Empowering students to step confidently into corporate world

BRAINIACS 2025 took place inside the BRAC University Auditorium recently, gathering students from nearly every major public and private university in Dhaka for a day that promised to do more than simply inspire. Organised by the BRAC University Business Club - BIZ BEE, and powered by Shah Cement in association with HeadStart, this flagship daylong student interactive forum was designed to push students beyond the comfort of lecture halls and open their eyes to the realities of Bangladesh's competitive corporate world.

In the weeks before the event, the campus was alive with conversations. BIZ BEE members spoke to classmates, shared reminders in crowded corridors and turned ordinary chats into moments of reflection about what really comes after graduation day. Posters, teasers and word-of-mouth built a sense of urgency that this was not just another date on the student calendar but a chance to test ideas and gather insights that classrooms alone rarely deliver.

When the auditorium filled and the lights dimmed, Inside the Boardroom began with Shehzad Munim, adviser to the Foreign Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industries and former managing director of BAT Bangladesh. He did not deliver vague advice but shared the daily challenges that come with true leadership. He described how real decisions shape businesses and how genuine leaders stand accountable when the easiest choice is rarely the right one. Many students listened carefully as they realised that leadership is more than a promotion or a corner office. It is a test of courage and responsibility when circumstances become difficult.

Between segments, students spoke in low voices about how different this perspective felt from what they usually hear. Some realised for the first time that they must build the habits of leaders now rather than hoping to learn them only when opportunities appear.

After the first session, the focus turned to Before the Briefcase, which guided students to think about what separates those who find jobs from those who struggle to break through. Arif Hossain, manager and HR business partner at Arla Foods Bangladesh Limited, shared what he sees daily while reviewing CVs. He reminded students that impressive wording does not hide inexperience and that honesty and proof of real results are what employers remember. His stories made students rethink what they include in their own applications.

Employer Branding and Talent Acquisition Lead at Banglalink Refayat Ahmed continued the discussion by urging students to focus on the conversation beyond the paper. He described how many applicants fail not because of their grades but because they cannot tell their own story clearly when asked the simplest question. His examples gave students a reason to practise not just what they write but how they explain their value face to face.

Corporate HR Business Partner and Employer Brand Lead Shadman Sakib and Manager of Human Resources and Culture at Pathao Fariha Ahmed took this even further. They reminded students that getting hired is just the beginning. What happens next depends on how well young professionals adapt to real pressures. They spoke about listening well, asking questions when lost and staying ready to learn when the first big challenge appears. Students nodded as they heard that true growth begins only when they step into unfamiliar situations and prove they can learn faster than they fear.

When the final session, From Profile to Profession, began, students leaned forward as Sheikh Aminur Rahman, now chief executive officer of Prime Bank Fintech Limited and formerly chief business officer at Nagad, walked onto the stage. He stripped away any illusion that personal branding is about catchy headlines or viral posts. He reminded students that branding starts with small daily choices, honesty and trust that grows quietly over time. His stories of his own career made students see that reputation does not wait until they graduate. It is shaped now by how they show up every day, even when no one is watching.

Throughout the day, it became clear that BRAINIACS 2025 was not here to promise quick success. Instead, it opened the eyes of students to the reality that a degree is only the first step. To stand out, they must know how to listen, adapt, speak confidently about their experiences and build trust through real effort.

Tasoar Masud Soummo, president of BIZ BEE, spoke at the start of the day about BRAINIACS being a launchpad for ambition to meet opportunity. As the final session ended, that line sounded true in the conversations that continued long after the closing remarks. Students left the auditorium with phone numbers saved, edits scribbled on resumes and new questions to ask themselves. They did not get a promise that the future would be easy but something more useful. They saw that success is shaped by what they do now, not someday later.

BRAINIACS 2025 was not just another date to remember. For those who attended, it was a reminder that the real test begins when the lectures end.

sahalanshaan03.bizbee@gmail.com