A Board Year as External Affairs of Asset | Accounting & Finance – Nina Smolders

As External Affairs, Nina is responsible for keeping in touch with the current and future partners of Asset | Accounting & Finance. In addition, she coordinates the Accounting Expedition and Orientation committee. She is also responsible for the organization of the Master Experience Days and for the FinanceDay. In this article Nina explains what her position entails and how she experiences a year as External Affairs of Asset | Accounting & Finance.

A board year, how did my choice come about?

In the summer of 2019, I moved from beautiful Maastricht to Tilburg to start my BSc Business Economics . Soon we all had to deal with the consequences of the corona pandemic, so almost all study activities took place online. 

In January 2021, I became active in Asset | Accounting & Finance by joining the Sports Committee. I then immediately joined many activities which allowed me to get to know many and the association. Slowly, I felt an increasing need to spend a year doing something other than “just studying” and so I began to explore my options. During a board yera you learn a lot and it also gives a boost to your CV and that is why I decided to do it.

Function as External Affairs

As External Affairs, you are the person who is concerned about the contact with Asset’s partners. This is done via email, phone or of course a physical appointment. In the summer all partner meetings are planned, which you do together with your predecessor or successor. Here, we reflect on the past year and look at what companies are looking for in order to make the best fit in terms of package or event . This way, you can really think along with companies so they can achieve their goals, this may include creating brand awareness, promoting career opportunities or to engage directly with students. Throughout the year, there are often other things that companies ask you to think about in order to achieve the optimal result. For example, I will soon be having a lunch meeting with a company along with a fellow board member to spar about what students need from an employer and what they value highly. 

In addition, you look at every event to see which companies are the best match, taking into account the interests of students and companies and other factors that play a role. In the run-up to the event, you are often the contact person for questions and unexpected problems, making sure that everything will run smoothly. 

Point of contact for businesses, what else?

Besides maintaining contact with companies, you have other tasks to perform. In fact, as a board member, you always have committees to coordinate. In my case, those are the Accounting Expedition Committee and the Orientation Committee, the latter I did for six months. As a coordinator, you get a bit of leadership and it’s really fun to organize events together in this way. For the Accounting Expedition I was in close contact with the chairman of the committee to make sure all deadlines were met. During the event itself I was mainly in contact with the companies and other parties, such as the hotel. Afterwards you can look back on successful events with a satisfied feeling.

“By being responsible for these events you get a good idea of what is involved and you will certainly pay extra attention to the small details.”

Apart from the events you organize with committees, you also have your own events. These are the FinanceDay and the Master Experience Day of the MSc Finance and MSc Accountancy. By being responsible for these events you get a good idea of what is involved and you will certainly pay extra attention to the small details. For the Master Experience Days, you will have a lot of contact with externals from other departments, especially during the weekly Acquisition Meeting. In this meeting we discuss everything that is going on within Asset Tilburg, for example things about Career Platform Tilburg. Each external also has one or more task forces within this meeting. Mine is General Revenues/ New Business Model, with this taskforce we look at all the ways to make money for Asset Tilburg. Here you make sure the brochure is updated, but you also brainstorm about new events and opportunities. 

Learning Points as External Affairs

When you enter a board year, you naturally want to learn things. I had thought a lot about this beforehand. I did this by looking at what I had to offer as a board member and in what area I could improve. By nature I am quite a stresser, and there will certainly be busy periods in your year as a board member where the stress can rise a bit. My goal was to be able to indicate this to my fellow board members and, where necessary, delegate small tasks. This took some getting used to, but in the end it worked best and I allowed myself more rest. As External Affairs you are of course in contact with everyone a lot. I never really considered myself an outgoing person, so this position was perfect to push my boundaries in this area. If you set certain goals for yourself at the beginning of your administrative year, you can achieve a lot!

Tips for my successor

A board year can sometimes be hectic. Above all, do not forget to enjoy all the nice things you will experience. Every so often, look back on the time that has passed and be proud of what you have achieved. Make sure that you often do something to relax. For me, sports and walks in the woods were ideal for this. Try to find your own rhythm and then you should be fine!

Does this appeal to you and do you want to know more about my experience? Or do you have any other practical questions about a year on the board? Feel free to contact me or drop by room E1.07!