Konica Minolta received members of the teams it is sponsoring at its head office. The opportunity to contact with university students and recruit talent leads dozens of national and multinational companies to sponsor the participation of student teams in the Global Management Challenge.
Konica Minolta Portugal is one such example. This week the company welcomed the members of the ten teams it is sponsoring in this edition of the competition to its premises in Lisbon. During the session, the participants had the opportunity to take a closer look at what the company does and check out job opportunities available for those just starting their careers. “We like to meet the people we are supporting to see if there is potential for recruitment among the teams and also give some advice on what they could do during the remaining competition days”, explained Vasco Falcão, general director of Konica Minolta Portugal, as the reasons for organizing this meeting.
The team members at the meeting were shown the opportunities and working conditions that the company offers. These include summer, curriculum and professional internships. “We hope some of these students show interest in working here”, stressed Vasco Falcão. He added that meetings like this are important to promote Konica Minolta Portugal and recruit talent. And over the years the company has hired three people in this way.
Professional advice
Vasco Falcão is a former participant in the Global Management Challenge, and at a time when teams have only one more decision to make before the end of the first round of the current edition, there were many questions on how to run a business and what to do in times of crisis. “I’ve been through this experience and what I learned is that marketing, managing people, research and development and quick decisions are fundamental in the game and also a typical day at Konica Minolta”. He reminded everyone that one of the most important things for a manager is not to be afraid to make decisions and that good sense must always prevail.
Dário Florindo leads the Konica Minolta Co/Pt team and paid careful attention to the words of Vasco Falcão. “He mentioned the importance of human resource development, which is something we have been focusing on in the management of our company”, he said. A recent graduate in international relations and already on his second competition, Dário believes that this event is “a process of continuous learning”.
In his opinion, the competition gives students the opportunity to learn more about the business management area and to show the job market what their skills are. In fact, he is considering the possibility of sending his CV to this company. Pedro Ribeiro is also entertaining this possibility, as leader of the Konica Minolta Boas Ações team, he pointed out during the session that, “Working in a multinational allows us to learn new things and is an asset to the curriculum”. In the hours spent in Konica Minolta and conversation with Vasco Falcão learned that there are various variables that come into account in the management of an organization.
From theory to practice
As a student of administration and company management, João Simões considers his time at the meeting as time well spent. He was also enthusiastic about the prospect of competing for an internship in a multinational company. Taking part for the first time, João Simões had no notion about the doors that the Global Management Challenge can open. He believes that companies pay attention to what participants do in the test, and the meeting held at Konica Minolta Portugal is an example of this. “All students should participate in this initiative. We work as a team, make decisions, we see how the various parts of a company work and apply much of the theory we learn in university”, concluded João Simões.
In Expresso, 18 June 2016
Journalist: Maribela Freitas /Expresso
Photographer: José Oliveira/Expresso
