HSE GSB Spring Career Week 2025: a confident start to a successful future

From April 14 to 18, 2025, the HSE Graduate School of Business hosted its traditional Spring Career Week — a large-scale event that brought together over 1,000 students and 20 leading employers from across Russia. This year’s program was especially rich: master classes, panel discussions, workshops, and networking sessions helped participants unlock their potential and take a confident step toward the career of their dreams.

HSE GSB Spring Career Week annually attracts the attention of top-tier companies eager to offer students unique opportunities for professional growth. In 2025, the event welcomed major organizations recognized as leaders in their industries and regularly ranked among Russia’s best employers. Among them were Axenix, X5 Group, Avito, Trust Technologies, EkoNiva, Gazprombank, Magnit, Ozon, B1, Pyaterochka, T2, Arnest UniRush, Novabev Group, Rosselkhozbank, Chernogolovka, JTI, Geropharm, Philip Morris International in Russia, and EkoPsy.

Each day of Spring Career Week was filled with a variety of activities aimed at developing key professional skills, facilitating knowledge exchange, and opening new career paths for students. The first day began with master classes from X5 Digital, Trust Technologies, JTI, and EkoPsy, which covered topics such as ambitious career paths, personal growth, and the skills needed to launch a successful career in international companies. The sessions also provided students with career planning strategies and tools for effective people management in a constantly changing environment.

In addition, the first day featured a panel discussion titled “How Not to Miss the Career of Your Dreams,” where representatives from Trust Technologies, EkoNiva, and a leading international FMCG company shared insights into common candidate mistakes and offered advice on what to consider when choosing an employer. The day concluded with a meeting with top executives from EkoNiva Group, where students learned about growth opportunities in the agricultural sector and dispelled common stereotypes about working in agribusiness.

The second day of Career Week was entirely devoted to hiring processes and job preparation. Students had the unique opportunity to attend individual “roasting” sessions focused on resumes, interviews, and test assignments, during which experienced HR professionals provided valuable feedback on each stage of the recruitment process. Many participants took advantage of resume audits conducted by consultants from various industries. These sessions helped students identify their strengths and areas for improvement, while the hands-on format significantly boosted their confidence ahead of real interviews. By the end of the week, many students had been added to company talent pools, increasing their chances of being considered for future employment.

Career Week activities extended beyond the HSE GSB campus to include company visits and off-site master classes, where participants could gain firsthand insights into internal business processes and ask questions directly to employees.

The final day of the event focused on hands-on interaction with employers and real business case studies. As the company fair began, partner organizations set up interactive booths where they presented job openings and shared insights into their corporate cultures. Students learned about the requirements for jobs in various industries, gained a deeper understanding of recruitment processes for entry-level programs, and received valuable advice on developing their professional skills.

The program continued with a speed-dating session organized by the HSE GSB Business Club, where students participated in short interviews with recruiters from Axenix, Trust Technologies, EkoNiva, and Arnest UniRush.

The day concluded with the launch of a case championship hosted by Axenix. Students were given a complex challenge at the intersection of information technology and business — one that required not only academic knowledge, but also teamwork, analytical thinking, and creativity. The best participants will have the opportunity to present their solutions to company experts, receive memorable prizes, and move forward in the company’s selection process.

Spring Career Week 2025 became a platform for professional growth and effective interaction between students and employers. It was a space where ambition found clear direction, ideas took tangible shape, and the first steps toward a career were taken thoughtfully — with the support of leading employers.

Alexander Gabrielov,

Deputy Director, Graduate School of Business

“Career Week is a major event that brings together our talented and ambitious students and their future employers — parties genuinely interested in one another. For us, this is a particularly important initiative aimed at supporting students and future graduates as they begin their professional journeys and build their careers. At the same time, we care not only about their employment itself but also about the quality of the jobs they go on to secure. That’s why it’s especially meaningful that once again, representatives of the country’s top companies and leading employers have gathered on our platform.”

Regina Gareeva

Director, HSE GSB Career Center

“Spring Career Week is not just a series of events — it’s a strategic initiative that brings together students, employers, and the academic community around a key objective: intentional career development. Our goal was to create a space where every student could gain not only information about industries and professions, but also real experience interacting with employers, discover their strengths, and take confident steps toward their professional future.

We’re grateful to all our partner companies for their active participation, expertise, and thoughtful approach to engaging with students. A special role this year was played by the Career Hub team — a Career Center initiative involving students who help expand the professional interests and career prospects of their peers.

We’re proud that career development is a collaborative process, where HSE GSB creates the conditions, and students show initiative and take responsibility for their own paths.”

Victoria Popova

Employer Brand Development Specialist, Axenix

“It has already become a good tradition for Axenix to participate in the HSE Graduate School of Business Career Week every year. As always, we’d like to highlight the top-level organization and creative approach to the event. We were pleasantly surprised by the variety of activities: not only the traditional company fair and employer-led lectures, but also creative workshops, panel discussions, and themed games. These formats helped students showcase their strengths and teamwork skills, while giving employers a meaningful opportunity to engage with their target audience.”

Arina Supolyarina

Internship Program Manager, Avito

“HSE GSB Career Week is a great opportunity to talk to students, learn what inspires them, and discover talented individuals who want to grow together with the company. It’s wonderful that Avito already employs bright young professionals from HSE GSB — we were happy to see familiar faces and meet new ones.”

Andrey Konko

3rd-year undergraduate student, Supply Chain Management and Business Analytics, Career Hub Coordinator

“One of my close friends said, ‘Attending Spring Career Week felt like working at several companies and learning more about the corporate world.’ Spring Career Week is one of the key events at the Graduate School of Business — it allows students to learn in just a few days what others might take months of internships to discover: how to make a great first impression, what it takes to grow into a top management role, and which qualities are essential for reaching the top!”

Daniel Khodorsky

1st-year undergraduate student, Business Informatics, Career Week Game Winner

“I really enjoyed this event. I gained valuable insights from top company executives and took part in several master classes, which helped me improve both my soft and hard skills. I’m confident this will help me in the future when applying for jobs. During Career Week, I also had the chance to speak with employees from major companies like Avito, Ozon, Magnit Logistics, and others, which gave me a clear understanding of what it’s like to work in each organization.

In conclusion, I’d like to thank HSE GSB and all the organizers for putting together such an amazing event — one that truly helps students figure out their first career steps and land their dream job. I also hope that events like this will happen even more often.”