A Career in JELU

JELU is a Junior Enterprise in every respect: a non-profit university association whose aim is to narrow the gap between what students learn in theory during their degree and what the world of work requires in practice.

Because a Junior Enterprise lets students with real ambition and a desire to test themselves discover how what they study is actually applied, to immerse themselves in “learning by doing”, a training ground for developing valuable skills and personal qualities such as project management, public speaking and teamwork. Then there are ideas such as creativity, entrepreneurship, discipline and the way a company works, like the importance of meeting deadlines. It means starting a path that helps us grow a great deal, both as people and as professionals: learning to deal with people and with fellow members, and feeling satisfied with a job carried through with grit and determination. On top of that, students who have been part of a JE show a greater ability to innovate within the company they work for than the average student, and a stronger inclination to start a business of their own.

Once you are in, after the recruitment process and therefore the interviews, there is a trial period during which you will be assigned work in line with the area you chose, and you will be assessed on what you are able to do, while of course being given the room you need to ask for help and to learn.

There are three interviews: group, individual/motivational and technical. The group interview involves solving a hypothetical case, during which we assess your teamwork, communication and persuasion skills. During the individual interview you will tell us why you would like to be part of JELU, about your studies, your extracurricular experiences and your skills, so that we can go deeper in our assessment. The technical interview focuses on assessing basic skills relating to the area you are interested in. For this reason there is no need to study: just revise the notions relating to the area you have chosen, which you should already have.

There is no monetary pay, because junior consultants work with the status of volunteer members, but we offer training on the job and extra-university training through our partners and advisors.

Before the interviews you can certainly read up to understand which area or areas would interest you most. What is more, you can choose to interview for more than one area, and in the individual interview we will be the ones to point out which area might suit you best.

Of course we do! To give you one example, our most recent partnership is with “ASSOCONSULT”, the trade association that brings together the leading consulting firms.

Yes, we work over the summer, but the workload is much lighter and deadlines are longer, so you can organise your holidays without any problem.

The projects assigned do not have a set duration: they can last a few weeks, or one or two months. So it is not a matter of full-time or part-time work: it simply depends a great deal on what has to be done and when, according to what is asked. Organising yourself is enough: you need to be good at managing the time you set aside for studying and for JELU. If you really believe in the goal you want to reach, you will manage.

The association is made up of a board of directors, the areas with their respective heads, senior members and members on trial.

The trial period lasts 2 to 3 months at most. But you are always being tested: commitment should not depend on the status you hold within the JE, it is expected at all times, including once you become a senior member.

Definitely yes, companies recognise the experience on our CVs. In fact, according to European statistics on entering the profession after graduation, students who have been part of a Junior Enterprise find a job immediately after graduating in 78% of cases. Within 3 years of graduating, around 9% of former Junior Enterprise alumni start a business of their own, against an average of 3%; while 16% become self-employed, against an average of 10%.

The work is done in a group. The area head appoints a project manager who runs the project and assigns each person a specific task, and the group then discusses the outcome and assesses everyone’s work. The client and the specific case to work on are presented, an action plan is built together, and the project manager sets the deadlines to be met.

The position can last until the end of your master’s degree.

No, it does not fall into that category of activity.

There is of course rotation, and the chance to work with other members, including those we know less well, so as to learn to work on different fronts and with people we are not so familiar with, because that is how it works in the world of work!

Of course. Clearly in some cases their knowledge may be more limited than a candidate from a later year, but not necessarily, not least because, before joining, it is normal for everyone to be “unprepared” for what they are about to do. Once in, a member on trial can learn just like everyone else and put into practice what they study, which then puts them ahead of their peers. In any case, do not be afraid: trying is an opportunity not to be missed, because it will show you what going through interviews is like!

It takes place in autumn and in spring.

Of course you can!

A CV, and a cover letter is optional.

The three interviews should take place within about 2 weeks.

For the group interview, within a few hours; for the motivational and technical ones you have to wait a few days.

Moving up within the same area, from senior member to area head, depends on the number of years spent in the association, on experience, and on how many projects you have worked on. As for moving between areas, it is not a simple or immediate step: it happens after a discussion with the area head, to whom you will need to explain the reasons behind the change, and the move is then made if appropriate.

Members of the Board of Directors are chosen on the basis of outstanding merit, constant and sustained commitment over time, considerable experience, knowledge of the Italian Junior Enterprise network, attendance at the annual events and a steady presence.

Yes, there is an “advisory board”, that is a group of professors, both undergraduate and postgraduate, who support these activities. They are on hand for any kind of question or help.

We are part of a network that is active in Italy and in Europe, JADE, made up of more than 300 associations with almost 40,000 students worldwide. There are national events, usually held in October and in May, where one association takes on the job of organising a roughly three-day event to network, run workshops, and build and strengthen the ties between JEs. It is as though we were one single large Italian and European association. We move in the same way, carrying forward similar projects, and exchanging knowledge and goals is essential.