STICHTING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ROTTERDAM (ISR)
KVK: 55726682
BURGEMEESTER OUDLAAN 50 (P-1.012)
3062PA ROTTERDAM
THE NETHERLANDS
Board Recruitment
Become the isr board 2023/24!
Hey you!
ISR is looking for its new Board for the academic year 2022-2023, and you could be on it! Are you ready for a challenge? For a lifetime experience where you gain the unique chance to get a taste of the corporate life, managing an international committee of 4-6 students, all while meeting new people, making life-long friendships and having a great time? Then keep reading!
Who can apply?
Are you a Bachelor student or a (pre-)master student? Anyone from the EUR can apply! If you’re motivated and up for a challenge then don’t hesitate to apply!
Have a Look at our previous Board Years
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So, why ISR?
At International Students Rotterdam our mission is to be the go-to place for international students to spice up their social life and to make their leap into the corporate world; meet new people via our social events, ranging from pub crawls and beer pong tournaments, to city trips and beach volleyball. Or pursue your curiosity towards the corporate life by attending our corporate events such as a day in the life of, Q&As and our International Business Fair (IBF) to land that dream internship or job at companies like Amazon and Google.
As board officer, you will play a key role in one of the largest international students organizations in Rotterdam. You will ensure the survival and growth of ISR with a team of 5 other board members, 30+ committee members and 200+ passive members. You will develop yourself professionally and personally, participate in incredible events, build up a great network and most importantly help your fellow international students live their best student life in Rotterdam.
Still not convinced? A board year at ISR additionally comes with year-round access to our own office, perks like internal weekends and dinner nights (funded by ISR), a small compensation for your hard work and much more!
If you’re excited to join the board, but not yet sure which position fits you the best, then check out the individual pages of each role and find your fit!
Learn more about each Board Officer Role!
All board officer positions require 4-8 hours per week, depending on the time of the year. The president role takes 5-9 hours per week all year round.
If you meet a number of the requirements, but not all, we still encourage you to submit your application. We highly value diverse life experiences and perspectives and are open to adapting the role to suit the right person.
President
Vice-President/ City Trip
Social Events Officer
Marketing Officer
External Relations Officer
IBF Officer
Partnerships Officer
Human Resources Officer
President
Are you the next ISR President?
What are your main responsibilities and duties?
As president of ISR, you are its face, and it is your job to oversee the work of the entire organisation. You steer ISR towards its strategic targets and help realise the association’s mission, while protecting its values. You ensure the overall success and growth of the association, while assisting and motivating the other board members to thrive in their roles. Overall, you continuously strive to realise ISR’s mission to be the go-to-place for international students in Rotterdam.
Responsibilities:
- Prepare and make sure that ISR’s strategy is followed
- Set concrete goals for the ISR and board members
- Handle finances, including asking for extra funds and grants
- Prepare and lead weekly board meetings
- Guide board members in the right direction
- Have monthly 1-on-2 catch-up meetings (with vice president) in which you discuss the progress of each board member
- Communicate with external parties
- Create an environment of trust and cooperation within the board
What qualities are a must for your position? Which are preferable to have?
Being the board’s leader necessitates not just having leadership qualities, but also being a team player. To be the president, you need to be able to motivate others, and always have time for other board members in case they need your help. You need to be proactive, responsible, organised and have good time management skills. In the meantime, you always have to keep in mind ISR’s strategy and ways of how ISR can achieve its goals or improve.
If you believe you fit these criteria, be sure to apply!
Describe what you liked and disliked about this position.
I enjoy being able to put my knowledge into practice, meeting fun and like-minded people, constantly challenging myself. However, sometimes a bureaucracy that comes along with being in charge of a registered association can be frustrating.
What were the perks you got from this position?
As president, you will develop yourself on a personal and professional level. You will develop your leadership abilities, problem-solving skills, networking skills and organisational skills. Additionally, you will have access to the ISR office, get a board grant at the end of the year, and be granted free admission to a number of ISR events.
Vice-President/ City Trip
Are you the next ISR Vice-President?
What are your main responsibilities and duties?
As VP, you are dedicated to supporting the president in all that is needed to do. This means that much of your responsibilities and duties align with that of the president. It is your role to make sure the association runs smoothly and according to the mission, vision and values of International Students Rotterdam. You assist board officers in reaching KPIs. Different to the president, you are also the city trips committee lead.
