Living the JOBS experience
by Faten Guirat and Ghaida Bouchâala
December 15th and 16th were two memorable days for every junior entrepreneur. During these days, JOBS ( Junior Official Business Seminar) was held in El Mouradi Hotel, in Sousse, Tunisia. This seminar was organised by the JET (Junior Entreprise of Tunisia).
Too many names? We promise to make everything clearer.
So, lay back, buckle up and read attentively dear readers as this article is about to blow your minds with one of the most amazing experiences that have ever existed.
Who is JET ?
JET is the Tunisian Confederation of Junior Enterprises. Its main role is to supervise and guide them in their work and training. It was founded in 2012 by only four Junior Entreprises, and ever since, it kept on expanding. Today, it federates 37 which is a great accomplishment.
What is a Junior Entreprise?
A Junior Enterprise is a student organisation established within a university. It puts its members into practice by carrying out projects for real clients 💃 , thus, they get to live the professional life before it really takes place.
What about JOBS?
Junior Official Business Seminar is the national seminar organized by the JET. It aims to gather the #GenerationProud to introduce the movement to the newly recruited members, offer them a balanced training in soft and hard skills and strengthen their bond.
Now, back to basics
We, as newly recruited members, have decided to tell you about our personal experience during JOBS. We want to share it with you because it made a big difference for us, and we really want the same for you!
Being there, amongst almost 1500 Junior Entrepreneurs made us feel very special. It is a once in a year opportunity, that any of you creative readers wouldn’t want to miss.
An exceptional program with an outstanding organisation
Everything went as planned and it was remarkable that the organizing committee worked really hard to ensure the smooth progress of the program just in time. The staff was everywhere; at the doors, near the stage, etc.. Long story short, they were at our disposal anywhere, anytime. They showed great professionalism.
Let’s dive into the JOBS program
- The first thing we attended was the opening ceremony, during which, all the Junior Entreprises were introduced, each in its own way. Us (Junior Entreprise INSAT) for example performed a battle cry that gave us goosebumps.
- Next in line were the workshops, which were the highlights of our journey. In fact, three were held at the same time for members, managers and the quartet.
We, the members were to enter a very interesting competition. More on that later. As for the managers’ workshop, it was called ‘Move’ and it was mainly strategic; they were introduced to a whole new vocabulary and tools of analysis such as SWOT, PESTEL, etc..
And finally, the quartet’s was called ‘Forward’.It was a small panel led by two JET alumni and the co-founder of the startup ‘Flouci’, during which they talked about the changes that the JET has been through over the years.
The competition 😋
At first, we were divided into 6 big groups(A, B, C, D, E and F). Each group had 7 teams of 20 persons each, selected from different Junior Entreprises to ensure diversity and networking. The competition theme was about the 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations and each group was asked to come up with innovative ideas to solve one or two goals. The winning teams were to be awarded a check for APIE training sessions.
First, we were given 30 minutes to come up with an idea, which we managed to agree on after a while. Then, we made a vote on who was to pitch it. Afterwards, we started building our Business Model Canvas as we were guided by some really helpful coaches. Keep in mind that this competition didn’t need any business background because we were well mentored by the JOBS staff as we were offered to watch some video lessons before every step.
It was a fulfilling experience through which we were able to achieve a good level of harmony despite some disagreements which are absolutely normal, given that we have different backgrounds, and that is something that we will definitely experience in real life.
The Party 🎸🎉
Later that night, there was this amazing networking party.
It was lit, we were on fire as the band and the DJ played. Besides, we had the chance to expand our network and make adorable friends.
In short, it’s an experience that must be lived.
The cherry on top of this seminar 🍒
It was the debate that took place during the second day and that revolved around the positive retro-control of Junior Entrepreneurs on the Tunisian system and ecosystem.
The speakers were people with different occupations, from different backgrounds (ANETI, ATUGE, APII ) who are continuously trying to make Tunisia a better place.
What was so great about this debate is that it was interactive. We were invited to ask questions and suggest solutions.
You can check the speakers’ list here.
What’s Next? 😎
A great chance is knocking on your door, the chance to join the JET movement. What are you waiting for to become part of our family?
Don’t worry if your university doesn’t have a Junior Enterprise, you can always establish it and take one step closer to the entrepreneurial world!
We encourage everyone to be part of jobs 2k20 and live the experience.
Can’t WAIT that long? Well, you can have the chance to be part of the JET SPRING SEMINAR organization committee: `The soldiers` in MARCH 2020.
Here’s a foretaste: link
It is an opportunity that you should take, a dream that you should pursue. What’s better than being an active citizen? Do that, demonstrate your love for your country because the youth is the key to success.
Special thanks for our Junior Entreprise ❤️ ❤️
With that in mind, we would like to thank Junior Entreprise INSAT for giving us the opportunity to be a part of their family. It has been great, and we promise to make it even greater by working on our IT projects and organizing events as impressive as our first edition of the annual Forum.
#TrustTomorrowsEngineers.
#JEINSAT
Again, thank you!
