For most people, graduating is one of the happiest times of their lives. It means no more exams, no more deadlines, and no more all-nighters. But this feeling of joy and accomplishment can be quickly overshadowed by a fear of an uncertain future. Throw job market pressure and societal expectations into the mix, and the post-graduation joy quickly turns into post-graduation blues.

But there’s no need for this. Just like your educational institution of choice can get you ready for a career in your desired field, you can prepare yourself for the post-graduation journey. The Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) is here to help in both regards.

This article will guide you through your post-graduation journey, allowing you to relax once your graduation comes and you enter the competitive job market. To give you only the most useful advice, we’ve enlisted the help of one of our alums, Francesca Fancoli. She will chime in with her personal experience pre-, during, and post-OPIT. Let’s begin!

1. Follow Your Heart

It’s perfectly understandable if the words “Follow your heart” sound like nothing more than a cliché to you, especially in the cutthroat business world. But the truth is that genuine passion and intuition can be powerful guides.

Take Francesca as an example. Though she previously focused on climate-related issues and sustainability, she became intrigued by the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the corporate world. That’s what brought her to OPIT and our Master in Applied Data Science and AI program.

As long as you continuously pursue a career that challenges and motivates you, you’ll likely find both fulfillment and success. This way, you’ll think of studying as not a mundane task but an adventure, just like Francesca does.

2. Network, Network, Network

Don’t let anyone convince you that “networking” is nothing more than a buzzword. Networking is still very much a valuable and effective way to build meaningful connections, gain insights, and open doors to new opportunities in your professional journey. The only thing that has changed is where networking takes place.

Sure, you can still attend formal networking events and career fairs in person, as this will allow you to build confidence and sharpen your interpersonal skills. But nowadays, you can also leverage the power of virtual networking, connecting with professionals globally through online platforms like LinkedIn.

Study online at OPIT, and you also get the chance to interact with classmates and alums from all over the world. For instance, Francesca comes from Italy, but OPIT students and alums can be found in virtually every corner of the world.

Genuinely getting to know your fellow students, professors, and professionals in your desired field can lead to all sorts of unexpected opportunities, as many job openings don’t even get posted online. Instead, they circulate within enclosed professional networks through word of mouth.

3. Don’t Wait for the Right Opportunity – Create It

This tip ties into the importance of networking. Suppose there’s a person you want to meet or a job you really want. If that’s the case, don’t just sit back and hope for an opportunity to achieve these goals comes your way. Instead, make your own opportunity.

Initiating contact and expressing genuine interest paints you as an assertive, proactive, and driven individual. And these qualities are precisely what many employers and influential professionals value. Plus, thanks to LinkedIn, you can demonstrate all these qualities from the comfort of your own home.

4. Create a Standout CV

Once the time comes to send out your CV (curriculum vitae) to your potential employer(s), you’ll want to ensure the CV in question truly stands out. After all, you only get one chance to make a first impression.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should resort to flashy gimmicks whose only value is their shock factor. It means presenting a visually appealing, well-organized, and impactful document that will instantly set you apart from other candidates.

Though there are many factors in creating a standout CV, one is arguably the most important – customize your CV for the job you want. Nothing screams mediocrity more than submitting a generic CV to every job application.

Let’s say you study computer science and AI like Francesca and want to apply for a job in the field. In this case, your CV should showcase specific hands-on projects you’ve worked on during your studies and the technical skills you’ve mastered. You can even include some industry insight to demonstrate your understanding of the current trends and challenges.

For instance, one of the reasons Francesca chose her field of study at OPIT is that she believes that automation can help with “foreseeing risks” and “applying better compliance.”

5. Don’t Stress About the Interview

Obviously, this is easier said than done. It’s perfectly natural to be nervous before a big interview, especially if it’s your first post-graduation. But as long as you remain confident and express genuine interest in the position (and the company), you’ll likely make an excellent impression.

If you’re like Francesca, use the interview to showcase your passion for AI and computer science in general. Talk about your extracurricular activities in the field and all the fun projects you got to work on during your studies.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should forget about the “traditional” interview question. Remember that most interviews are a lengthy process, so prepare yourself for the common questions that might come your way during it.

6. Continuously Educate Yourself

Newsflash – learning doesn’t stop once you graduate. Or at least, it shouldn’t. It’s crucial that you continuously strive to learn new skills, adapt to new technologies, and pursue relevant certifications.

