Karrieremagasinet by NHH Alumni

JANNE SMITH

Fikk verdens kuleste arbeidsplass SIDE 6-7

MOUNTBATTEN INSTITUTE PAUL SUTHERLAND

MARIA FINDER STIERNA

Internship i New York

Intern at UN in Rome

SIDE 8

SIDE 23-24

Karrieremagasinet INTERNATIONAL CAREER CENTRE NHH

VISIT NHH CAREER DAYS, 28th SEPTEMBER - 1st OCTOBER

Selger klær med suksess i Indonesia SIDE 10-11

Get Career Tips and Plan Your Career

Meet Us at the Career Days 2015

Internationalisation galore! As Deputy Rector and Dean for International Affairs, Sunniva Whittaker is responsible for NHH’s internationalisation strategy. Her aim is to expose all NHH students to international topics, whether they choose to go abroad or not.

How has your own international background influenced you? According to an article in Times Magazine, research shows that experience in other countries makes us more flexible, creative, and complex thinkers. Having lived in three different countries (Canada, France and Norway) as a child, I really identify with this statement. Moving between different cultures and juggling different languages definitely expands your comfort zone and make you better prepared for new international experiences. What is internationalisation at NHH? Broadly speaking internationalisation is all about bringing the world to NHH and taking NHH abroad. More specifically, we aim to attract highly qualified international students and faculty to NHH, and to ensure that they have a great experience both academically and socially. Inviting international company representatives also provides valuable insights. We want to expose all NHH students to international topics, whether they choose to go abroad or not, so that they fully understand that Norway’s economic situation is an exception rather than the rule. And that at a time when Norway has to reduce its dependence on the oil industry, we have a lot to learn from other countries. In addition to making our campus as international as possible, we strongly encourage students and faculty to spend time at other high quality institutions abroad. For faculty, establishing ties with colleagues abroad is crucial for our school’s ability to deliver excellent research. International networks also serve as a source of inspiration for innovating our curriculum and teaching methods. When it comes to the students, we are constantly seeking to enhance the quality of our exchange programmes, CEMS and double degree programmes, as well as opening up opportunities for more of our students to work abroad for shorter or longer periods. International work experience is a great added value in an increasingly competitive job market. NHH students are highly sought after on the Norwegian market. Competing for a job on the international market is considerably more difficult, but if they choose wisely and make the most of the opportunities offered at NHH, they stand a good chance of succeeding. Sunniva Whittaker Deputy Rector/ Dean for International Affairs.

ICC'S BEST TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL CAREER DAYS ARE: 1. Be open and curious: there are many career paths to choose from. Challenge yourself: who are you and what are all these jobs really about? The more you learn about yourself and the world around you, the easier it will be for you to make the best choices for your career development. 2. Prepare yourself: read and learn in advance about some of the companies that come on campus to recruit. This will enable you to have a better conversation with recruiters and make them more interested in you. 3. Sign up for a course: make sure that your CV, cover letter and interview skills present yourself at your best and show why you are the best candidate for the job in question. And of course, make use of ICC’s international career guidance! You can meet us every Tuesday from 12-14hrs in the Student Information Office.

Manager of ICC, Ann-Mari Haram, helps you in exploring international career opportunities. Photo: Torill Sommerfelt Ervik

The Joys of Career Planning This magazine has been created by the International Career Centre (ICC) at NHH to inspire and hopefully also challenge you in your career thinking and planning. What kind of job do you want? What are the opportunities out there? Inside there are interviews with people who are either still studying at NHH, or have recently graduated. They have all chosen to work for different companies, organisations and fields of expertise. The one thing they have in common is an international flair and the wish to share their experience with other NHH students. You will find information about the upcoming Career Days which take place on campus on 28th September – 1st October. The Student Union, represented by Martha and her team, tells you about the courses and the Career Days event. What will you choose? A mock interview course in English? A quick intro to investment banking or supply chain management? Or a basic starter kit to plan your career? There are courses and internship opportunities for all NHH students, also for those of you who enrolled this autumn. It’s never too early or too late to experience the joys of career planning. You can check out the international internships offered by potential employers at the International Arena of the Career Day. New this year is a stand called “NHH Internship Abroad Programme” where you can talk with NHH students fresh back from internships in London or Rome. There is also information about "Meet and Greet", an event where international companies based in Norway speed interview international NHH students for internships. Check out how you can be the next “Meet and

Greet-intern”. Also new this year is a workshop where international alumni working in Norway share their experiences and knowledge. You can read about career planning in more detail and about the importance of language skills. Yes, even Norwegian gives you an edge abroad, not just in Norway! Some of our articles are in Norwegian, others in English. We hope that you will master both languages. If you want to find out how to spot a Norwegian abroad, Klara Sjo from NHH shares her insights.

ICC is a career service for NHH students and recent graduates. We focus on your international career options. We provide: • NHH Internship Abroad Programme, see pages 20-28 • Meet and Greet, see page 18 • Workshops together with NHHS, see pages 4 and 5 • Advice on your CV, cover letter and interview skills

The Career Day Committee presents their career menu. From the left: Bjørnar Skjold Granerød, Håkon Møller, Key Rosenstock, Dzudera Cechanaviciute, Martha Benan Vethe (leader), Annette Roth and Elin Nordheim. Herman Dahl is absent. Photo: Max Ozerov,NHHS.

Career on the menu T he Career Day Committee is very excited about this year´s Career Day, the 1st October, and the seminars that precede it. Our goal is to create an informal arena for students to meet potential future employers, and acquire knowledge about all the amazing career possibilities that exist. By attending the Career Fair you can meet company representatives from a wide range of sectors in Norway and abroad and hopefully be one step closer to making the correct career choice. The Career Day Committee has been working very hard to ensure that students get maximum benefit from attending this event, and we hope you will seize the opportunities the Career Fair holds. What can we contribute? Career is on the menu from Monday 28 September through Thursday 1 October. One of our focus areas this year has been to maintain and develop diversity in the attending companies as well as the courses during the seminar week. It has been of great importance to be able to present all the students at NHH with varied possibilities. This year, the Career Days consist of more international possibilities than ever, as well as an increased number of career oriented courses one can attend.

We can also look forward to a fully booked Career day on the 1st October with nearly 90 companies manning individual stands. As is tradition, there will also be presentations of internships where the students can get a quick and informative overview of upcoming internship possibilities as well as application deadlines. Don’t miss this year´s popular speaker, Hans Geelmuyden, known for giving intriguing and interesting lectures. The day will round off with a full banquet for approximately 300 participants. The seminar days are packed with courses, where you can learn about numerous topics. They are held by both Norwegian and international companies; everyone can find something that piques their interest. Perhaps you would like to learn from McKinsey how to be productive? Or maybe you would be interested in women´s experience in the finance sector? If you are wondering how to build up a good CV and present yourself, we have a course for that also. With PWC you can learn how to be prepared for a job interview and how to solve and present a case. By attending the seminar days you will receive exclusive information and tips from recognized companies, and become more prepared for job interviews and the professional

world. Be aware that the seminars may have a limited number of participants, so make sure to stay updated with procedures and registrations for the different courses. This year the traditional career catalogue goes digital! Here you will find all the information you need about the Career Days and get a quick overview of all exhibitors, what their core businesses are and what they are looking for. Which companies will be attending and who are they? What is the programme for the whole week, and where can you can locate each company during the Career Fair? The answers can be found in our digital career catalogue. Are you thinking about a career or internship abroad? The Career Fair´s International Arena (IA) is full of interesting, international companies with representatives who have come just to meet you. We encourage all students at NHH to participate in the Career Days 2015!

