Berlin Innovation Challenge: Oscar

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

University of Ulster student Oliver Daly recently joined us at this year's Handshake Innovation Challenge in Berlin. Read about his experience here.

What was your favourite part of #berlinnovation?

My favourite part of #berlinnovation was the opportunity to meet so many other students from different backgrounds who were all equally passionate about driving for a sustainable future. Despite the fact we came from different universities/campuses, different degrees and sometimes even spoke different languages, we were able to quickly come together and work towards a shared goal in the challenge. This made the whole experience really rewarding and I know I’ve made connections on the trip I hope will last a long time.

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

When looking on career platforms like Handshake there are hundreds of jobs and companies to apply to, so it makes it much easier to navigate when the information about the company and job you’d be applying to are immediately visible. I want to know if I’m a good culture fit for the company and that I will have the technical experience to fulfil/enjoy the job. That will be the deciding factor for any job I apply to and therefore being able to see that in a consistent format to lower choice fatigue is imperative.

•
There are certain other factors which would quickly filter out jobs like location, whether it is hybrid/remote, salary, what size the company is, years of experience required etc but these could be compromised on if the job experience was exceptional.
What skills have you developed as a result of taking part in #berlinnovation?
Participating in #berlinnovation has significantly boosted my skills in two areas:
1.
Design Thinking: This experience enhanced my ability to approach problems creatively and develop innovative solutions through hands-on workshops and collaborative sessions. I learned how to evaluate numerous business ideas, select the most promising one, refine it, and work with stakeholders to make necessary adjustments and pivot where necessary.
2.
Business Planning: I gained practical experience in planning sustainable business ideas, which was incredibly valuable for understanding how to turn innovative ideas into
actionable plans.
Overall, this event has been a fantastic opportunity to develop these critical skills.
If you could sum up your #berlinnovation2024 experience in 3 words what would they be?
•
Bring. Me. Back