That’s precisely what Francesca did when enrolling in OPIT. She sees her time here as “upskilling,” which will help her conquer the corporate job market.

Even if you land your dream job, keep learning and educating yourself. This will allow you to advance quickly and achieve long-term success in your desired field. And remember not to be too hard on yourself if there’s something you don’t know in your new job, as no one expects you to know everything from the get-go.

7. Don’t Fear a Career Break

A career break is nothing to fear and stress about. In fact, it can be a valuable opportunity for personal and professional growth. Take Francesca as an example, as she used her career breaks wisely – one to start a family and the other to study at OPIT.

8. Embrace Volunteering

Let’s say you can’t find a job for a while. Or, you want to use your career break wisely, like Francesca. Whatever the case, consider volunteering.

Volunteering can help you add relevant job experience to your CV and set you up for a successful career. Best of all? If you attend an online institution like OPIT, you might even have time to volunteer during your studies, making the transition from education to employment substantially smoother.

9. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

It doesn’t matter if you’re currently studying, just graduated, or already in the job market. One thing remains the same – growth happens when you step beyond the familiar.

During studying, challenge yourself to explore different subjects, engage in extracurricular activities, and seek to understand the study materials beyond surface-level comprehension. For instance, during Francesca’s studies, her goal was to “understand the uses of AI in a corporate job and specifically what AI can do for compliance and risk management.”

After graduating and joining the job market, continue seeking opportunities to apply your knowledge in real-world scenarios. Don’t just stick to what you’ve learned or experienced in school. Even if these new experiences inspire you to change your career path, do it! This turned out great for Francesca, and it will surely be the same for you as long as you remain adaptable and embrace challenges with open arms.

Thanks to the digital age, even moving to another country mid-study is feasible, as you can “take” your studies with you. Just ask the lovely Francesca who moved from Italy to France.

10. Be Patient

Once you graduate, not everything will go your way. You might take a while to land your dream job or advance in your career. You might even start a job only to realize it’s not for you after all. And that’s more than OK. Remember that the best things are worth waiting for, and be easy on yourself while waiting for them.

Of course, if you’ve read all the tips outlined in this article, you won’t be waiting idly. You’ll use this time to better yourself, improve your skills, meet new people, and explore alternative paths. Combine these actions with your formal knowledge, and it’s only a matter of time before you reach the top. But more importantly – you’ll also enjoy your journey up there.

Put Your Trust in OPIT

At OPIT, we have one goal – to help you achieve your dream career. This involves empowering you to excel in your chosen field during and after graduation. If you have any questions about our study programs, contact us directly. We’ll be happy to share more tips from our alumni who have successfully navigated their career paths, just like Francesca.

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The Value of Hackathons
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
Jan 5, 2026 6 min read

Bring talented tech experts together, set them a challenge, and give them a deadline. Then, let them loose and watch the magic happen. That, in a nutshell, is what hackathons are all about. They’re proven to be among the most productive tech events when it comes to solving problems and accelerating innovation.

What Is a Hackathon?

Put simply, a hackathon is a short-term event – often lasting just a couple of days, or sometimes even only a matter of hours – where tech experts come together to solve a specific problem or come up with ideas based on a central theme or topic. As an example, teams might be tasked with discovering a new way to use AI in marketing or to create an app aimed at improving student life.

The term combines the words “hack” and “marathon,” due to how participants (hackers or programmers) are encouraged to work around-the-clock to create a prototype, proof-of-concept, or new solution. It’s similar to how marathon runners are encouraged to keep running, putting their skills and endurance to the test in a race to the finish line.

The Benefits of Hackathons

Hackathons provide value both for the companies that organize them and the people who take part. Companies can use them to quickly discover new ideas or overcome challenges, for example, while participants can enjoy testing their skills, innovating, networking, and working either alone or as part of a larger team.

