Mentor & Professional Margarita Niavi (39) chose to study education sciences after a bachelor in information technology. Combining the two fields of knowledge made for a unique CV, which earned her a coveted spot as a trainee at the European Parliament, where she is now a project manager. “Sometimes you have to try things out and see where they take you.”
Would you like to study the English-language Master of Science in Educational Sciences, like Margarita? Find out more about the programme! Do you have questions for Margarita after reading this article? Or are you interested in her profile? Be sure to connect with her on LinkedIn.
Margarita, you first studied information technology, followed by pedagogy, and then ended up at VUB. Can you tell us more about your study choices?
‘After my bachelor’s degree in information technology in Athens, I started teaching. Because I enjoyed it so much, I decided to study an additional bachelor in pedagogical sciences so I could teach at primary level. My husband got a job offer in Belgium a little later and I wanted an even broader view of education, so I enrolled in the English-language Master’s in Educational Sciences at VUB. The curriculum fascinated me and would allow me to learn more about curriculum development and teaching people of different age groups and backgrounds. I’d also heard positive stories about the university through friends, so the choice was quickly made.’
What helped you to decide what to study? Do you have any tips for students?
‘I started my master’s at VUB when I was over 30 and had a better idea of what I wanted. What a difference from my bachelor in Greece, where I was still so hesitant about the future! The most important tip for students is to go for what you like. Things are easier when you’re motivated. ’
Is there a particular syllabus, lesson or professor that you’ll always remember?
‘Prof Nadine Engels approached the lessons in a good way. The exercises she gave us were difficult, but in the end you realised how comprehensive they were for all the material we had seen throughout the year. I still remember many of her lessons today.’
And is there a moment from your student days you will never forget?
‘I combined my studies at VUB with a traineeship at the European Parliament. I often came home from work at 6.30pm and then caught up on what I’d missed at school and did my assignments in the evening. I had some good friends who helped me with my notes, but there was little free time left to go for a drink after class.’
Tips & Tricks
First-year students: ‘No matter what you study, you always learn’
‘My studies in information technology were different from what I expected, but it was good that I gave it some time, tried things out and had a wait-and-see attitude. If it’s really disappointing, it’s good to remember that you learn with everything you study and you can always go in a different direction.’
Final-year students: ‘Push on’
‘Even if you’re a bit tired by the end, do your best to finish your studies. In the last semester I was pregnant and had to hurry up with my thesis. Fortunately, I was still able to combine my work and studies. My three-month-old son was there at the graduation ceremony, which resulted in a lot of beautiful photos.’
‘It pays to combine studies to create a unique profile’
How did you build your career after your Master in Education Sciences at VUB?
‘When I moved to Brussels in 2015 because my husband got a job here, I started applying for masters and jobs. It was very difficult; for a long time I had nothing and then suddenly everything happened at once: the master at VUB and my traineeship at the European Parliament. There were 2,200 candidates for barely 130 places. I was very lucky that they were looking for someone with a background in both information technology and education sciences and I was the only candidate with these qualifications. The two fields of knowledge came together here. So it pays to combine studies and create a unique profile for yourself.’
What did your traineeship involve and how did you develop?
‘I helped out in a team responsible for the language training of MEPs and I worked with many language teachers. After that, I worked for a few months as an administrative assistant at EACEA, the European Commission’s Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, until I was offered a new contract at the European Parliament.’
What is your role at the Parliament today?
‘I work as a project manager and check whether certain procedures in dossiers have been applied or not. This helps the elected members to carry out their projects properly. ’
Which skills from your education have you been able to use in your career?
‘My fellow master students were very multicultural. There were five or six people from Samoa, five Greeks, and people from Vietnam and Cambodia. The groups we worked in constantly changed and it was fun to learn to work with all these people. It wasn’t always easy to understand each other because we had different backgrounds and cultures and came from different school systems. This has helped me a lot in my later career. Now I work with people from all over. ’
What essential skills have you learned during your career?
‘I’ve mainly learned to prioritise and to be efficient. It’s important to make solutions simple and understandable.’
What’s been your biggest professional challenge and what did you learn from it?
‘I haven’t had one specific challenge, but I have learned to manage multiple parties, to maintain harmony in a team and to find good solutions. Being patient and having a sense of humour have saved many things. It’s also important to keep private and personal matters separate. It isn’t professional to take things at work too personally.’
What does a normal day look like in your job?
‘The working day starts at 8.30 and ends at around 18.00. Our workload also depends on the activities of Parliament, whether there are plenary sessions or not. My colleagues and I have the same role, but we work individually on our own projects. ’
How do you see the future?
‘I would like to get back into education sciences more because that’s what I enjoy the most.’
#The World Needs You
How do you contribute to a better world in your job?
‘By monitoring procedures and projects, we provide an improved service to the members of the European Parliament. This means we can help them better fulfil the tasks they were elected for by the people and thus better represent the interests of EU citizens.’
Would you like to study the English-language Master of Science in Educational Sciences, like Margarita? Find out more about the programme! Do you have questions for Margarita after reading this article? Or are you interested in her profile? Be sure to connect with her on LinkedIn.