Humans of IBCoM is back again with the story of a third year IBCoM student: Leland! He was born in Surinam, but has been living most of his life in Rotterdam. He is currently working at a Dutch PR company, called Het Portaal. This is his story.
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
“My name is Leland and I am a 3rd year IBCoM student! I am currently working part time
at a PR company, called Het Portaal. I was born in Surinam, but when I was about six months old, my family moved to Rotterdam. So, I was almost born 
in Rotterdam. I am a big fan of FC Bayern, which is a famous football club in München and I love trying out new kinds of food at restaurants.”
Why did you choose to study IBCoM at the Erasmus University?
“The reason I wanted to study IBCoM is because I wanted to study the broad field of communication and media. The study of C&M is very open and unlimited. Also, since you do not need profound background knowledge to study IBCoM, it is good that anyone can participate and engage in class conversation using their own perspective and thoughts.”
As a third year student, what is your evaluation of IBCoM in overall?
“Well, I didn’t have much expectations when I first started studying IBCoM, so everything was interesting for me! I really enjoyed listening to various kinds of seminars and elective courses in my second year. What I particularly like about the field of communication is that everything, from business to psychology, involves communication. The possibility to combine IBCoM courses with business courses and minors in psychology and many other fields really brings those links to life. Therefore, I am pretty much content with all IBCoM courses and also about the international atmosphere of the department. Communicating with people from different backgrounds and cultures is always very exciting.”
Can you tell us more about your current part time job at the PR company?
“Since June, I have been working at Het Portaal, which is a Dutch PR company in Rotterdam. I am working as a junior project assistant. My job at the company is to support the community manager and the editor in their daily work. I also keep up with the statistics and create my own content on social media. Other than that, I engage in community work by communicating with the stakeholders and making sure that everything is spinning in the right way. What personally like about my job is that I am able to work for business sustainability management, which has good cause and effect to the society as a whole.”
Any recommendations for IBCoM students when looking for an internship?
“I think it will be a little bit difficult for international students, since most companies are looking for Dutch intern students. However, I think there are still many opportunities when you search through social networks and internship websites. Using Linkedin can also be very helpful. Actually, my first choice for an internship was at a different company, but for now, I really like my job at Het Portaal.”
What is your plan after graduating IBCoM?
“Career wise, I would like to focus on business sustainability. I want to get to the chief executive position of a corporation in order to be able to change the people’s mindset and to create a sustainable environment for everyone. That is the ultimate goal for my career now. Other than career related plans, I would like to travel around the world. Also, it is my personal goal to explore every restaurant in Rotterdam since I love trying different kinds of food.”
This was Leland’s story about his professional experiences in the field of communication and media. Thanks for reading our third HOI and please stay tuned on our blog since there are more posts coming up!