Benefits for Companies and Sponsors

Many of the world’s biggest brands have come to rely on hackathons as ways to drive innovation and uncover new products, services, and opportunities. Meta, for example, the brand behind Facebook, has organized dozens of hackathons, some of which have led to the development of well-known Facebook features, like the “Like” button. Here’s how hackathons help companies:

  • Accelerate Innovation: In fast-moving fields like technology, companies can’t always afford to spend months or years working on new products or features. They need to be able to solve problems quickly, and hackathons create the necessary conditions to deliver rapid success.
  • Employee Development: Leading companies like Meta have started to use annual hackathons as a way to not only test their workforce’s skills but to give employees opportunities to push themselves and broaden their skill sets.
  • Internal Networking: Hackathons also double up as networking events. They give employees from different teams, departments, or branches the chance to work with and learn from one another. This, in turn, can promote or reinforce team-oriented work cultures.
  • Talent Spotting: Talents sometimes go unnoticed, but hackathons give your workforce’s hidden gems a chance to shine. They’re terrific opportunities to see who your best problem solvers and most creative thinkers at.
  • Improving Reputation: Organizing regular hackathons helps set companies apart from their competitors, demonstrating their commitment to innovation and their willingness to embrace new ideas. If you want your brand to seem more forward-thinking and innovative, embracing hackathons is a great way to go about it.

Benefits for Participants

The hackers, developers, students, engineers, and other people who take part in hackathons arguably enjoy even bigger and better benefits than the businesses behind them. These events are often invaluable when it comes to upskilling, networking, and growing, both personally and professionally. Here are some of the main benefits for participants, explained:

  • Learning and Improvement: Hackathons are golden opportunities for participants to gain knowledge and skills. They essentially force people to work together, sharing ideas, contributing to the collective, and pushing their own boundaries in pursuit of a common goal.
  • Networking: While some hackathons are purely internal, others bring together different teams or groups of people from different schools, businesses, and places around the world. This can be wonderful for forming connections with like-minded individuals.
  • Sense of Pride: Everyone feels a sense of pride after accomplishing a project or achieving a goal, but this often comes at the end of weeks or months of effort. With hackathons, participants can enjoy that same satisfying feeling after just a few hours or a couple of days of hard work.
  • Testing Oneself: A hackathon is an amazing chance to put one’s skills to the test and see what one is truly capable of when given a set goal to aim for and a deadline to meet. Many participants are surprised to see how well they respond to these conditions.
  • Boosting Skills: Hackathons provide the necessary conditions to hone and improve a range of core soft skills, such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving, organization, and punctuality. By the end, participants often emerge with more confidence in their abilities.

Hackathons at OPIT

The Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) understands the unique value of hackathons and has played its part in sponsoring these kinds of events in the past. OPIT was one of the sponsors behind ESCPHackathon 6, for example, which involved 120 students given AI-related tasks, with mentorship and guidance from senior professionals and developers from established brands along the way.

Marco Fediuc, one of the participants, summed up the mood in his comments:

“The hackathon was a truly rewarding experience. I had the pleasure of meeting OPIT classmates and staff and getting to know them better, the chance to collaborate with brilliant minds, and the opportunity to take part in an exciting and fun event.

“Participating turned out to be very useful because I had the chance to work in a fast-paced, competitive environment, and it taught me what it means to stay calm and perform under pressure… To prospective Computer Science students, should a similar opportunity arise, I can clearly say: Don’t underestimate yourselves!”

The new year will also see the arrival of OPIT Hackathon 2026, giving more students the chance to test their skills, broaden their networks, and enjoy the one-of-a-kind experiences that these events never fail to deliver. This event is scheduled to be held February 13-15, 2026, and is open to all OPIT Bachelor’s and Master’s students, along with recent graduates. Interested parties have until February 1 to register.

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OPIT’s First Career Fair
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
OPIT - Open Institute of Technology
Jan 5, 2026 6 min read

The Open Institute of Technology (OPIT) recently held its first-ever career fair to showcase its wide array of career education options and services. Representatives from numerous high-profile international companies were in attendance, and students enjoyed unprecedented opportunities to connect with business leaders, expand their professional networks, and pave the way for success in their future careers.

Here’s a look back at the event and how it ties into OPIT’s diverse scope of career services.

Introducing OPIT

For those who aren’t yet familiar, OPIT is an EU-accredited Higher Education Institution, offering online degrees in technological fields such as computer science, data science, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital business. Aimed at making high-level tech education accessible to all, OPIT has assembled a stellar team of tutors and experts to train the tech leaders of tomorrow.

