Student and Alumni Experiences

The Sectoral Education and Professional Development Unit (SEPG) at my university has been one of my greatest supporters in my career journey. Especially the interview simulations and mock interview opportunities they organize with various companies helped me understand how I can make a difference and succeed in real job interviews. The feedback I received from professionals allowed me to express myself more confidently, accurately, and effectively in subsequent interviews. This contributed to me securing internships in my preferred companies and desired positions. Additionally, the workshops and practical trainings I attended within the scope of the Pret (Pre-Employment Training) program contributed not only to my professional career but also to my personal development. Through the mentorship and training we received from industry experts, I went beyond the basic skills required for success in the business world. Crucial topics such as transactional analysis, proper goal setting, and emotional intelligence have helped me make more effective and strategic decisions both in my work and social life, enabling me to better analyze current situations, take action, and assume leadership roles within teams.

In 2019, I got admitted to the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design at Özyeğin University as my first choice. After successfully completing the program and graduating, I became interested in different sectors where I could apply the various competencies I gained during my education. I worked as a Part-Time Student Employee at the Sectoral Education and Professional Development Unit. The unit's support was immensely valuable in shaping a new direction for my career. Currently, I manage the corporate communication processes for a US-based global furniture brand at Stunner Turkey.

Courses like SEC 401 that I took at the Business School allowed us to meet industry experts and learn directly from them. Thanks to my university, I started preparing myself for professional life early on. Spending a semester in France through the Erasmus program during my 3rd year contributed greatly to my personal development, while enabling me to evaluate future job opportunities and express myself in the best possible way during interviews. Additionally, participating in the Peer Advisor program, where I supported newly admitted students during their orientation, was a highly rewarding experience in terms of both socializing and growing together.

After completing a high-quality language prep program at Özyeğin University, I started my undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering. Throughout this process, I had the opportunity to develop myself thanks to its internationally accomplished academic staff, high-quality education, and social opportunities.

Earning my bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Özyeğin University helped me develop my technical, analytical, and problem-solving skills, and apply these competencies across many fields. Throughout my university and internship experiences, the competencies our school provided allowed me to quickly adapt to corporate working environments and pursue my career goals.

In addition to Mechanical Engineering, working as a Part-Time Student Employee in the Professional Development office and participating in the preparations for the Sectoral Orientation program allowed me to improve my planning, organization, and management skills.

Currently, I work as an IT System Administrator at ISS Global Forwarding, a logistics and transportation company. I optimize workflow efficiency by ensuring device and network security for our employees across the European region.

I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to be a part of Özyeğin University.

I graduated as the valedictorian from the International Business and Trade undergraduate program with a 4.0 GPA. I took my first step into the banking and finance sector through an internship at Yapı Kredi Bank, which I applied for under the guidance of my statistics professor. During this experience, I discovered my interest in banking, economics, and finance, and realized that I wanted to specialize in these fields. Subsequently, I had the opportunity to complete a second internship at the Fibabanka Headquarters. Throughout this entire journey, the SEPG unit stayed in close contact with me and supported my internship search. Moreover, during our graduation project course (SEC 401), I received mentoring on both project development and personal growth from our experienced and expert professors in the SEPG unit, which significantly enhanced my professional competencies. In addition, Ms. Şule from the SEPG unit supported me throughout my education and internship journey with her industry knowledge and professional approach, guiding me in the right direction regarding the opportunities that came my way.

The elective courses I took throughout my university life played a major role in shaping my career journey. Thanks to Özyeğin University's applied and innovative educational approach that aligns with all industries, I graduated as the valedictorian with a strong set of qualifications. This program offered me unique opportunities in terms of both academic and professional life. Guided by the knowledge and advice of our industry-experienced professors, I entered the professional business world with a role that perfectly aligned with my interests and skills. Currently, I am continuing my career as an Assistant Specialist in the Financial Institutions Department at the Fibabanka Headquarters. I can confidently say that gaining experience before graduation is crucial for putting academic knowledge into practice and making a stronger start in the business world. In this context, the support and opportunities provided by Özyeğin University made me feel ready for professional life and master industry dynamics. For instance, my role as a Teaching Assistant in the Import & Export Management Course (IBUS 301) contributed greatly to my professional development. I guided students in international trade frameworks, basic marketing, finance, and risk management tools, helping them build import-export plans. Furthermore, mentoring students who shared an interest in this field gave me invaluable experience. I found and applied for this position through the SEPG unit's LinkProfessional platform. With proper competency management, this journey allowed all my theoretical knowledge to gain practical meaning, laying a solid foundation for my career.

In 2013, I started the Professional Flight program with a full scholarship and graduated with honors in 2017. Within the same year, I completed the application and interview processes and began working at Turkish Airlines. For the first 1.5 years, I flew as a First Officer on Boeing 737 aircraft. Since 2019, I have been flying on Boeing 777 and Boeing 787 aircraft. Flying in wide-body operations on the 777/787 has been an excellent experience for my career, and I feel very fortunate as it has allowed me to experience some of the best moments of my life.

