work with several projects, is a people person and a leader, can cope with stress, is a good communicator and is goal-oriented. It is your responsibility to motivate people, inspire them and make sure that they are learning an having fun at the same time while you get them to work together towards that common goal of organizing professional events.
Characteristics Immune to stress Goal-oriented People person Versatile
Guide the committees that organize our greatest events. Activities Officer Olivia van Gerrevink promoting the EFR-Business Week.
International Officer What’s the job like?
The International Officer is responsible for the internationalization of EFR. The group of international students is growing and it is your job to meet their demands. Five committees will help you to fulfill this task. The IBEB Start Committee is mainly responsible for the organization of activities for first year’s students, whereas the I.AM Committee organizes social activities for all students of the Erasmus School of Economics. Moreover, the EFREuroTour organizes a ten day exchange, which takes us to Istanbul this year. The ESE-Events organizes study related events, like guest lectures and academic activities, while the EPIC Committee organizes activities related to international affairs and partook in the London MUN. Besides organizing activities, you’ll be in direct contact with the faculty and IBEB students to make sure that all parties are satisfied. In addition, he or she has the responsibility to remain in good contact with external international parties, like embassies and prominent speakers. The International Officer is internationally oriented, has excellent social and communicative skills, is flexible, versatile, creative, immune to stress and possesses good English skills. The International Officer has a lot of room for implementing his or her own ideas.
Characteristics Versatile Immune to stress Representative Good English skills
Bring cultures and personalities together International Officer Marije Koornstra welcomes the U.S. Ambassador to the EUR.
Career Officer What’s the job like?
The Career Officer is responsible for EFR’s career activities. The Erasmus Recruitment Days will be the biggest project in your portfolio. Together with a STAR-Board member you’ll supervise the biggest on campus recruitment event in the Benelux. Together with him/her, it’s your job to make sure that the Erasmus Recruitment Days are organized in a professional way. The second committee you’re responsible for is the Erasmus Entrepreneurial Network. This committee organizes entrepreneurial related activities. Last year, EFR has developed the EFR-Training Center. In cooperation with companies you’ll organize trainings for all students at the university! You are also responsible for the EFR-Academy, which entails arranging various task force meetings, trainings and individual conversations to help track active members’ development. The job of Career Officer is a very interesting and diversified. You’ll guide a full time committee and a part time committee. You’ll get in touch with companies, active members and other students. The Career Officer is a versatile manager, a natural networker, a sound communicator and a strong leader.
Characteristics Versatile Goal-oriented Disciplined Structured
Generate career prospects for our students. Career Officer Laurens Schiebroek catches up with the chairman of the Erasmus Recruitment Days. As career officer, you are one of the final decision makers for this project.
Commercial Officer What’s the job like?
EFR finds herself in a unique position with her centralized commercial structure: only one person, the Commercial Officer, is responsible for all the commercial affairs. There is close contact with the largest multinationals and one of the most important things for the Commercial Officer is to stay in close contact with these and establish contacts with new ones. He has to face the wishes of the organizations, combine these with EFR’s activities and reach the final goal: a win-win situation. Relationship management is the key word! Since the Commercial Officer has intense contact with companies, he also has to support EFR’s commercial committee members. His main task is to finance all of EFR’s activities. Since he is the commissioner commercial affairs in the board, every decision must be subjected to his critical commercial point of view. A Commercial Officer is verbally strong, is able to write formally, is a good listener, is representative, likes to communicate with all kinds of people and is able to negotiate. With all the visits and contact moments, he really gets to know a wide range of companies, all with a different culture.
Characteristics Good listener Representative Negotiator Verbally strong
Make long lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with great companies. Commercial Officer Bart van Heeswijk makes a toast during a formal diner party.
Recruitment Procedure Go for a coffee
As the decision to apply for a board year is complicated, we recommend you to get as much information as possible. While drinking a coffee, we are open for questions. You are welcome to walk into our office any time! Informal recruitment drink 15th of April in Siena at 16.00hrs One day in the life of EFR-Board member Make an appointment with the board member whose position your interested in. Appointments can be made at the EFR Office, or applications@efr.nl Informal recruitment BBQ 21st of April in Siena at 16.00hrs
Interview Rounds
During round 1 we would like to get to know you, what you did before and why you want to apply for the EFR-Board. Further, we would like to know which positions you prefer. If you continue to round 2 you will get selected for two positions. During this round is job specific; you will get a case and have to motivate why you aspire to be in these positions.
Application Deadline 8th of May 2010 C.V. & Motivation to application@efr.nl
Interview Round 1 2nd May - 13th May Interview Round 2 16th May - 27th of May
What happens if I’m accepted? Champagne Drink
On the 9th of June you will get a phone call telling you whether you are in the EFR-Board. If yes, than you have to present yourselves to all (former) members of EFR at the Champagne drink in the Locus Publicus.
Transition Weekend
The day following the Champagne drink you will depart for the ‘Wisselingsweekend’. During this weekend you get to know your board members and learn more about EFR from the previous board.
Transition Period
The first two weeks of July (28th of June – 9th of July) the transition period takes place. After that you and your board members take over from the previous board.
When you’ve made your decision: Apply by sending your C.V. and motivation to application@efr.nl
You know if you’re accepted on the day of the champagne borrel! (9th of June)
Quick summary: Informal recruitment drink 15th of April in Siena at 16hrs
Application Deadline 8th of May 2011 C.V. & Motivation to application@efr.nl
One day in the life of an EFR-Board member
Make an appointment with the board member whose position your interested in. Appointments can be made at the EFR Office, or applications@efr.nl
Informal recruitment BBQ
Interview Round 1 2nd - 13th of May
21st of April in Siena at 16hrs
When you’ve made your decision: Apply by sending your C.V. and motivation to application@efr.nl
Interview Round 2 16th May - 27th of May
For more information check efr.nl/fulltime