Martin Selb from Vorarlberg, a student attending the Master’s degree programme in Entrepreneurship at the University of Liechtenstein, became the first-ever student from Liechtenstein to be accepted onto the WiWi-Talents programme at the beginning of December. The application deadline for 2014 is 15 May.
Martin Selb from Vorarlberg, a student attending the Master’s degree programme in Entrepreneurship at the University of Liechtenstein, became the first-ever student from Liechtenstein to be accepted onto the WiWi-Talents programme at the beginning of December. The application deadline for 2014 is 15 May.
Support programme for Business Economics
The high-flyer programme was set up in 2005 by WiWi-Online, an online information service for students of Business Economics, young professionals and companies. The aim of the programme is to support talented young people from German-speaking countries in the field of economics and business by offering intensive support at all stages of study and providing them with important professional contacts.
Applicants who make it through the biannual online selection process are added to the WiWi-Talents yearbook, which is circulated to over 500 companies every semester. These include PwC, Unilever, Deutsche Bank and UBS. Besides the University of Liechtenstein, other institutes of higher education taking part in the talent programme are the University of St. Gallen, the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Maastricht School of Management, Vienna University of Economics and Business, the Vienna University of Technology and the Ingolstadt School of Management.
Demanding admission criteria
The admission criteria are very demanding, and only around 300 students have been accepted onto the programme to date. The requirements include excellent academic performance, a Vordiplom or 120 ECTS credits, experience abroad and internships, outstanding foreign-language skills, social commitment and a detailed report from a professor. Each area has to be documented accordingly.
Martin Selb had no trouble meeting the requirements, making it easy to garner the support of Professor Urs Baldegger, whom the new addition to the WiWi-Talents programme holds in high esteem. “He is one of those professors who not only take care of the academic side of things, but who also have a genuine concern for their students’ welfare,” Selb explains.
With such an impressive academic and professional track record, it was not difficult for Martin to get Professor Urs Baldegger to support his application. His language skills are also exceptional. While studying at Vienna University of Economics and Business, Selb devoted a great deal of time to learning Chinese in addition to his studies in Entrepreneurship. This was not driven by career strategy considerations, however, but purely by his interest in Chinese culture, which dates back to his adolescence. He went on to complete two language courses and a semester abroad in China.
Career support even for small universities
Martin Selb decided to apply to WiWi-Talents for several reasons. Firstly he was keen to find out where he stood in relation to students in other countries and secondly whether students from smaller universities had any chance in the competition. The response was positive, and he will now be able to enjoy the career support he was hoping for. Like all other participants in the WiWi-Talents programme, Martin can expect to receive various job offers and invitations to interesting events.
For the time being, however, he will have to devote himself wholeheartedly to his Master’s thesis alongside his job as CFO and project manager at Längle GmbH. Martin is very pleased with the Master’s degree programme he started at the University of Liechtenstein in 2012. On the one hand, the programme in Liechtenstein covers the whole company life cycle, which made it very appealing to him as an all-rounder. On the other, he felt the conditions for combining study and professional work were particularly good.
“Above all, though,” he says, “the programme is more practically oriented than anywhere else and the opportunities for contact between professors and students are much better.” Or in other words, “Everything is more personal here; you’re not just a number.”
Application for 2014
Incidentally, the next round of applications for the WiWi-Talents programme is already under way. Students can register for the high-flyer programme at the following link until 15 May 2014: http://www.wiwi-online.co.uk/start.php