What, Where and When: Career Days 2015 Monday 28 September

Tuesday 29 September

Wednesday 30 September

Thursday 1 October

Is investment banking for me? Royal Bank of Canada Place: Aud. 14

10 Intervjukurs - Deloitte Sted: Info kommer

Learn from the work experiences of international alumni in Norway Place: Agnar Sandmo

Is Supply Chain Management for me? Efficio Place: Aud. 14

Retorikk flytter makt - Geelmuyden Kiese Sted: Agnar Sandmo

Internshippresentasjoner Sted: Aud. A

Career Fair - Company stand Place: NHH Campus NB! International Arena in Speilsalen (Mirror Hall)

12 Mock interview workshop Place: 9th floor

Karrieredagen - Standsperiode

Mock interview workshop Place: 9th floor

14 Kvinner i Finans - Verdipapirforetakenes forbund Sted: Agnar Sandmo

Getting things done med McKinsey Place: Agnar Sandmo

Gründer kurs - Adams Matkasse Sted: Agnar Sandmo

Aksjeskolen - Nordea Sted: Aud. C

CV-bygging og intervjuteknikk 1. og 2. kull Sted: Aud. 14

Case-løsningskurs - PWC Sted: Agnar Sandmo

Populær-foredrag Sted: Aud. Max

Norwegian

English

For time and place, check the table above and the digital Career Catalogue! For mock interview workshops in English you sign up by sending an e-mail to ICC@nhh.no. For the other courses the Career Catalogue tells you how. ENGLISH COURSES Learn from the work experiences of international alumni in Norway – International Career Centre If you’re an international student at NHH, this is a great opportunity to learn about Norwegian companies and how five NHH alumni got their job in Norway. Mock Interview workshops – international top recruiters Are you looking for a job abroad or for an international job in Norway – grab this opportunity for a mock interview in English! You can choose between two workshops; the one on Tuesday will be more oriented towards the Norwegian labour market while the course on Wednesday focuses on jobs abroad. The interviewers will be top recruiters and recruitment specialists. Few spots available, be quick to sign up. Sign up by sending an e-mail with a cover letter and your CV to icc@nhh.no by 20 September Personal Productivity Workshop – McKinsey & Company Do you sometimes feel overwhelmed by everything you want get done? Don’t worry – you are not alone! Come to a McKinsey workshop to learn well tested, “best practice” ways of handling time pressure.

Presentations

Career Fair/Stands

Is investment banking for me? – The Royal Bank of Canada Are you interested in learning more about what it actually means to work in investment banking? Thomas Tvedt and his colleagues from the Royal Bank of Canada give you an introduction to what it is all about.

Intervjukurs – Deloitte Lurer du på hvordan et jobbintervju egentlig foregår? Deloitte gjennomfører et vanlig førstegangsintervju live, for å vise hvordan jobbintervjuet virkelig utspiller seg. Kom, og få verdifull kjennskap om jobbintervjuet!

Is supply change management for me? – Efficio Consulting Are you interested in learning more about what it actually means to work with supply chain management? Thor Olsen and his colleagues from Efficio Consulting give you an introduction to what it is all about.

Retorikk som flytter makt – Geelmuyden Kiese Bli med når Geelmuyden Kiese holder kurs og forteller om "Retorikk som flytter makt - De seks retoriske arbeidsfaser".

NORSKE KURS Kvinner i Finans – Verdipapirforetakenes forbund Vi har et ønske om å bidra til at flere yngre kandidater vurderer finans og vil gi et overblikk over hvordan finansbransjen er sammensatt, hvilke stillinger som finnes, hva som kreves og hvorfor det er interessant for kvinner å søke seg i denne retningen. Kurset er ikke forbeholdt kvinner, her er det likestilling. CV-bygging og intervju – Internasjonalt Karrieresenter (ICC) 1-eller 2-års kullist? Nysgjerrig på hvordan du kan gjøre CVen din best mulig? Vil du ha en innføring i intervjuteknikk og høre noen eksempler på hvordan du kan presentere deg og dine kunnskaper for en potensiell arbeidsgiver?

Aksjeskolen – bli din egen analytiker med Nordea Aksjekurs for deg som er nysgjerrig på aksjehandel, enten du er nybegynner eller har handlet litt fra før. Hva bør du se etter i en aksje og hva påvirker aksjekursen? Det blir servering av mat og mineralvann. Har du en gründer i magen? – Adams Matkasse Sitter du inne med en god idé? Ønsker du å grunnlegge noe eget? Har du rett og slett en gründer i magen? Gründerne bak Adams Matkasse deler sin utrolige reise som entreprenører og forklarer hvordan de satte sin idé til verden. Caseløsning med PwC Vil du skjerpe dine evner til å løse problemstillinger eller vil du en ha profesjonell gjennomgang i hvordan å presentere en caseløsning, gjerne på et intervju?

Møt Janne og Google på Karrieredagene 2015, International Arena 1. oktober.

Hvordan det umulige ble mulig – oppskriften på en Google-suksess – Jeg var på et Google-seminar på NHH, og tenkte at dette er den kuleste arbeidsplassen i verden, men det blir svært tøft å komme inn der, sier googler Janne Smith.

eien til jobben i Google var ikke gitt på forhånd. Men med en klype målrettet innsats, en dose flaks og mye god hjelp fra medstudenter ble drømmen virkelighet. Janne Smith hadde en bachelorgrad i samfunnsøkonomi fra UiB før hun begynte på masterstudiet ved NHH. - Jeg ønsket å studere fag som var mer knyttet til business og næringsliv. Det som slo meg da jeg begynte på NHH, er hvor lett det er å bygge et stort nettverk. Det hjalp også at jeg hadde vært aktiv i AIESEC på UiB, og kjente derfor flere NHH-studenter fra før, sier hun.

Veien til Google Janne Smith ble inspirert av en workshop som Google arrangerte for CEMS-studentene. Idéen bak selskapet, ifølge Smith, er å organisere all informasjon og gjøre den tilgjengelig for alle. Men mest av alt var det engasjementet og kreativiteten til de Google ansatte på workshopen som ga henne lyst til å jobbe der. -Det tente meg. Samtidig hadde jeg hørt hvor vanskelig det var å få jobb i Google, så jeg slo det fra meg. Jeg tenkte at dette er den kuleste arbeidsplassen i verden, men det blir svært tøft å komme inn der. Men så viste det seg at to av mine CEMS-medstudenter fikk jobb i nettopp Google i Dublin. Og da var det kort til tanken; kan de, kan jeg!

ti-ukers internship i utlandet for å kunne få CEMS-graden, og jeg funderte på hvordan intershipet kunne styrke CV’en min i riktig retning. Alle erfaringer åpner en ny dør Våren 2012 tok Janne Smith de siste eksamener ved NHH, og bestemte seg for å utsette jobbsøkingen for å få ferdig CEMS-internshipet. Hun hadde sommerjobb hos European Cruise Service, og var på reisefot en stund.

