The change of the Kweek board is right around the corner! Marlou and Laura will leave their roles at the end of the academic year, vacating two posts in the Kweek board. That is why in this interview Marlou and Laura will share their experiences over their past year at Kweek. Check it out!
Why did you apply for a board position at Kweek?
Marlou: I have always had the idea of getting practical experience under my belt during my studies but found it difficult to decide when would be the right moment. During my final year of my bachelor the realization dawned on me that I had acquired little practical experience in the field of communication. At first I wanted to combine my master with an internship, but this all changed when I received a mail from Kweek about the change in board members. I reached out to the then board members and was immediately convinced. Through Kweek I was able to combine a board year with my master without any delays while learning new things and getting practical experience.
Laura: During my first two years of college, I had seen Kweek pass by a few times and it always piqued some of my interest. When I was at the end of my second year of CIS, I decided that I wanted to become a board member of Kweek. I am someone who cannot sit still. I find lectures important, but I want to know what you can actually do with all the theory. Learning things like how to apply for a job, time management, personal development, etc. are aspects of a year at Kweek that you don’t learn in the lecture halls. You really discover what your talents are and where your interests lie and I thought that was great fun to discover. That is why I applied!
What did you enjoy the most?
Marlou: I really enjoyed organizing workshops with the other girls. Thinking about topics, reaching out to speakers, setting up the promotion of the events and the workshops themselves all were a tremendous amount of fun! It is all about little projects that you work towards together and for which share the responsibility of the result. Receiving enthusiastic feedback from student and speakers feels very rewarding. Moreover, I look back with a lot of fondness on the fun we had between us as the Kweek board. After all, for a year you work together intensively with the others who, after a year, you start to see as friends.
Laura: Hard to choose just one thing! I personally really enjoyed developing a new corporate identity for the social media of Kweek Communicatie. I really feel that I have been able to contribute something. The diversity of the assignments is also something I look back on with great pleasure. The fact that you work together with companies and thus offer students an opportunity for a fun and useful experience is very valuable to me. You already get a taste of what the job market is like.
Name one thing you have learned this year.
Marlou: It is difficult to only name one thing, because both on personal and professional level I have learned a lot. As chairman one of my tasks was to keep the overview and see everything in the bigger picture. This has learned me to set priorities and directing others. Running a communication agency is not nothing, but a correct planning and organization makes already a huge difference. And this is definitely the case with the help of the other board members!
Laura: This year I learned to communicate professionally with companies and take responsibility. Also, through a board year you learn to manage your time well. Planning is really a little thing I learned well at Kweek, because if you plan well then everything can be combined. You also learn to think critically and creatively, because the four of you are responsible for all aspects of a communications agency. So the most important aspect for me that I have learned is the knowledge about the job market, because I now have a better idea of what it is like there.
This year the board year was different from other years. What do you think about that?
Marlou: The experience was certainly a little different as usual, but certainly not any less special. The pandemic did not keep me from applying for a position on the Kweek board because, after all, things have to go ahead as usual. The fact that the circumstances are somewhat different compared to previous years is something I actually only see as a positive thing. You learn to be creative in finding new opportunities and alternatives. Of course I have not been able to experience the cobo’s and drinks in their usual form before the pandemic however I have been able to participate in a bunch of fun digital activities. Other than these social gatherings I have been able to perform all my tasks without too many issues. My board year has therefore not been any less valuable!
Laura: Especially through these strange times, I was able to learn a lot, because as a communications agency, you have to have a lot of adaptability. You have to be able to switch gears quickly and think of new ways to achieve the same things we did before the pandemic. Also, the digital aspect is one thing that has actually brought new opportunities. It has become easier to arrange workshops with companies that are not from Brabant, for example. As Marlou says, you really learn to think creatively! Also in terms of promotion, you make new discoveries.
Describe in one word your board year experience.
Marlou: Unforgettable. Not just the fun I have had with my colleagues in the board, but also the practical skills such as designing social media posts, customer acquisition, communicating with other organisations…. These skills and competences will prove to be valuable in my future career and will be a large reason why I will never forget my board year at Kweek.
Laura: Enriching! The board year at Kweek Communicatie has enriched me in several areas. I now handle things much more professionally, take responsibility and have learned to deal better with criticism. Also the fun aspects of the board year should not be forgotten, because you see each other as board members every week and this creates a bond. You do everything together, not alone, and that’s what I like about Kweek the most.