The First OPIT Career Fair

OPIT’s first career fair was held on November 19 and 20. And as with OPIT’s lectures, it was an exclusively online event, which ensured that every attendee had equal access to key lectures and information. Interested potential students from all over the world were able to enjoy the same great experience, demonstrating a core principle that OPIT has championed from the very start – the principles of accessibility and the power of virtual learning.

More than a dozen leading international companies took part in the event, with the full guest list including representatives from:

  • Deloitte
  • Dylog Hitech
  • EDIST Engineering Srl
  • Tinexta Cyber
  • Datapizza
  • RWS Group
  • WE GRELE FRANCE
  • Avatar Investments
  • Planet Farms
  • Coolshop
  • Hoist Finance Italia
  • Gruppo Buffetti S.p.A
  • Nesperia Group
  • Fusion AI Labs
  • Intesi Group
  • Reply
  • Mindsight Ventures

This was a fascinating mix of established enterprises and emerging players. Deloitte, for example, is one of the largest professional services networks in the world in terms of both revenue and number of employees. Mindsight Ventures, meanwhile, is a newer but rapidly emerging name in the fields of AI and business intelligence.

The Response

The first OPIT career fair was a success, with many students in attendance expressing their joy at being able to connect with such a strong lineup of prospective employers.

OPIT Founder and Director Riccardo Ocleppo had this to say:

“I often say internally that our connection with companies – through masterclasses, thesis and capstone projects, and career opportunities – is the ‘cherry on the cake’ of the OPIT experience!

“It’s also a core part of our mission: making higher education more practical, more connected, and more aligned with what happens in the real world.

“Our first Career Fair says a lot about our commitment to building an end-to-end learning and professional growth experience for our community of students.

“Thank you to the Student and Career Services team, and to Stefania Tabi for making this possible.”

Representatives from some of the companies that attended also shared positive impressions of the event. A representative from Nesperia Group, for example, said:

“Nesperia Group would like to thank OPIT for the warm welcome we received during the OPIT Career Day. We were pleased to be part of the event because we met many talented young professionals. Their curiosity and their professional attitude really impressed us, and it’s clear that OPIT is doing an excellent job supporting their growth. We really believe that events like these are important because they can create a strong connection between companies and future professionals.”

The Future

Given the enormous success of the first OPIT career fair, it’s highly likely that students will be able to enjoy more events like this in the years to come. OPIT is clearly committed to making the most of its strong business connections and remarkable network to provide opportunities for growth, development, and employment, bringing students and businesses together.

Future events will continue to allow students to connect with some of the biggest businesses in the world, along with emerging names in the most exciting and innovative tech fields. This should allow OPIT graduates to enter the working world with strong networks and firm connections already established. That, in turn, should make it easier for them to access and enjoy a wealth of beneficial professional opportunities.

Given that OPIT also has partnerships in place with numerous other leading organizations, like Hype, AWS, and Accenture, the number and variety of the companies potentially making appearances at career fairs in the future should no doubt increase dramatically.

Other Career Services at OPIT

The career fair is just one of many ways in which OPIT leverages its company connections and offers professional opportunities and career support to its students. Other key career services include:

  • Career Coaching: Students are able to schedule one-on-one sessions with their own mentors and career advisors. They can receive feedback on their resumes, practice and improve their interview skills, or work on clear action plans that align with their exact professional goals.
  • Resource Hub: The OPIT Resource Hub is jam-packed with helpful guides and other resources to help students plan out and take smart steps in their professional endeavors. With detailed insights and practical tips, it can help tech graduates get off to the best possible start.
  • Career Events: The career fair is only one of several planned career-related events organized by OPIT. Other events are planned to give students the chance to learn from and engage with industry experts and leading tech firms, with workshops, career skills days, and more.
  • Internships: OPIT continues to support students after graduation, offering internship opportunities with leading tech firms around the world. These internships are invaluable for gaining experience and forging connections, setting graduates up for future success.
  • Peer Mentoring: OPIT also offers a peer mentoring program in which existing students can team up with OPIT alumni to enjoy the benefits of their experience and unique insights.

These services – combined with the recent career day – clearly demonstrate OPIT’s commitment to not merely educating the tech leaders of the future, but also to supporting their personal and professional development beyond the field of education, making it easier for them to enter the working world with strong connections and unrivaled opportunities.

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