-Jeg hadde tidligere søkt på internship hos Innovasjon Norge i USA, men fått beskjed om at det ikke var åpninger akkurat da. En annen medstudent jobbet hos Innovasjon Norge i San Lite visste hun at det var en medstudent som Fransisco, og da han fikk nyss om at kontoret i senere skulle gi henne de beste rådene New York ønsket en intern med erfaring for å få en jobb hos Google. fra reiseliv, tok han kontakt med meg. Min erfaring fra cruiseselskapet viste “Google er et amerikansk selskap, Byen i mitt hjerte seg å være gull verdt, jeg arbeidet Som liten bodd Janne Smith noen år i seks måneder i Innovasjon Norge og vi nordmenn trenger gjerne litt hjelp for Puerto Rico med familien, og har alltid med markedsføring av Norge som å «tøffe opp» profilen. Det er viktig å legge hatt et ønske om å jobbe noen år ute selv. reisemål. Jeg brukte online- og offline- Jeg og hele familien stortrivdes i annonsering, gikk på kurs i Google vekt på resultatene du har oppnådd.” utlandet. Jeg tror det gjorde meg trygg Adwords og fikk den nødvendige på at det å flytte på seg ikke er så farlig. bakgrunnen for å gjøre et skikkelig forsøk hos Google. Noe er flaks, alt kan Som UiB-student dro hun på utveksling ikke planlegges. I ettertid ser det ut til Spania, og som NHH- student til Canada. Det som om jeg hadde en fasttømret plan, men mye økte lysten på en jobb utenfor Norge. En av dem tilbød seg å se på CV’en for å skyldes at alle erfaringer kommer til nytte, og «amerikanisere» den. legger grunnlaget for at en ny mulighet åpner seg. - Jeg er bergenser i hjertet, men jeg ser ikke på - Google er et amerikansk selskap, og vi nordmenn Det er heller ikke feil å ha greie medstudenter det å jobbe i utlandet som et hinder for å komme trenger gjerne litt hjelp for å «tøffe opp» profilen. som gjør en oppmerksom på muligheter, sier hun. tilbake til byen min på sikt. Jeg er sikker på at Det er viktig å legge vekt på resultatene du har kompetansen jeg opparbeider meg i Google vil oppnådd, sier Smith. Hva må til for å bli en googler og hva jobber være attraktiv for mange arbeidsplasser, også Mye var bra, blant annet at hun hadde du med? i Bergen. Det å jobbe for verdens beste selskap i organisert store konferanser for AIESEC og Selv om Janne Smith kom til intervju på grunn online-marketing, en kanal i vekst, gjør at jeg hatt sommerjobb for European Cruise Service. av en anbefaling fra en ansatt i Google, måtte kan bidra til utviklingen til en ny framtidig Men da han spurte om hun hadde et minimum hun gå gjennom den samme prosessen som arbeidsgiver. av kjennskap til onlineindustrien, var svaret nei. regulære søkere. Først en kort telefonsamtale, - Som CEMS-student var jeg nødt til å ta et deretter en screening av en ansatt fra teamet

Janne Smith synes Google er verdens met spennende arbeidsplass fordi selskapet alltid er i forandring. Foto: Liv Mari Bakke

Navn: Janne Smith (27), Bergen Utdanning: Bachelor fra UiB, Master i Strategi og Ledelse og CEMS Jobb: Google fra august 2013.

JANNES KARRIERERÅD Ta valg hvor du kan jobbe med det du er interessert i, ikke der det er enklest å få jobb eller der du tjener best til å begynne med. Få internasjonal erfaring – forståelse for det å jobbe på tvers av kulturer er morsomt og etterspurt. Det er mange bedrifter som blir stadig mer globale.

Janne Smith synes Google er verdens mest spennende arbeidsplass fordi selskapet alltid er i forandring. Foto: Liv Mari Bakke.

CV-EKSEMPEL, FØR OG ETTER «AMERIKANISERING» du er aktuell for, og til slutt intervjuer i Dublin. Totalt er det tre intervjuer i Dublin, med tre forskjellige personer, rett etter hverandre. Alle intervjuerne må være enige. - Noe av det som må til for å være en googler er at du må kunne sette mål. Selv om du ikke har så mye ledererfaring, må du kunne ta lederrollen når det er nødvendig. Hvis det oppstår et problem eller en konflikt, må du stå på for å finne en kreativ løsning. Det er viktig at du får frem dette i CV’en din. Som de fleste norske ansatte jobber Janne Smith i det nordiske teamet. - Jeg jobber hovedsakelig mot det norske markedet. Jeg begynte som onlinespesialist for små- og mellomstore bedrifter i Norden. Jeg ble spesialist på Google AdWords, og fungerte som konsulent for kundene. Et typisk spørsmål fra en kunde er «Hva kan jeg gjøre for å få mer ut av online-annonseringen min?». Nå har jeg akkurat begynt å jobbe med store kunder som «account strategist», det vil si at jeg jobber mer med analyse. Jeg har, etter en blanding

av tilfeldigheter og egne valg, flere store reiselivsbedrifter i porteføljen min. Jeg tror det skal bli veldig interessant! Jobber du i en «nordisk boble» i Google? -Nei, Google gjør en kjempejobb med å få ansatte til å jobbe sammen. Den første måneden får alle nyansatte opplæring sammen. Vi har ulik utdanning, noen har studert økonomi, andre for eksempel biologi eller politikk, og vi kommer fra hele verden. Noen prosjekter går på tvers av organisasjonen og det er et reelt multikulturelt miljø. Samtidig er det over 3.000 ansatte, så det er viktig å få ditt eget nettverk. Hvorfor vil du anbefale NHH-studenter å jobbe for Google? -Det er et ungt og spennende miljø, hvor alle ønsker å skape seg et nettverk. For meg er det verdens mest spennende selskap fordi det alltid er i forandring. Det er ledende innenfor teknologisk kommunikasjon, og det betyr at det er store muligheter for at du også vil bli virkelig god på det.

FØR: Extracurricular activities AIESEC Head of Organizing Committee Responsible for organizing AIESEC National Conference. ETTER: Leadership Experience AIESEC Head of Organizing Committee Responsible for finance, sponsorship, and accounting, as well as implementation, logistics and organizing of events. Achieved a successful four-day national conference in Bergen with over 100 participants. Through setting goals and objectives, effective communication and time management, a budget surplus was also achieved.

Meet Mountbatten Institute and Paul Sutherland at Career Day 1st October, International Arena, Speilsalen (Mirror Hall).

What does is cost to join? “The trainees pay a fee according to which route of study they choose, allowing them to gain work experience in New York with a top employer,” says Sutherland. “As a non-profit company, we only take a small fee to cover operational costs. Around 90% of programme participants do the Postgraduate Certificate course which is both the least intensive and least expensive at £7,400.” “During the programme, Mountbatten provides all trainees with free accommodation which would otherwise cost around $15,000 per year (around NOK 120,000) per room and trainees receive a $13,000 (NOK 105,000) living allowance so, even with the upfront fee of £7,400 (around NOK 95,000), the trainees make more than that back in cash and don't have to worry about looking for/paying for an NYC apartment.”

Mountbatten Institute, represented by Paul Sutherland, offers exciting internships in New York. Photo: Colourbox/Private.

New York, New York Many dream of magical New York, the scene for so many movies and TV series. The Mountbatten Institute provides a one year internship in the Big Apple, combined with studies.

aul Sutherland, recruiter at the Mountbatten Institute, is coming to Career Day to tell you about the possibilities that they offer. Maybe this is something for you if you are planning to take a gap year in between your bachelor’s and master’s degree? What is your New York Programme all about? “Around 300 graduates and young professionals, mainly from the UK, do our New York Programme every year,” says Paul Sutherland. “At Mountbatten we have almost 60 corporate partnerships with some of the world's top

per week) at these companies while they are based in New York for 12 months.” “In the programme, the trainees work in their chosen field of study. We offer roles in marketing & communications, banking & finance, law, project management and business management. They choose their preferred field during application.”