Responsibilities:
- Make sure that ISR’s strategy is followed
- Prepare and lead weekly board meetings
- Perform monthly 1-on-2 catch-up meetings (with president) in which you discuss the progress of each board member
- Support each board member in accomplishing KPIs
- Undertake administrative tasks
- Identify and resolve internal issues/dilemmas
- Strategise ISR future plans
- Foster an environment of trust and openness within the board
- Host weekly meetings with the city trips committee
- Assign and delegate tasks across the city trips committee
What qualities are a must for your position? Which are preferable to have?
As VP, you need to have good time management, possess organizational skills and be a strong communicator. You must be at ease with communicating at length with many internal and external parties every day. You must be a teamplayer. Without board or active members, ISR would not exist. Moreover, being VP comes with much responsibility. You will take numerous international students across cities in Europe for which they have never stepped foot – and, oftentimes, neither will you have. Being able to solve problems efficiently is needed for this position. In the case of uncomfortable situations abroad, you must be a calm figure and put the participants’ safety first. Lastly, proactiveness is a must as events do not create themselves. Board members should always be able to reach-out to you for help, if needed, and you should constantly be reminding them of this possibility. If you are confident that you fit the position and are ready and available for this challenge, we would love having you onboard.
Describe what you liked and disliked about this position
My favourite part of this position was watching the board officers grow personally and professionally throughout the board year. I am so proud of everything that they accomplished. I also loved the freedom that comes along with being in charge of the city trips committee. A frequent question asked during the city trips committee meetings was: “Where do we want to go next?”. Being in charge of a registered foundation comes with the cost of bureaucracy. Needing to appropriately manage these legalities was definitely a learning experience!
What were the perks you got from this position?
All board members of ISR have access to an office on campus. This comes in very handy to beat the crowds in Polak, Langeveld and Sanders, for example. However, what really matters is that you will meet incredible people that will change who you are – for the better. You will learn extremely important skills relating to leadership and communication that will serve you well into your future career. Moreover, as VP, you will be given the opportunity to travel as part of your job, and that is really nice for those who love wandering.
Social Events Officer
Are you the next ISR Social Events Officer?
What are your main responsibilities and duties?
The main goal of a social events board officer is to organize and host a variety of social events and activities that bring students together and create a sense of community within the association. The events can include parties, game nights, picnics, various celebrations and so much more.
As a board officer, your main responsibility is planning the events. Also, an important part of the job is organizing the social events committee: to distribute the workload, set deadlines, and make sure all tasks are accomplished properly and on time. In addition to that you need to attend meetings with other board officers to make sure everyone is on track.
What qualities are a must for your position?
- Sociable
- Creative
- Good planning skills
- Good time management skills
- Proactive
- Ability to motivate committee members
- Leadership skills
Describe what you liked and disliked about this position.
- Try yourself in a position of a manager, learn to delegate the tasks, and control the progress.
- Improve your skills in various spheres: You will gain valuable experience in event planning and management, including budgeting and logistics, which can be useful in a variety of future careers.
- Networking opportunities: social events board officer position will help you to build relationships with other student associations and external organizations, which can help you to expand your professional network.
- Creative expression: you will have a great opportunity to make your ideas come true.
- Sometimes it’s difficult to motivate committee members
- Paperwork when working with external funding (for example university grants)
What were the perks you got from this position?
- Expanding network
- Making friends
- Gaining valuable experience
Marketing Officer
Are you the next ISR Marketing Officer?
Job Description (Tasks and Responsibilities)
As Marketing Officer you are the main ambassador of ISR as you promote the entire organisation to external stakeholders. That is, you become best friends with social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and LinkedIn), designing tools (like Canva) and other strategic platforms (such as MailChimp and Airtable).
In addition, you lead the Marketing Committee – a team of ambitious and talented students – with whom you create all the content. Your job is to set concrete goals for your committee to lead the branding of ISR. As well as that, you have a monthly 1-on-1 catch-up meeting with the Presidency, and you make sure ISR is portrayed in a relaxed but professional manner.
The outside image of ISR is in your hands, and you call the executive shots about promotions and all online content. In a way, Marketing is arguably one of the most important positions on a Board, as there would be no association without it due to a lack of members. You will thus also be consulted for more strategic decisions concerning ISR.
