Recounting the Experience: An Interview with Doğukan İğdiroğlu, a Business Administration student and the Chair of the Career and Management Club
Could you inform us about the goals of the Career and Management Club? What is the mission of the Club?
The purpose of the Career and Management Club is to analyze the structure, functioning and any kind of problems of the public, private and services sectors. We want to take full advantage of the experiences of organizations and individuals who are experts in the areas mentioned and who are recognized in Turkey, in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and worldwide, and to transfer the knowledge we gain to METU Northern Cyprus Campus students.
Do any of the activities organized by the Club provide first-hand knowledge and experience for students?
Of course. We provide opportunities for Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus students to meet company and sector representatives and thus help them acquire the skills and knowledge required to have a better social life and a successful career. To increase employment and internship opportunities for our members, we improve our knowledge and skills by developing projects in collaboration with others, through teamwork, and by putting them into practice. By partaking actively in the Club’s activities, our members gain experience in organizing, improve their management skills. They also have an opportunity to strengthen their acquired knowledge, by applying it in real-life settings. All those activities contribute to the development of friendship values and ties among members as well as strengthening the spirit of solidarity. In this sense, the Club helps its members to improve their social life.
Could you update us on the activities of the Club?
We invite people who are equipped with the experience and specialized expertise that will benefit the members of the Club and all students. The Club functions as a bridge between the knowledge from various resources and the body of knowledge that is distinctive to the University. The ‘Alumni Day’ and ‘Career Days’, which are regularly held by the Club, are among the most popular events campuswide. The Alumni Day provides an opportunity for the students to gain insight into career journeys and experiences of the successful graduates. During the Career Days, on the other hand, leading companies of the different sectors are invited to the Campus to participate in a career festival. With a range of activities and interactive games, we take part in the Spring Festival and the traditional Tree Planting Festival. We donate 60% of the revenue raised through the New Year Lottery that we organize every year to the Scholarship Fund.