The visa solution “While on the programme, the trainees must study toward a postgraduate qualification to get the necessary visa. This is a requirement of the “While on the programme, the trainees J1 trainee visa category,” says Paul Sutherland. must study toward a postgraduate

qualification to get the necessary visa”

employers, including top tier investment banks, law firms, media companies and marketing agencies. Prestigious brands like JP Morgan, Thomson Reuters, Blackrock, Barclays, UBS, Citi, Credit Suisse, Merrill Lynch, British Airways are all longstanding clients of ours and all use us as a strategic solution to supply their workforce with a strong talent pipeline. Mountbatten trainees work full time (40 hours

“They may choose from a Postgraduate Certificate in International Business Practice, a Master’s in Global Entrepreneurship or an MBA (the MBA concludes with 4 months in Bangkok). They study their chosen course part-time during evening and weekend classes and lectures take place at our headquarters in central Manhattan. The courses are designed to complement the trainees’ work placement, applying theoretical knowledge to practical experience,” he says.

“So, in a nutshell, participants invest around NOK 95,000 and get back accommodation and allowance worth NOK 225,000 whilst also getting what we see as a unique international experience,” says Sutherland. What are your major selling points? “The employment prospects following the Mountbatten New York programme are outstanding, which is why many universities in Europe have worked with us over the past 30 years,” says Sutherland. “I think that with international experience at a top global firm on their CVs, NHH students will launch themselves up the corporate ladder.” What is the selection process like? “We’re looking for candidates who can demonstrate they’re ambitious, robust, culturally curious and up for the challenge of a lifetime,” says Paul Sutherland. The admissions process for the programme works as follows: 1. Candidates apply via www.mountbatten.org by completing the application form, uploading a CV, personal statement and photograph and supplying 3 references. 2. If your application is successful, we will invite you to the first round interview stage with the Mountbatten team in London. This is a 1 hour interview with 2 members of the Mountbatten admissions team. 3. If your first round interview is successful, you will be put into a pool of candidates based on your placement preference e.g. candidates who wish to do marketing will be put into a marketing pool. Managers at companies in New York will be given long lists of candidates relevant to their job roles and they will select a shortlist to interview over the phone. Candidates may have multiple phone interviews, but once they are successful, that’s it! They are off to NYC when the programme starts.

Meet TravelBird and Johanna Soderhomat at Career Days 2015, 1st October, International Arena, Speilsalen (Mirror Hall).

Spread your wings to Amsterdam TravelBird is looking for NHH-students with a passion for travelling that are eager to challenge themselves in a fast growing company.

ince TravelBirds’ establishment in Amsterdam about five years ago, the online travel company has expanded its market to seventeen countries across Europe. The Norwegian team is currently in the start-up phase. - We are looking for NHH-students who are open and curious, hungry for challenges and with a potential to be passionate about the travel industry, says Johanna Soderholm in TravelBird.

base in Amsterdam. It has a solid position in the Dutch, German, the UK, French and Belgian markets. Denmark is currently one of the fastest growing markets. - It is not strange that many Norwegians have not yet heard about TravelBird, Norway is a relatively new area to us. Whenever we move into a market, it is crucial for our success to have people on board that understand the culture

Johanna Soderholm (right) discusses recruitment with a colleague at the TravelBird office in Amsterdam. Photo: TravelBird.

the first to leave. We have room for all cultural preferences but also make sure that we share a common ground and philosophy. What is passion all about Many international recruiters rate “passion” as one of the key criteria when they look for a new employee. To many Norwegians the word “passion” has very strong connotations, especially when translated into “lidenskap” in Norwegian.

- To me, passion is something that comes Bring back the joy of travel from within, from your personality, “To me, passion is something that comes Johanna Soderholm is originally says Johanna Soderholm. Swedish, but has lived abroad most of from within, from your personality.” - I look for young graduates who want her life. She used to work for a company to find the best possible solutions, in Switzerland before she moved on to somebody who is eager to learn, who Amsterdam and TravelBird. - I wanted something with a faster pace cares about making the customer happy and a young and dynamic drive, and found it here. and the language of the country in question. and wants to prove him- or herself. Everybody is motivated by the company concept, For the Norwegians we are about to recruit, What would you expect from the NHH which is to bring back the joy of travel. We aim to this represents a great opportunity to shape our students on the Career Day? inspire people, simplify the travel planning and products. - I will have a very good Career Day if I meet the travel itself. The online travel industry is rapidly growing, - The many nationalities represented at our office students that are curious; curious to learn more and there is a lot of room for ideas and creativity. form our culture and we embrace the differences. about TravelBird and our opportunities, and curious to learn more about the on-line travel The company has about 650 employees from 35 For instance, our Swedish employees are the industry! countries. It now covers 17 countries from its first to come to the office in the morning, and

Selger klær med suksess i Indonesia NHH-alumniene Jo Bjordal og Fredrik Thomassen satser friskt i Indonesia. Photo: Privat.

To tidligere NHH-studenter gjør stor suksess i Indonesias nest største netthandelsselskap, Zalora. Veksten har vært eventyrlig, og de neste par årene skal de hyre inn mer enn 1000 personer til for å selge klær i verdens fjerde største land. Tekst: Kristin Vallevik Gjerde

arkedsjef Jo Bjordal (29) fra Molde, og medgründer og landsjef Fredrik Thomassen (28) fra Arendal gikk begge ut fra NHH i 2012. Etter et par år på baken som konsulenter jobber nå begge i ledelsen i Zalora, et e-handelsselskapet som selger klær på internett i Indonesia og andre sørøstasiatiske land. - Indonesia er spennende. Når de begynner å skrive i norske medier om at det er store muligheter i India og Kina, da er det allerede for sent. I Indonesia er det er såpass tidlig ennå at det ikke er så mange andre her, men det er ikke for tidlig heller, sier Thomassen.

Han mener at fordelen med Indonesia er at det er et folkerikt land, stabilt politisk og åpent for vestlige, i motsetning til India og særlig Kina, som er vanskelig å trenge inn i. Indonesia har en befolkning på 250 millioner, av dem har rundt 100 millioner internettilgang.

Store muligheter - Indonesia har så langt vært oversett av investorer og andre entreprenører. Det er overraskende lite som skjer her ennå, og derfor er det store muligheter, sier Thomassen. Middelklassen vokser, og en økende andel av inntekten går til konsumvarer som fashion. Den største veksten er det mobilhandel som står for. Hele 70 prosent av omsetningen er fra mobil. - Vi tror dette komme til å øke, alle har mobiler her, også taxisjåfører og vanlige folk. Vi har laget en egen fashion-app, det er den første plassen de kjøper på, sier Bjordal. Sterk vekst Zalora vokser med over ti prosent i måneden. Antallet ansatte har økt fra 150 til 600 det siste året. Nå skal de ansette ytterligere 1.000 personer de neste par årene.