In addition to my duties as a pilot, I also teach theoretical courses within the company. In this context, I have been working as an additional staff member in the 'Human Factors and Training Methodologies' department for 2 years. In this department, we conduct research on human factors in airline operations; we design training programs aimed at raising awareness among flight crews of the cognitive and social skills required to manage human error and operational threats, thereby developing pilot competencies. Taking on such a role alongside piloting allowed me to experience both office life and flight operations, adding dynamism to my career and providing a different perspective. The place where I discovered my interest in this aspect of the profession was our elective courses at university, such as 'Crew Resource Management', 'Aviation Psychology', 'Accident Investigation', etc.

At Özyeğin, we received an education that developed not only theoretical and practical flight training but also the holistic pilot competencies required by modern aviation. I can say that the university was the first place that opened the door to the academic dimension of aviation for me. The academic courses related to 'human factors' we took alongside theoretical and practical flight classes definitely enriched our flight training, making us 'competent pilots' in the advancement of modern aviation as Özyeğin graduates. Based on the feedback we, as Özyeğin pilots, receive during recruitment interviews and check flights, I see that we create a shared value in the industry, and I am very happy about this.

I wish everyone who reads this a safe and enjoyable flight career.

I am Defne Bulut, and I started my education in the Department of Industrial Engineering at Özyeğin University in 2018. Along with my coursework, I took active roles in student clubs and participated in various events to meet new people and shape my career plan. During this process, I decided that I wanted to grow in corporate life and work in operations. My greatest support in making these decisions came from the industry experts I had the opportunity to meet during my university life.

In the summer of my junior year, I started interning at GlaxoSmithKline, which was my first work experience. While working in the Supply Chain, a key component of operations as I had dreamed, I had the opportunity to collaborate with many departments from import to logistics, and sales to finance, which helped me gain more insight to shape my own journey. Upon graduation, I became a full-time employee at the same company. I began applying and even improving the practices I observed during my internship. Meanwhile, I had the opportunity to interview with L'Oréal, which had been my dream since university when I applied to various internship programs. After several interviews and a successful recruitment process, I started working as a Supply Chain Specialist at L'Oréal in January 2023.

Since then, I have been working in L'Oréal's Luxe Division, managing e-commerce. Although we encounter different cases every day due to economic conditions, it is highly rewarding to approach problems with a solution-oriented mindset, take necessary actions, find methods to run the business more efficiently, and work in the broad scope provided by collaborating with multiple units. Doing the job I love in a place I love early in my career is perhaps my greatest fortune. I would like to thank my professors and my university for their endless support in helping me find what I wanted.

Hello, I am Berra Taşdemir. I am a 4th-year Computer Engineering student, and I took my first step on my career journey with an Erasmus+ internship in Barcelona during my sophomore year. This experience allowed me to explore different areas of my department and provided me with professional work experience abroad. The 100% English medium of instruction I received at my university was a significant advantage for me to work comfortably in an international environment.

While searching for my second compulsory internship, I participated in the Fiba Group's FibaWay internship program under the guidance of Özyeğin University's Professional Development Unit. This program offered a unique 2-month experience containing one technical and one empathy internship. I completed my technical internship in the Data Science and Business Intelligence department at Fiba Retail, and my empathy internship in the sales department at Fibabanka. This process helped me understand the working dynamics and business processes of other teams in addition to my technical skills.

My internship at Fiba Retail turned into a 9-month long-term internship, and I worked part-time while continuing my studies. Working with a team eager to teach and becoming a part of the team in a short time was an invaluable experience for me. Since I highly enjoyed working in the retail and e-commerce sectors, I decided to pursue my career in this field. After completing my internship at the beginning of the summer, I started a new long-term internship at Amazon Turkey as a Business Intelligence Engineer. I believe that through this internship, I will develop myself further, especially in the field of business intelligence. Following my graduation, I aim to continue both my education and my professional career in the field of data science.

Through the Hotel Management program at Özyeğin University, I learned that a hotelier needs to have knowledge in many fields such as management, psychology, sociology, marketing and communication, revenue management, architecture, art, and engineering, because these disciplines are necessary to meet and exceed guests' needs and expectations. I also completed many group projects, presentations, and internships. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to participate in the EMCup (European Mise En Place Cup) competition, which is held among the best hotel management universities in Europe. As 'OZU Exenia', we won the second best academic paper award. This competition allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and face my fear of public speaking. Currently, as a Digital Marketing and Communications Executive, I am responsible for visual and content updates for all of Raffles Istanbul's digital platforms. In this role, I use various digital marketing methods such as SEO, content marketing, social media strategies, digital campaigns, and email marketing. Adapting to the constantly changing dynamics of the digital world, producing creative solutions in this field, and integrating them with the tourism industry is one of the aspects that excites me the most. At the same time, continuously learning and developing myself in this area is a significant source of motivation for me.

The period I spent in the Marks & Spencer Sales Internship, guided by the Professional Development Unit, helped me gain many new qualities and significantly improve my existing skills. One of these was my communication skills. During this process, I interacted one-on-one with customers and tried to address their needs. I understood what it means to be a team and realized the importance of discipline. Moreover, I experienced how much compassionate and empathetic managers affect performance. Of course, there were challenging moments because we encountered problems at any time and had to solve these issues while prioritizing customer satisfaction. Honestly, we all visit such stores in our daily lives and interact with employees. However, before this experience, I could not empathize with them to this extent. One thing I learned from this instructive journey is that no matter what job someone does, regardless of the scale of the business, the sacrifice and effort made by everyone is immense. I hope everyone can one day incorporate the values I witnessed during this process into their own lives.