Berlin Innovation Challenge: Jenni

Posted on: 18 June 2024 by Shannon Cheung in Student experiences

Computer Science student Jenni took part in this year's Handshake Innovation Challenge in Berlin. Read about her experience here.

Hi! My name is Jenni and I’m a second year Computer Science student at University of Liverpool and I’m about to start my placement year in Manchester.

What was your favourite part of #berlinnovation?

I had the chance to meet some amazing people not just from the Uni of Liverpool but students from Berlin and Ulster Uni too. It was great to connect with them and talk to each other outside of the challenge. Berlinnovation brought me closer to people I never would have had the chance to meet and it made me much more comfortable with connecting and talking to people because who knows what great people you’re missing out on getting to know.

As a student, what do you look for when using career platforms like Handshake? 

I look for something engaging. I already use Handshake, it helped me find my year in industry placement. Through that process I found the filter feature really useful, allowing me to find opportunities based on my needs like location, length etc. I also used the save feature a lot which let me save opportunities to find again which is something I struggled with when not using a career platform.  I love the way that its also used to advertise and promote in person events such as career fairs as there have been times Handshake has made me aware of an event coming up that I didn’t know about. I like how the Uni has partnered with Handshake so that CV and cover letter resources can still be access through the Uni within Handshake.

What skills have you developed as a result of taking part in #berlinnovation?

 My confidence in my own ability as well as my confidence overall has improved immensely. Berlinnovation forced me to communicate with others I didn’t know previously as well as pitch my ideas to a crowd of industry professionals and fellow students. This helped me develop not just my communication skills but my  presentation skills. I feel like gaining exposure to these enterprising scenarios will help me showcase my developed skills and achieve success in future opportunities. I am so grateful for this opportunity that gave me an insight into working on a project to create innovative ideas to reach an industry solution.

If you could sum up your #berlinnovation2024 experience in 3 words what would they be?

My experience would be summed up as future, confidence and insight.

Throughout the Berlinnovation challenge my future was on my mind. It helped me consider my options in a proactive manner and develop my skills which I can utilise in the future too. I am an introvert but I understand the importance of having confidence to help my career so I’m glad to have had practise during this challenge to improve my confidence, particularly when pitching in a time sensitive environment. I do not have much experience with an enterprising setting so it was great to have an insight into industry scenarios. It will definitely make me explore new career options I hadn’t previously considered.