-Zalora skiller seg ut, vi er en ung virksomhet med en startup feeling og en laidback kultur. Vi i ledelsen går i dongeri og t-skjorter, vi har et åpent kontorlandskap med veldig flat struktur. Ting skjer vanvittig fort, det skjer forandringer hver eneste uke. Det er et veldig dynamisk selskap som er i forkant på teknologisiden. Vi er allerede det nest største selskapet i Indonesia innen netthandel, sier Bjordal, og fortsetter: -Jeg vil påstå at Sørøst-Asia begynner å ligge foran Europa på teknologisiden, de fleste norske e-handelsselskaper har ikke laget en app ennå. Det er interessant å se hvordan det globale tyngdepunktet skifter så rask.Vi ligger langt foran, og vi har investorer som er veldig flinke på teknologi, sier han. Zalora har ti millioner unike sessions per måned, og målet er én million ordrer per måned neste år. 89 prosent av alle som er på internett i Indonesia har hørt om Zalora. -Vi har klart å styre Zalora til å bli det ledende fashion-selskapet i Indonesia. Det er et kult selskap som de fleste indonesere har fått øynene opp for, og vi er etterhvert blitt like ettertraktet å jobbe i som Google og Facebook, sier Thomassen. NHH åpnet internasjonale dører Både Bjordal og Thomassen benyttet seg av mulighetene på NHH for å komme seg utenlands i løpet av studiet. Begge var på utveksling i løpet av bacheloren, siden tok Bjordal en dobbel master på HEC i Paris. Fredrik Thomassen tok en mastergrad på LSE i London. -NHH åpnet for internasjonal erfaring, og da vi kom tilbake var begge tørste etter å jobbe mer internasjonalt, sier Bjordal. Begge to jobbet i konsulentselskaper etter NHH, Bjordal i PwC og Thomassen i McKinsey. - Jeg jobbet 60-70 prosent av tiden min utenfor Oslo med telekom og teknologi i emerging markets. Det er ikke mye man får sett ut av vinduet fra taxier og hoteller, og jeg fikk ikke følelsen av hvordan man bygger et selskap i utviklingsland. Jeg ble imidlertid inspirert av å se muligheter som finnes her. Det er en eksplosjon innen teknologi og telekom. Jeg hadde lyst til å ta en mer aktiv rolle i å bygge selskaper, og ikke sitte på sidelinjen og lage Power Point-presentasjoner, sier Thomassen. Via kontakter i McKinsey dukket muligheten i Indonesia opp, og siden åpnet det seg en mulighet som sjef for markedsføringsavdelingen. Da ble Bjordal oppringt. -Jeg dro ned for å undersøke mulighetene, og på helgebesøket mitt ble jeg overbevist om at dette var et tilbud jeg ikke kunne si nei til. Jeg sa opp jobben og begynte her etter nyttår, sier Bjordal.

Kulturforskjeller Det er mange kulturforskjeller mellom Norge og Indonesia, også jobbmessig. - Indonesere er forskjellige fra nordmenn rent arbeidsmessig, de er veldig laid back og det skal litt til for å følge dem opp, men de er positive og bra folk å jobbe med, ifølge Bjordal. Thomassen er enig. - De er litt som arendalitter: ikke så veldig ambisiøse, men utrolig trivelige, krangler lite og det er få konflikter. Jeg synes de er helt konge å jobbe med, selv om vi må jage litt på dem noen ganger, sier han. Ingen moteeksperter De påberoper seg ikke å ha stor kunnskap om indonesisk mote. -Det styres av markedet. Hvis kundene foretrekker de og de produktene blir de med i markedsføringskampanjer. Det er ingen av oss som har bakgrunn fra fashion, og vi har ikke tanker om hva som er kult. Vi selger saronger og bønnetepper, det er ikke noe vi har peiling på, sier Bjordal. I stedet satser de på lokale moteeksperter. 40 prosent av sortimentet er egne merkevarer som lages av egne designere. -Vi prøver å finne trender og design som markedet etterspør. Det følger sesongene, nå er det ramadan og alle må kjøpe ny sarong og slikt, det er tradisjonen. Derfor har vi tre ganger så mye omsetning som vi pleier, sier Thomassen. Sport og fritid Å bo i hovedstaden Jakarta er ikke ferie. Det er en av verdens største byer med 30 millioner innbyggere, og en av de mest trafikkerte byer i verden. -Men det skjer mye, det er lett å reise til strender og grøntområder, vi har det veldig fint på fritiden også i Indonesia. Vi har imidlertid ikke så mye fritid, vi jobber mye. Men i motsetning til våre tidligere jobber er dette mer motiverende, fordi vi har mer eierskap og kan utvikle det videre. Vi er heldige, fordi vi er i hjertet av Sørøst-Asia med korte avstander. Vi prøver å få med oss så mye som mulig, som klatreturer på vulkaner i Thailand, vi surfer, kiter og dykker, sier Bjordal. Ingen av dem har imidlertid tenkt å bli i Jakarta for evig. -Vi blir ikke her for alltid, men det er veldig givende karrieremessig og jeg har fått mye mer ansvar enn jeg ellers hadde fått, sier Bjordal. - Vi slår oss ikke ned og finner kone og hus her, for min del kommer jeg tilbake til Norge, men det er morsomt å være ute mens man fortsatt kan. Over tid vil vi bygge et team som kan ta over. Når vi har klart det, kan vi reise hjem, sier Thomassen.

JO OG FREDRIKS TIPS FOR Å JOBBE I UTLANDET Bredde i nettverk NHH-ere er konforme og synes å trives i homogene klikker og foreninger, som i neste runde åpner for mindre bredde i muligheter senere. – De mest verdifulle menneskene i mitt nettverk er de som er gode på noe helt annet enn meg selv, sier Fredrik. Internships Det er lurt å prøve seg gjennom utdanningen først og se om man er interessert i å jobbe utenlands. Gjennom et internship kan man få muligheten i et utenlandsk selskap og lære om arbeidskultur utenfor Norge. I Zalora får interns mulighet til å styre store prosjekter. Senk lønnskrav Mange forventer å tjene 450.000500.000 kroner pluss, det er ikke noen som vil betale en norsk student dette i startlønn. Zalora betaler nyansatte rett fra skolebenken rundt 2.000 euro i måneden, eller 150.000-200.000 kroner i året, men progresjonen er helt annerledes og om man gjør det bra er mulighetene større enn i Norge. Starte hjemme Det letteste er å starte i et selskap basert i Oslo som har internasjonal prestisje. To år i et kjent konsulentselskap gjør ansettelsen betydelig mindre risikabel, og da kan man komme inn på meget gode betingelser i Sørøst-Asia. Starte selv Man kan starte noe selv og få eierandeler, det er en del muligheter i denne regionen. Det er imidlertid mye byråkrati og administrasjon å få en bedrift i gang her. Det finnes ikke Altinn hvor ting går av seg selv. Det er ikke å lett å starte noe hvis ingen hjelper deg, man må kjenne noen som vil bruke tid på å hjelpe deg, for å finne advokat og andre folk du trenger, hvor man bør ha kontor etc. Jo og Fredrik vil mer enn gjerne bli kontaktet av nordmenn som vil til Asia. – Du finner oss på LinkedIn!

How to spot a Norwegian Some years ago, I found myself over-dressed and without shoes at a party. If you’d seen me then, you’d instantly have known that I was a Norwegian abroad.

By: Assistant Professor Klara Sjo, lover of languages, tea and chocolate

orwegians like to travel. They’ve have been going abroad, chasing the sun and cheap wine since the age of the Vikings and we’ve been branded as a somewhat uncouth group of people. We are drunk and loud, we can’t stand properly in queues and we fail to hold the door open for others.

Then we dress up, whereas in many non-Norwegian cultures, parties are for relaxing, escaping the workday suit and breaking out in comfy jeans. So this is when you find yourself totally over-dressed. Of course, one good thing about this is that it’s far easier to get away with being over-dressed than under-dressed.

But when Norwegians go abroad to study or to work for a longer period of time, there are some other differences that become apparent.

