Soft skills and networking: Católica's student clubs welcome new members

The campus of Universidade Católica Portuguesa, in Lisbon, fills up with students excited about the beginning of the academic year. In the lobby of the first floor of the Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics (CLSBE), we can find several professional clubs gathered. These are groups where students can work together and gain skills outside the classroom.

Maria is at the 180 Degrees Consulting stand. The 20-year-old student finished her degree in Economics last year and is now in the first year of her Masters in Finance at CLSBE. "Here at 180 we develop consulting projects with non-profit organisations. This semester we are going to work with the Red Cross and Caritas," she explains with a smile.

Feeling that she has a "positive impact on society" and "helping those who need it most" through consultancy work are, for Maria, the most important aspects of being part of this club. "This ends up being a different kind of volunteering. Of course it's hard work, but it's also very rewarding", concludes the student.

On the other side of the lobby we meet Carolina Martins, representative of Equality in Business. The international Master's student in Management tells us that this club organises events with the aim of "bringing Católica students to the table to discuss important topics with companies" and also "networking". In addition to gender equality in the business world, they discuss topics such as "education or mental health".

Being part of a club "contributes to integration", but it is also an "opportunity to network with companies". It can also mean trying out an area of interest, "before you are sure of what you want to do in the future".

For David Sequeira, President of the Católica Marketing Club, being part of this group "is a first contact with the world of marketing, to learn soft skills, and start to create a network". What he likes most is "the entertaining and friendly spirit of the club", where all the students "are very close and create friendships".

These are just three of dozens of clubs available for students to apply to in these first weeks of the academic year. Discover all the professional clubs and other clubs and activities at Católica.