PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE ACQUIRED DURING UNIVERSITY YEARS

The purpose of this paper is twofold. On the one hand, the study presents the importance of the different service quality evaluation levels of higher education institutions such as institution, program and course levels. On the other hand, the importance of providing practical knowledge for higher education students during their higher education studies and the relevance of project work type courses are examined according to the voice of students, companies and recruitment agencies. First of all, five personal interviews were conducted with recruitment agencies to collect their answers on the two main topics since their experience with the various organizations could provide comprehensive feedbacks. Then, 17 organizations were contacted during one of the biggest job fairs of Hungary to gather their opinion related to the research questions. In the meantime, 2 focus group discussions were also organized to collect the student expectations related to the process of choosing university for their higher education studies. Based on the obtained results, the program level is of utmost importance for all the interviewed stakeholders, that is the first decision point for them. Regarding the institution level, the opinion of the organizations was divided. According to the interviews, the institution plays a significant role in the recruitment process only in the case of some positions. Students first choose programs, and after that look for institutions that provide the given program. None of the participants found the course level as highly important. The professional and practical knowledge was highlighted as significant by both parties. The organizations require professional experience even from fresh graduates and students find it crucial to acquire industry-related knowledge and experience during their studies, however, none of them looked for courses providing these kinds of knowledge in the application processes. Project work courses at the investigated Hungarian university are focusing on the usage of the theoretical knowledge acquired during higher education studies in practical works. Most of the interviewees did not hear about these courses before, but based on the introduction of their description, in some cases their fulfilment can be considered as professional experience but certainly, they improve the skills and abilities of the students. Based on the 22 conducted interviews and the 2 focus group discussions, the relevance of the project work courses in the curriculum of higher education business programs could be confirmed.