Another thing is that in most European – but not necessarily Asian – countries people keep their shoes on when going into somebody’s home. This is one of the things I actually find most difficult to accept. Dragging dirt from the street into somebody’s house? Horror! But I’ve learnt to keep my shoes on. Mainly because their floors are icy cold and nobody offers me a pair of warm socks.

Norwegians dress down for work and up for parties Recently one of my friends, who is in his mid-thirties, got a new job. At this new job, he got told that the workplace had a dress-code: suit, but tie not necessary. He had to go out and buy himself a suit. Some work places here in Norway do have a dress code which applies mostly when you work directly with customers, but even then, it is usually rather relaxed. When Norwegians go abroad they tend to be under-dressed. I’m not just talking about the half-naked Norwegians drinking on the beaches around the Mediterranean. I’m also referring to those who go on business trips. No matter how many times you’ve said that everybody needs to wear a suit or similar at a business event, there will always be this one guy who turns up in a Hawaiian shirt decorated with parrots and palm trees. That’s because deep down, we Norwegians know that nobody can walk around at work in a suit every day. The totally opposite happens when we go to a party or a social gathering.

Small talk and communication It’s been said many times that Norwegians are bad at small talk and polite “how are you?”questions. Whether that’s true or not, the Norwegian language doesn’t have an abundance of conversational openings. When we meet someone we know, we say hello and that’s usually more than enough. If it’s someone we meet regularly we may ask how they are or what they did at the weekend, but it’s not a mandatory part of the conversation, like it is in many other languages. So when Norwegians occasionally forget these “how are you”phrases, we may seem impolite, even though that was not the intention. But even more importantly, we forget that these phrases are even more important when writing emails and similar. When Norwegians send emails,

even to people they haven’t communicated with before, they go straight to the point. If they are feeling polite, they might throw in a “hei”. Personally, I don’t think that this is particularly nice in Norwegian either, but just imagine how impolite it is when these phrases are a necessary part of the communication. And don’t forget the correct titles. I still remember that blistering email response I got from a German professor I’d addressed as Professor Grumpy-German. He spent about ten lines in his response telling me that he was Herr Professor Doktor Grumpy-German. I must admit that in my egalitarian Norwegian mind I could never take the esteemed Herr Professor Doktor G-G seriously again. Hierarchy and leadership So if you’ve managed to get your Norwegian into a suit and nice shirt and trained him/her to use

some polite phrases by way of greeting, the next hurdle is meetings. Meeting culture differs quite a lot between countries and even within particular companies. We Norwegians generally love our meetings. There is a meeting for everything and everything that needs to be done should be discussed in a meeting. At such a meeting everybody has their say. Even if the boss is there, it doesn’t mean that this person decides everything, or even anything, since even the most junior members in a group are encouraged to share their opinions. This is why Norwegian meetings have a tendency to drag on forever and why everybody has such big coffee cups. Norwegians are big on consensus, so everybody has their say before a decision is taken. Decisions are preferably taken at the next meeting.

understand how hierarchical structures work in other places. This non-hierarchical structure and focus on unanimity and compromises isn’t that common elsewhere. In more hierarchically structured societies, they do not necessarily appreciate hearing all about the junior Norwegian’s brilliant idea. Culture and customs change between countries, cities, even groups and companies. What is normal in your eyes, is weird in somebody else’s. Whenever a foreigner does something strange here in Norway, spare a thought for all the underdressed, over-communicative Norwegians abroad.

Given the importance attached to consensus in our own culture, Norwegians don’t always

Illustrasjon: Åge H. Peterson.

Meet Justina and four other international alumni who work in Norway; learn about the companies they work for and their experiences. Place: Agnar Sandmo. Time: Monday 28th September 10-12 AM.

Name: Justina Banyte (26), Utena, Lithuania Education: Master from NHH in spring 2014, the ENE-profile. Bachelor from Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, Latvia. Extracurricular activities Lab assistant in Econometric Techniques (ECO402), Uken14, MEBA, Business analyst/intern at Bergen Teknologioverføring (part-time) –

JUSTINA’S CAREER ADVICE Think for yourself. Reflect instead of going for the easy or most popular fix - it is easy to be driven by social expectations (what others say to you, what you think others expect from you, or what you thought it will be right for you some time ago). Reflect on what you want to do with your career, and be open for change. You are then more likely to find out what motivates you. Even if it somehow turns out not to be the best option, it is easier to own up to the decision if you have made it yourself. Pick a star, not a dog. Find a job in a growing industry – that increases your possibilities to have an impact and at the same time experience, not only personal professional growth, but also to contribute to organizational growth. Do not limit yourself. All roads lead to Rome, as the saying goes. If you want to work in Norway, being hired by a Norwegian company is not the only option. Look for a company in your home country with a significant exposure in Norway. At the same time, look for possibilities with embedded options. In other words, possibilities that can open up doors to greater ones, even though in the short run those might not seem to be the best ones. Focus not only on position. More importantly, focus on the people you will be working with. Having people around who lead by example and are willing to share their insight and knowledge is of extreme importance to me.

Searching for stars in the world of energy A profound interest for the energy sector led NHH-alumna Justina Banyte to the position as a graduate trainee in the CFO-area at Statkraft. –I chose NHH and Statkraft primarily because of their excellence in the world of energy, a field on the rise, she says.

fter Justina Banyte had obtained her bachelor’s degree from Stockholm School of Economics in Riga, she found herself at a crossroads: should she go for the obvious option of heading for further studies and a future career in finance, or choose a different path?

energy. I see issues within the energy industry as being tangible, and having very significant consequences for us and the generations to come. The problems require an interdisciplinary approach – a collective effort by people of different professions, skills and knowledge.

- I realized that I needed time to reflect. I thought about how much I had enjoyed geography, biology and physics at high school. I felt I wanted to do something more tangible and real life related, rather than an academic career and pure finance. I also remembered how I made my own choices in the past, which deviated from the accepted path. For instance, when my parents insisted that I transferred to a more prestigious school in town, I resisted fiercely, won the argument and graduated as the top student in my hometown. And I had a great time! She decided to take a gap year, of which she spent five months as a trainee at the office of the European Investment Fund in Luxembourg.

I want to add my share to that effort and be part of the solution. Those pursuits lead me to choose the Energy, Natural Resources and the Environment (ENE)-profile at NHH. The ENE-profile is well known among international students, and is highly regarded. Also, a flexible nature of the curriculum allowed tailoring it to my preferences.

- A small part of my traineeship was about investments related to climate change and

- My heart was set on Statkraft, due to three reasons – the industry, the company itself and

Learning from the best When looking for a potential employer, the most important factor for Justina Banyte was that the job was in the energy sector and would allow her to learn from the best people in the field. Also of great importance was the fact that the company has a strong international profile.

fun as possible. When I worked in Luxembourg I met many people who could easily speak five languages. Inspired by that, I thought that since I intended to live in Norway for at least a few years, I should make the effort.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can develop an international mindset at NHH. You engage with NHHstudents from all over the world, international and Norwegian students alike.â&#x20AC;?

the arrangement of the graduate trainee program. However, I was aware of how competitive the application process is, with the large amount of bright candidates applying. - It is a thrill to work with colleagues with so much expertise, willingness to share and motivation. That allows me to learn quickly and improve my knowledge every day. I have been given responsibilities and been included in the team from day one. I appreciate the opportunities which opened up for me and the contribution the colleagues are making to my development, in terms of both time devoted, advices given and examples provided. In addition to having a defined position in the CFO-area, another aspect of the job is being a graduate trainee. I had formal training with seven other fellow trainees, in addition to informal gatherings. By sharing this common journey we understand both Statkraft, and our own roles within the company, better. Stars before dogs She stresses that it is exciting to work in an industry on the rise, and in a company which is among the key players on a global level. Statkraft is the biggest producer of renewable energy in Europe, and has a strong position outside the continent as well. The core business areas include hydropower, wind power, gas power and district heating. The power giant is also actively looking into new opportunities in terms of technologies and markets. - From my perspective, working for Statkraft gives the best of two worlds: working for a leading energy company with a strong record in the field, and at the same time being at the forefront of the changes happening in the industry.

