Contact Day Sonae

More than 11000 university students registered in “Rede Contacto”, the social network created by Sonae (Sonae is a retail company, the largest private employer in Portugal). The aim is to start a innovative recruitment process of young graduates with high potential. For months, students are challenged to perform various tasks (online quizzes, questionnaires, etc). That allows the participants to accumulate points that grant access to Dia Contacto (Contact Day).

I was one of the lucky 60 selected students. I was invited to spend a full day getting to know Sonae. I accepted the invitation. What can I say now? It made me have a very positive image of Sonae.

In the morning, they showed us the facilities, the whole team was friendly, and everything seemed well organized. They even provided a free lunch (It was good, not too posh, a quick stand-up buffet). After lunch, we listen to the top officers (Eng. Belmiro, Eng. Paul, Dr. Luís Reis). I really liked their proximity and the stories told. Furthermore, I compliment the emphasis given to the company’s values​​, although the talk about it was a bit too long. In my opinion, there is no need to write values on walls. Values are defined through the committed actions.

Also during the afternoon, the students formed teams and played games. The performances of students were being assessed throughout all day. The challenges seemed too simple, for masters degree students with some professional experience. I believe that this day was primarily designed for post-bolonha graduates, a student can now finish a degree with only 19 years, sometimes maturity may call into question. The main element of assessment was the willingness to be part of Sonae. Anyway, it was an inspiring day for people desirous to start a professional career.

Overall, it was a nice experience. Sonae +1