After Graduation

After graduating, it was time to find a job, or at least, that was what I thought.

Six months earlier, before starting my thesis and working on improving computer interaction for people with Parkinson’s, I had been certain about what I wanted to do: work at a design agency.

But during my thesis, and especially once it was finished, I started to feel that I would struggle to simply put the project in a box and move on. Who would take responsibility for this problem after me? Maybe another student, and after that, probably no one.

Who would keep working on the fact that so many people in our increasingly digital society feel frustrated every time they have to interact with a computer?

I had always felt that university projects with real potential are too often left behind because of a lack of budget, resources, or facilities. This time, I felt I could not let that happen. But at that point, it was still just a feeling, nothing more.

So I went to a university career event, one of those classic career days where different companies have stands and students can walk around and talk to them. None of the companies there really matched my interests.

I was wandering around the room feeling a little discouraged when I found myself standing next to a guy who asked me, “Do you have an idea you want to bring to life? A solution to a problem?”

And I said, “Actually, I do.”

He was there promoting the TU Delft Impact Contest, which turned out to be much more than just a competition. It also included a real course taught by the amazing Professor Alexander Giga, which I could join for free because I had only recently graduated. Thank you, TU Delft!

So I signed up and got started.

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I learned so much in such a short amount of time: how to create a pitch deck, how to pitch, and how important it is to validate an idea with the stakeholders involved.

And little by little, what had started as a university project was becoming more and more of a personal choice.

Warmly,

Alessandra