Careers Evening Nijmegen 2025 for Students

On Thursday evening, 20 November 2025, the annual Careers Evening for secondary school students in the Nijmegen region took place at the Canisius College. 

The goal of the event was to give young people plenty of opportunities to explore their future. Across four rounds, almost seventy professionals talked about their field of work. I was there as well and shared my experiences as a web developer and digital solutions expert in the final two rounds.

A valuable meeting place for curious students

Many students have questions about their future: Which profession suits me? What does someone in this job actually do? During the Careers Evening, they could ask these questions directly to people who work in the field every day. Whether it was an orthodontist, teacher, accountant, creative professional or digital specialist, everyone offered an honest, personal look into their profession.

The setup worked well: short, accessible sessions where professionals explained their daily work, challenges and motivations. Students discovered that some professions are much broader than they thought, while others are surprisingly specialised. For many, the event truly opened new doors.

Four rounds full of choices and new insights

The evening offered four rounds in which students could visit different professionals. This made it possible to explore completely different directions or compare two related professions.

Professionals shared not only knowledge, but also personal stories: what they enjoy about their work, which skills are useful, what their training looked like, and which parts of their job are less visible. This helped students better understand what might suit them. Even when a profession didn’t turn out to be the right fit, it still provided valuable insights.

My contribution: web development and digital solutions

In the last two rounds, it was my turn to present. I introduced the students to the world of web development and digital solutions, a field that constantly evolves and brings together technology, creativity and problem-solving. This year, instead of using a PowerPoint, Impress or reveal-md slideshow, I created a dedicated website for my session: beroepenavond.db8.nl.

I showed how varied the work can be: from building websites to digital automation and AI applications. We also talked about useful skills, what it is like to work with clients and why this is a profession where you never stop learning. For many students, it was an eye-opener that the digital sector offers far more options than just programming.

Collaboration for better study choices

The Careers Evening 2025 is an initiative by Rotary Club Nijmegen-Stad en Land, in collaboration with the school counsellors of secondary schools in the region. Thanks to this cooperation, students from the following schools were able to take part: Aloysius Stichting, Citadel College, Canisius College, Kandinsky College, Karel de Grote College, Lyceum Elst, Maaswaal College, Merletcollege, Mondial College, Montessori College, Notre Dame, NSG Groenewoud, Over Betuwe College, Pax Christi College and the Stedelijk Gymnasium Nijmegen.

Students were encouraged to ask questions, discuss their impressions with parents and mentors afterwards, and continue exploring which study programmes match their interests. In this way, the evening helps them move a bit closer to making a well-informed study choice.

An evening that gives direction

Last week’s Careers Evening proved once again to be a valuable experience for many young people. By speaking directly with people from the field, students gained an honest and inspiring impression of professions they sometimes hadn’t even heard of.

For me personally, it was enjoyable and educational to share my field of work and to see students discover how broad and creative the digital world can be. It also made me reflect on what I find important in my own work: continuous learning, sharing knowledge, collaborating and contributing to an open and fair digital world with reliable technology such as Linux and Joomla. I hope the evening helped many students take a step closer to their future, and maybe even discover a new passion.