A sustainable Transition from student to employee
This site help bridge the generations and strengthening collaboration between the business community and students by fostering both self-reflection and meaningful dialogues within companies and educational institutions
Illustration by Tor Hermansen
Our tools for students and employers
What can I find on this page?
The transition from student life to work life can be a challenging journey, often filled with concerns about whether one has the necessary skills. On this site, we have gathered knowledge and tools designed to help both students and companies work together to ensure a successful start to working life.
In the following sections you will find information and tools about – click on the icons to be redirected to the specific part of the page:
Podcast
From studies to working life – Ready for the transition
Podcast
Onboarding Gen Z Employees
Video
Well-being dilemma session with Karriereklubben
Video
How to motivate and protect yourself
Video
Understanding Well-being with Pernille Steen Pedersen
Article
Competencies for the transformation from student life to working life
Article
The art of understanding and acknowledging a new generation on the labor market
POdcast
From Studies to Working Life – Ready for the Transition
The transition from being a student to entering a workplace can be a challenging journey, often filled with concerns about whether one possesses the right competencies. In this podcast, “From Studies to Working Life – Ready for the Transition,” a researcher and three former CBS students address these worries, helping students understand what companies are looking for. You’ll meet Karoline Keller Rolsted and Josephine Kugelberg Pedersen, who recently defended their thesis on the skills companies seek in new graduates, and discuss the concerns that students often face. You’ll also hear from Lucas Mahr, a former CBS student who has now gained his first professional experience working at Denmark’s National Bank. Lucas shares his insights on transitioning from studies to a career and offers practical advice on how to best prepare.
The conversation is moderated by CBS researcher Pernille Steen Pedersen.
Note: The podcast is in Danish
Podcast
Onboarding Gen Z employees
“Does Generation Z require us to change our approach to well-being?” This question is discussed in this podcast, where we meet CBS student Luanna Eriknauer and CBS alumna Lea Thingmann. Both have researched the well-being challenges young people may experience in their first job. Together with Kasper Skovgaard Pedersen, Chair of the Finance Union in Nordea, they explore how these challenges raise questions about how we can rethink and unlock the potential of workplace communities in the future.
The conversation is moderated by CBS researcher Pernille Steen Pedersen, who brings in insights from her own well-being research.
Note: The podcast is in Danish
What companies value and expect when hiring new young employees
In a series of three podcasts, Pernille Steen Pedersen sits down with three different business leaders to discuss what companies expect from recent graduates and the qualities they value most. One leader highlights the importance of taking responsibility, saying, “It’s essential to not only take responsibility for your own life but also for the community you’re part of.” Carsten, one of the guests, emphasizes that responsibility is a crucial skill for graduates entering the workforce.
Listen to the three podcasts below
Klædt på til arbejdslivet 1
- Carsten Heger, former Customer Director in Nykredit and current Privat Banking Director in Danske Bank
- Pernille Steen Pedersen, stress researcher and Assistant Professor at CBS.
Note: The podcast is in Danish
Klædt på til arbejdslivet 2
- Ane Katrine Apel, former HR Director in KPMG and current HR Director Kemp & Lauritzen
- Pernille Steen Pedersen, stress researcher and Assistant Professor at CBS.
Note: The podcast is in Danish
Klædt på til arbejdslivet 3
- Torben Klitmøller Hollman, Center Leader in Næstved Kommune (Municipality)
- Pernille Steen Pedersen, stress researcher and Assistant Professor at CBS.
Note: The podcast is in Danish
Video
Dilemma session moderated by Karriereklubben
Student well-being is a complex issue that spans emotional, academic, and social dimensions. In this video, three former CBS students will explore the critical dilemmas CBS students face when balancing academic pressures, mental health, and their future career aspirations.
The panel consist of:
- Kasper Holst Hansen, Founder of MatematikFessor and Flyin BizKit
- Victoria Heger Witseling, D&I Lead,Danske Bank
- André Thormann, senior aktieanalytiker, Danske Bank
First dilemma
What should I prioritize – my studies or my student job?
Second dilemma
My masterplan is falling apart, what should I do?
Third dilemma
I struggle with social anxiety and feel anxious about working in groups. How can I manage this?
Video
How to protect your motivation and yourself in the transition from bachelor to master student to professional career
This session features Benjamin Anker alongside Sebastian Vestergaard, discussing the transition from being a student to starting a professional career. They reflect on what they wish they had known before starting their studies, the role of grades, and the balance between student jobs and academic responsibilities. The conversation also addresses imposter syndrome, with Sebastian sharing personal experiences and Benjamin offering insights from his professional journey. They conclude by highlighting key skills needed to navigate the shift from academic to work life.
The panel consist of:
- Benjamin Anker, alum from CBS. He is specialist consultant Agency for Digital Government and teaching Assistant CBS
- Sebastian Vestergaard, newly graduated from CBS in Business Administration and Psychology
Video
Understanding Well-being with Pernille Steen Pedersen
The presentation presents results from the research project “Stress prevention and well-being among students at CBS” by Pernille Steen Pedersen.
The presentation will show how selected “Nordic Nine” (N9), which represent nine disciplinary skills and transformational capabilities, shed light on different aspects, central to wellbeing of students.
article
Dressed for working life:
A case study of essential competencies for CBS students in the transformation from student life to working life
Klædt på til arbejdslivet: Et casestudie af væsentlige kompetencer for CBS-studerende i transformationen fra studieliv til arbejdsliv
You now have the opportunity to read the master’s thesis ‘Klædt på til arbejdslivet‘ by two former CBS-students, Josephine Kugelberg Pedersen and Karoline Keller Rolsted, which explores the essential competencies for CBS students transitioning from academic to professional life. The study is based on interviews with CBS master’s students and financial sector agents, identifying five key competencies that help students navigate this transition: honesty, accepting inadequacy, teamwork, flexibility, and resilience in monotony.
- Authors: Josephine Kugelberg Pedersen & Karoline Keller Rolsted
- Note: The article is in Danish
If you’re curious for the full insights, check out the article linked or download it below.
Article
“I need to feel challenged, but not so challenged that I can’t perform well.”
The art of understanding and acknowledging a new generation on the labor market
”Jeg skal føle mig udfordret, men ikke så udfordret, at jeg ikke kan gøre det godt”: Kunsten at forstå og anerkende en ny generation på arbejdsmarkedet
Generation Z, often called “snowflakes,” “Zoomers,” or “digital natives,” enter the workplace with demands for recognition, clear leadership, flexibility, meaningful work, and balance. While these values support a sustainable work-life focus, our research shows that their well-being and community-oriented ideals are strained by personal development pressures and high performance expectations. Based on a case study of newly employed assistant attorneys, we highlight three well-being tensions linked to the concept of FOPO (Fear of People’s Opinions), which relates to stress from concern about others’ perceptions. We suggest two organizational activities to reduce FOPO and strengthen workplace well-being.
- Authors: Pernille Steen Pedersen & Luanna Veiga Eriknauer
- Note: The article is in Danish
If you’re curious for the full insights, check out the article linked or download it below.