What do we seek in you? (profile, skills, requirements)
As the Marketing Officer, you are proactive, creative and organised. We are looking for a person that is motivated to improve their skills and can think outside the box. Don’t worry if your Marketing skills are not extensive yet, you are able to learn everything on the job.
Additionally, as you lead the Marketing Committee, team-player and leadership skills are a must. You also need to keep an eye on the whole image of ISR and have an affinity for Marketing strategy, since it will be up to you to shape it. Furthermore, you should be able to come up with creative solutions and be willing to constantly learn new things about the tools you work with and how to improve your own efficiency.
Lastly, you will be working with design applications like Canva, manage the ISR social media accounts, handle the integration of events, and maintain the website (WordPress). Thus, some experience in these fields is of advantage, but a really motivated individual can learn anything. If you recognise yourself in these qualities, or if you see the potential fit with your profile, then do not hesitate to apply!
PS: Don’t be discouraged by this description if you do not tick all the boxes. I can assure you that being the Marketing Officer was a big learning curve, and that I have expanded my creative and professional skills immensely once I started.
What has this position installed for you? (Perks and Gains)
As Marketing Officer you will gain the opportunity to develop yourself on a specialised professional level. You will be able to gain graphic design, web design and social media management skills, improve them and learn skills you didn’t have before. Getting in touch with Canva, WordPress, Eventbrite and LinkedIn are just a few. And of course leading your own committee will help you improve your managerial and team working skills.
External Relations Officer
Are you the next ISR External Relations Officer?
This position was merged together with partnerships in 2022-2023.
What are your main responsibilities and duties?
Throughout the year, my main responsibility is to provide ISR with extraordinary corporate events. To do this well, External Relations Officer first has to brainstorm a list of potential partners, prepare a reach-out strategy as well as negotiate event agreements. Moreover, you will have to make sure the parties adhere to the agreements and maintain positive partner relations. You will also have to develop a plan for the whole year – in which month you would like to organise a workshop, in-house day, and speaker panel – in order to diversify them throughout the year.
Additionally, a big part of the duties is related to the committee. At the beginning of the year, you recruit a team that you will lead through the acquisition journey. You have to divide the work between committee members, set deadlines, lead weekly meetings and keep members motivated and spirits up.
What qualities are a must for your position? Which are preferable to have?
To be successful as the External Relations Officer, you have to be open-minded, creative, organised, motivated and have good time management skills. It is important that you are social, open to others, possess negotiation skills, confident and work well under pressure. Excellent communication skills, extrovertedness and willingness to learn. Interest in professional development and the corporate world are strongly appreciated.
Excellent PowerPoint and presentation skills are definitely an added value.
Describe what you liked and disliked about this position.
Liked:
- Leading a committee
- Gaining negotiation experience
- Networking
- Opportunity to familiarise myself with various businesses in the Netherlands
- Seeing the organised events come to life
Disliked:
- Bureaucracy
What were the perks you got from this position?
- Networking
- Friends
- Negotiation skills
- Confidence
- Self-presentation
IBF Officer
Are you the next IBF Officer?
What are your main responsibilities and duties?
The International Business Fair officer leads a team to organise the flagship corporate event of ISR: the International Business Fair (IBF). The IBF is a week-long event in which companies participate and introduce themselves to get students familiar with various career opportunities, the company’s culture, and the day-to-day operations within that company. As the IBF officer, you oversee the planning, organisation and execution of the fair. You lay out a timeline and coordinate the tasks in your committee such as marketing, logistics, company acquisition and partnerships with other associations, to make IBF a success. Overall, you ensure IBF’s mission to provide students the opportunity to find their passion in business and to network with various company representatives!
This position allows you to network with company recruiters and other student associations.
Responsibilities:
- Recruiting a team
- Negotiating with companies
- Management control, and supervision of the team
- Coordination with the marketing committee
- Supervision of logistics.
What qualities are a must for your position? Which are preferable to have?