An international mind For Justina Banyte it was important to work for an employer with a strong international profile, but her choices in terms of internationalisation at NHH deviated somewhat from the majority of NHH-students. As a master student she did not go on exchange. Sometimes she feels that some people did not understand this choice. - Some thought it was a bad excuse for not having been accepted by the CEMS-program, which was not the case, I did not even apply. I had my mind set on learning as much as possible about the energy sector, and to cooperate and learn from the international cohort of students at NHH. The international students at NHH come from many countries and have a diverse background, that makes it possible to develop an international mindset also at NHH. You can engage with NHH-students from all over the world in Bergen, international and Norwegian students alike. In addition, I wanted to learn Norwegian and needed time to focus.

- When it comes to a career in Norway as such, it is hard to give any country specific advice, except for being aware of cultural differences and how they surface in everyday life. In terms of career, I think the qualities which are valued on the international level apply equally well to Norway. Statkraftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Trainee Program Every year Statkraft employs a number of graduates to their International Trainee Program, one within the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) area. Usually there are more than 1.000 applicants to the two year-program and Justina Banyte was among the eight hand-picked trainees who joined the company last year. Justina Banyte appreciates learning different areas of the enterprise. - The two-year program entails four rotations. I first started working at our Accounting centre in Oslo, where I performed accounting tasks. That allowed me to obtain an understanding of the fundamental financial information and its input into Group-reporting. - I am now at my second rotation, this time in London. Currently I help reporting to external investors, who want to understand the drivers behind the financials. She has two rotations left, and in September she is coming back to Oslo to join Group reporting and the last rotation is planned to be within trading.

What is, in your opinion, an international mind? - That is a difficult question! To me that is about being open to new ideas, to new ways of looking at whatever topic, and at the same time be open for discussions with people from all backgrounds. I have met people who may not have travelled much at all, but still have these qualities. I also have met people who has been many places but still have quite a limited horizon. Do you have some pointers to other students that are considering a career in Norway? - Many ask me whether you have to learn Norwegian. To me this is a question of respect, and about making social interaction as easy and

Justina Banyte is speedlearning about the world of energy in London. Foto: Private.

Møt Thor Olsen og gjengen fra Efficio på International Arena 1. oktober. Ta minikurset «Is Supply Chain Management for me?» 30. september. Kanskje det er dette fagfeltet som venter på akkurat deg?

Name: Thor Olsen (30), Trondheim Utdanning: Master fra NHH i International Business fra 2011, samt emner i kinesisk og tysk fra UiB Jobb: Efficio siden 2011

Er Supply Chain Management noe for deg? Vil du lære mer om hva det vil si å jobbe som internasjonal konsulent med spesialfelt i Procurement og Supply Chain Management? Sjekk ut konsulentselskapet Efficio.

hor Olsen, alumnus fra NHH, jobber for konsulentselskapet Efficio i London som har Supply Chain Management som spesialfelt. Han er selv blitt en Supply Chain Management-entusiast. Visste du at du ville jobbe med Supply Chain Management da du gikk på NHH? – Nei, jeg kjente til begrepet og hadde tatt et kurs innenfor BUS-profilen. Egentlig fikk jeg øynene mer opp for faget da jeg gjorde masteroppgaven min og kom i kontakt med CPOen (Chief Procurement Officer) i Jotun. Oppgaven min var ikke innen anskaffelser, men jeg så hvordan han arbeidet bredt i organisasjonen og samarbeidet med så å si alle forretningsenhetene. Det appellerte til meg. Etter NHH tok Olsen noen emner i tysk og kinesisk på UiB. – Jeg ble kontaktet av en kompis fra NHH som hadde begynt å jobbe for Efficio i London. De hadde nettopp fått inn en stor kontrakt fra forsikringsselskapet Tryg, og trengte å styrke teamet med en norsk konsulent til. Jeg hoppet på, og har aldri sett meg tilbake. . Hva er det med Supply Chain Management som trigger deg? – For å forstå de utfordringene en bedrift har innenfor leveransekjeden, må du ta temperaturen på virksomheten. Du må forstå de forskjellige delene som utgjør kjernen i hva bedriften gjør. Hvordan og hvorfor de har den inntjeningen og de kostnadene de har? Gjennom bedre Supply Chain Management ligger det store muligheter for besparelser for kunden, og som konsulent kan du virkelig gjøre en forskjell på bunnlinjen. Det er også et område som øker i betydning hos bedrifter, hvilket gjør at det er mange spennende kunder å jobbe med. Hvilken type konsulentselskap er Efficio? – Efficio ble opprettet for 15 år siden i stuen

til grunnleggeren Jens Pedersen. Alle ansatte hadde tidligere jobbet hos AT Kearney med Procurement, og ønsket å utvikle et spesialisert konsulentselskap. Grunnleggeren jobber fortsatt hos Efficio, og er en person som alle i selskapet snakker med. Det er en god lagånd, og lite hierarki. Nå er vi 200 konsulenter, og alt tyder på fortsatt økning. En av kundegruppene til Efficio som er i vekst er kapitalfond. De kjøper selskaper som de ønsker å restrukturere så snart som mulig. Jeg jobber nå med Nets, som er den desidert største tilbyderen av kort- og betalingstjenester i Norden. Vi er et team fra Efficio på ti konsulenter som jobber med denne kunden. Det er svært vanlig å jobbe i et team på en slik størrelse, og det gjør at vi får en god kollegial ånd. Vi er vanligvis fire dager i uken hos kunden, mens vi tilbringer fredagen på kontoret i London. Det høres litt nordisk ut. Hvordan fungerer internasjonalisering hos Efficio? – Det er noe av det jeg virkelig liker. Vi har ansatte fra absolutt hele verden, og i alle kundeteam er mange nasjonaliteter representert. På teamet hos Nets er vi konsulenter fra Mexico, Storbritannia, Kina, Norge med videre. Det er gjort et bevisst valg om å ha et flerkulturelt konsulentselskap. Vi blir stolte hver gang vi får inn en ny nasjonalitet. Det er vesentlig at de som søker jobb hos oss ønsker å ha kollegaer fra mange land og har forståelse for kulturelle forskjeller. Hvilken internasjonal bakgrunn hadde du da du søkte jobben? – På master var jeg på utveksling i Kina i seks måneder, med studenter fra hele verden. I NHHS var jeg aktiv i International Committee som jobber for å forbedre integreringen av de internasjonale studentene i studentmiljøet på NHH. Jeg valgte også Business in International Management som profil. Jeg arbeidet mye sammen med internasjonale studenter på NHH i forbindelse med masteren, og det lærte jeg mye av. Det samme

NHH-alumnus Thor Olsen er engasjert i fagfeltet Supply Chain Management. Gå på minikurs med Thor, kanskje det også er noe for deg? Foto: Privat.

