Exploring careers through real experience: The BEE Club
From its very beginning, the Business Environment Exploration (BEE) Club has helped RIT Croatia students look beyond the classroom and into the real business world. The BEE Club was created with a clear mission: to connect students with different industries and help them discover what interests them. As its current president, a junior Global Business Management student, Eni Vidulić, explains, “We try to help our members build professional connections, find co-op opportunities, and gain real-life insights into the business world.”
A realistic view of the future career
Open to students from all majors, the BEE Club currently brings together around 200 members who share curiosity about careers, industries, and professional growth. Students can join through campus flyers, social media, or email and take part in activities that help them explore different industries. “Since our company visits cover a wide range of industries, they are beneficial for students from all academic backgrounds,” Eni notes.
At the heart of the BEE Club’s work are company visits and study trips. Each semester, the club organizes around five company visits in Zagreb, along with two larger study trips per year, one within Croatia and one international. These experiences allow students to step directly into professional environments and see how businesses operate in practice. One of Eni’s most memorable moments was the international study trip to Belgrade, where students visited several companies, including PSP-Farman Holding. “What made this visit especially valuable was a lecture by the executive director, who connected everything we had learned previously in class with real business examples,” she recalls. “It showed us how theory turns into practice.”
Beyond company visits, networking plays a key role in helping students understand their future careers. Through interactions with professionals and alumni, students gain insight into life after college. “Networking events give students a realistic view of the future career,” Eni explains, adding that hearing real stories helps students make more conscious decisions about their paths. Exposure to companies ranging from KPMG, Infobip, and L’Oréal to family businesses allows members to compare industries, working environments, and career trajectories.
Understanding the professional world
For Eni, joining the BEE Club during her freshman year became a defining part of her college experience. “The biggest skills I developed are confidence, networking, and communication,” she says, noting that listening to professionals’ journeys helped her discover what she wants to do in life. Today, leading the club has further strengthened her leadership and organizational skills, supported by her education at RIT Croatia and the mindset that “you will hear many ‘no’s’ before you get that important ‘yes.’”
Looking ahead, Eni sees the BEE Club as a powerful stepping stone for students preparing for their future careers. “Being part of the BEE Club helped me understand what the professional world really looks like,” she reflects. The most rewarding moments, she adds, come from seeing
members gain internships, jobs, or simply walk away saying, “This really opened my eyes.” For students considering joining, her advice is simple: “Just do it. My experience helped me understand myself better and how to take initiative in my future professional life confidently.”
