Some students choose to join a Junior Enterprise during their university studies. This is an opportunity not to be missed, especially since such a commitment offers numerous benefits for the young person's professional future.

 

What is a Junior Enterprise?

This is a non-profit association, the concept of which first emerged in France in the late 1960s. This type of activity offers a bridge between university life and working life. Awards, including prizes and lebels, are presented annually to reward the best Junior Enterprises.

 

In most cases, this type of association is very present in finance and IT subsidiaries. JE only accept missions corresponding to the faculty or school's area of ​​expertise and only on the condition that they have added value for the members.

 

When is the right time to join a JE?

Typically, students choose to join a Youth Association during their third year of their undergraduate degree or during their Master's degree. Joining such an association involves individual or group interviews, in addition to role-playing exercises. The process is less rigorous than recruitment, but it can require several steps spanning several weeks. It's serious business!

 

What to do in a JE?

In a Junior Enterprise , it would be possible to be an administrator or project manager. In the first case, the student must take care of the management of the association by finding the right clients. He recruits students with a good profile, likely to do a good job and properly carry out each mission. While in the second case, the student can carry out a market study, design a site or carry out the various missions and tasks assigned to him.

 

Why join a Junior Enterprise?

Students can benefit from various advantages by joining a Youth Association. To begin with, their contribution constitutes an experience to highlight on their CV. This type of association offers additional education for the young person, and sometimes, a Youth Association offers training or an additional course that is not offered by the school or faculty. It is also a good transition phase to move from theory to practice.

 

On the other hand, the administrators of the JE are volunteers, but if they carry out missions for companies, they can receive compensation for the task carried out. This step also constitutes an opportunity to test one's professional project . Indeed, it is an opportunity not to be missed to work on a certain number of problems and to discover an appetite and skills that will be useful for a future career. It is also an opportunity to discover oneself and perhaps change direction. Many students join a JE to form a network of contacts and an address book that will allow them to find a job later.

 

What are the disadvantages of engaging in a JE?

Being involved in this type of association is not without its drawbacks. The student must take on tasks and missions, which constitutes an additional burden that he must assume in addition to classes, homework, and other university commitments. It therefore requires a lot of organization to manage everything. In addition, he must endure the pressure of other members of the association without forgetting the lack of recognition for the work done. That said, it is an opportunity to get to know oneself better, and learn to manage priorities and tensions with others. It is therefore a preparation phase before joining the workforce.

 

An experience to highlight during a job interview

Experience in a Junior Enterprise should be highlighted on your CV, but also during a job interview. Indeed, the CV of a young graduate does not include significant experience, which is why it is important to highlight the experience of the Junior Enterprise. You should not hesitate to talk about it during the job interview, as it is an effective way to reassure recruiters about your skills and abilities. It is therefore important to highlight what you learned from the experience: time and interpersonal management, organizational skills acquired, motivation and desire to learn, etc. It is also important to talk about the most important missions carried out within the framework of the Junior Enterprise and which are close to the desired position. It is therefore necessary to highlight this practical, enriching and formative experience.