As IBF Officer you need to be able to plan ahead and keep overview of your progress and final destination. You need to delegate tasks to your committee and coordinate with all parties involved. Furthermore it essential to have great time management skills, communication skills and a good portion of confidence. In order to secure companies for the fair, you need to be able to present, pitch and negotiate. Lastly, you need to be creative as every year IBF is different and you can give it any twist you want. Highly motivated, extrovert, confident, business oriented, and know how to communicate and adapt fast to new situations and how to handle pressure. Overall research and problem-solving abilities. Think also outside of the box and like to stay out of your comfort zone.
Sounds like a challenge for you? Then don’t wait and apply now!
Describe what you liked and disliked about this position.
A lot of freedom in deciding what to do and how I want to do it as it’s my own project and I decide how to tailor it (under the approval of ISR). I like the knowledge I have gained in the position and the contacts and network that this provides you. I dislike the pressure I sometimes experience and having to be constantly on top of everything and take care of all minor issues.
What were the perks you got from this position?
Development of managerial skills, confidence, and network with companies and recruiters. A super exciting and challenging project.
Partnerships Officer
Are you the next Partnerships Officer?
This position was merged together with External Relations in 2022-2023.
What are your main responsibilities and duties?
Throughout the year, my main responsibility is to provide ISR with unique partnerships which bring value to all its members. To do this well, a Partnership Officer first has to brainstorm a list of potential partners, prepare an acquisition strategy as well as negotiate partnership agreements. Moreover, you will have to make sure the parties adhere to the agreements and maintain positive partner relations.
Additionally, a big part of the duties is related to the committee. At the beginning of the year, you recruit a team that you will lead through the acquisition journey. You have to divide the work between committee members, set deadlines, lead weekly meetings and keep members motivated and spirits up.
What qualities are a must for your position? Which are preferable to have?
To be successful as the Partnership Officers, you have to be open-minded, creative, organised, motivated and have good time management skills. It is important that you are social, open to others, possess negotiation skills, confident and work well under pressure. Excellent communication skills, extrovertedness and willingness to learn.
Excellent PowerPoint and presentation skills are definitely an added value.
Describe what you liked and disliked about this position.
Liked:
- Leading a committee
- Gaining negotiation experience
- Networking
- Opportunity to familiarise myself with various businesses in the Netherlands
Disliked:
- Staying constantly motivated
- bureaucracy
What were the perks you got from this position?
- Networking
- Friends
- Negotiation skills
- Confidence
- Self-presentation
Human Resources Officer
Are you the next ISR Human Resources Officer?
What are your main responsibilities and duties?
The Human Resource Officer plays an integral part of creating a strong community within the association; not just the board members but all of the active members as well. Another key responsibility is recruiting new actives twice a year and finally searching for our ensuing board.
This means organising an internal event for ISR at least once a month, providing educational trainings that our actives can take advantage of, attracting new members to join ISR, as well as overseeing their transition into the association.
The HR officer also oversees the Active Members Committee (AMC) and acts as a chair for that committee (schedules meetings and prepares an agenda).
What qualities are a must for your position? Which are preferable to have?
For this position you should be:
- Sociable
- Approachable
- Team player (but not a doormat)
- Able to delegate
- Encourage other members
- Create personal bonds with and between members
Describe what you liked and disliked about this position.
I like having my board identity in ISR as well as a committee identity. 2 groups to bond and make friends with. In addition, we organise relaxed events to meet the other actives, not only as a board role (relating to work). However, having to track down other board members (not all and not all the time), but when it comes to encouraging their own committees to attend ISR events, or having committee dinners is challenging sometimes and there might be lack of communication for event dates (no overall schedule/calendar).
What were the perks you got from this position?
- Office in the P building (NAP COUCH)
- Access to other facilities in the P building
- (future board will get 40% from Erasmus sport)
- Able to book other classrooms on campus
- Able to meet and nurture a whole community (networking & friendship)
The Application Process
The application deadline is Sunday 7th of May 2023 at 23:59. Please fill in the Form by clicking on the button on the right.
Three things are required to complete your application:
- CV
- Motivation letter (max 350 words)
- Portfolio (only for the Marketing position)
The motivation letter should cover the below mentioned points:
- Why did you choose to apply for ISR?
- Which position(s) are you applying for and why those specifically?
- What qualities do you bring to the table?
- Do you have any plans or ideas you would like to implement in your desired position?
- Add anything else you deem relevant or important.
If you have any questions about ISR or the application process, do not hesitate by contacting one of the Board Officers or reach us on our main channels.