gjorde jeg da jeg var i Kina. Kunsten er å utnytte, på den gode måten, forskjellige utdanningsfilosofier og kunnskaper som medstudentene dine har fordi de kommer fra forskjellige land og læresteder. Hva ser dere etter hos en NHHkandidat på jakt etter jobb? – Vi etterlyser analytisk sterke kandidater. Med det mener vi at du må kunne jobbe med store mengder data, forholde deg til mange detaljer og gradvis danne deg et helhetsbilde. Vi ønsker selvfølgelig motiverte medarbeidere med mye «drive». Men arroganse fungerer ikke ovenfor kundene, så det er viktig at du ikke er det. Du må like å jobbe sammen med folk fra flere land, ønske å ha flerkulturell forståelse, og du må like å være på reisefot. Efficio skal være på International Arena på Karrieredagen 1. oktober og holde et minikurs kalt «Is Supply Chain Management for me?» dagen i forveien. Hva ønsker dere å oppnå på Karrieredagen? – Vi ønsker å vise hva det vil si å jobbe med Procurement og Supply Chain Management. På kurset skal vi ta temperaturen på en bedrift og håper du vil se hvor morsomt det er å jobbe med dette fagfeltet. Vi ønsker å være en likandes gjeng med konsulenter. Vi er et ganske lite selskap, er fleksible og gir store muligheter til en god ansatt.

THORS KARRIERERÅD Se forbi den glansede fasaden i brosjyrer og på nettet. Forsøk å finne en ansatt som du har tillit til for å få "the true story".

Foto: Astrid Hals/Norges sjømatråd

SÅ LETT ER DET Å

LAGE SUSHI Sushi er perfekt mat for hyggelige anledninger. Den spesielle kombinasjonen av salt soya, sterk wasabi og den milde, rene smaken av fisk har etter hvert blitt svært populær blant nordmenn. Sushi er i tillegg enkelt å tilberede – langt enklere enn du tror!

Se hvor enkelt det er å lage sushi på godfisk.no

ADVICE TO YOU FROM PREVIOUS INTERNS Ines Maria Stögerer participated at the Meet and Greet event last October and since January she has been working as an intern at Marine Harvest. Photo: Liv Mari Bakke.

Do you want an internship in a Norwegian company? Are you an international NHH master student? Are you looking for a professional internship in Norway? If so, apply for Meet and Greet 2015, on 20 October 2015 at NHH. Brush up your application and interview skills and maybe you’ll get an internship out of it.

he International Career Center (ICC) helps international degree students who are looking for a professional internship or a job in Norway. We know that getting in touch with potential relevant employers in Norway can be a challenge. That’s why ICC has designed “Meet and Greet” especially for you and international companies based in Norway. So far this year Marine Harvest and Bergen Energi have signed up for the event. They also participated last year and were very impressed with the quality of the applicants.

This is how it works: • Send us your CV and cover letter by 22 September to icc@nhh.no. • Please head your application “Application Meet and Greet-Company name”. • If you apply to more than one company, make sure you send in an application for each company. The companies will select 10 candidates each for an interview. • The applicants will be informed by 14 October. The Meet and Greet is on 20 October 16:00-19:00. First the companies get 10 minutes to introduce themselves in plenary. Then there will be separate

• Print out and bring along your CV for the speed interviewing. • Dress and behave as if this is a proper job interview. (It actually is!) • Do some research beforehand and tailor your application to the company you want to work for. • An internship at a Norwegian company is a foot in the door to the labour market in Norway: opportunities might come up at the company or it will at least be a great CV builder and reference for later. • Get yourself out there! There are possibilities for good international candidates from NHH in Norway.

speed-interviews, with 10 minutes per candidate. After careful consideration the companies will follow up and offer internships to the candidates of their choice. This is the third time this event takes place. The most common internship model consists of one day a week working during the spring term, followed by full-time jobs over the summer. An internship gives you the chance to get a paid parttime job in Norway, test out the employer and find out if you are interested in pursuing a career within that line of business in Norway.

5 PÅ GATEN

Hva skal du bli når du blir stor? Av Key Rosenstock. Foto: Natalia Drozdova, NHHS

Bendik Clemetsen Barane 3. kull

Jeg kunne tenke meg en jobb innen shipping. Dette er mye på grunn av de internasjonale mulighetene, men også fordi det er en interessant bransje i stadig utvikling.

Andreas Haugsbø 2. kull

Jeg vil jobbe i Utenriksdepartementet fordi jeg ønsker å være en representant for Norge i utlandet. Da får jeg muligheten til å jobbe med politiske spørsmål og kommunikasjon.

Anne Karin Steinsland Karoline Aadland 5. kull

Jeg håper å få jobbe i en organisasjon som har som hovedformål å gjøre verden til et bedre sted å være. Man kan heldigvis gjøre mye bra som siviløkonom, men drømmejobben min er nok hos Leger Uten Grenser. Grunnen til det er at dette er verdens mest effektive nødhjelpsorganisasjon som hjelper mange millioner mennesker hvert eneste år. De trenger blant annet økonomer i stillinger innen innkjøp, lagerstyring, distribusjon, budsjettering, regnskap og prosjektledelse for å få til dette, og jeg synes at det virker veldig givende å få muligheten til å ta del i dette arbeidet.

4. kull

Etter NHH er min drøm å få kombinere mine interesser og tidligere erfaring med mine studier innen økonomi-og administrasjon – dette ved å jobbe i kosmetikkbransjen i et velkjent internasjonalt selskap.

Paul Jæger 1. kull

Drømmejobben min må være å drive mitt eget multinasjonale teknologiselskap. Etter NHH begynner jeg forhåpentligvis å jobbe på Tronrud Engineering.

José Estors Carballo fra FNs matvareorganisasjon, FAO, intervjuer Maria Flinder Stierna. Foto: Øyvind Ganesh Eknes.

NHH Internship Abroad Programme NHH samarbeider med internasjonale bedrifter og organisasjoner for å tilby internship i utlandet i pilotprosjektet. I år deltar DNB i London, konsulentselskapet OC&C i London og FN i Roma. –Vi ønsket å skape et tilbud av høy kvalitet for studenter som er nysgjerrige på internasjonal jobberfaring, sier lederen av ICC, Ann-Mari Haram. –Vi ønsket et program forbeholdt NHHstudentene, med bredde og variasjon i arbeidsgiverne og arbeidsoppgavene, og hvor informasjon og intervjuprosess i all hovedsak foregår på campus. Tanken var at et slikt program er med på å senke eventuelle barrierer som studentene har for å gi seg i kast med jobbmarkedet utenfor Norge, sier hun. Solide og morsomme bedriftspartnere Et internship-program er selvsagt avhengig av at arbeidsgivere tenner på ideen. DNB var raskt på banen med internship i London, det samme var OC&C som er et velrenommert konsulentselskap i London og FAO, FN sin matvareorganisasjon i Roma.

–Men det viste seg at det var vanskelig for bedriftene å velge kandidater til intervju, fordi studentene hadde skrevet meget gode søknader. Og rekruttererne led valgets kvaler selv etter intervjurundene, sier Haram. Trening gjør mester –Jeg anbefaler alle dere som kan tenke dere jobberfaring ute, eller å jobbe for et internasjonalt selskap i Norge, å melde dere på «mock interview workshop» i karriereuken. Workshopen blir ledet av profesjonelle veiledere, og rekrutterere fra ulike anerkjente selskaper intervjuer studentene «på liksom» på engelsk. Dette er fjerde gang vi arrangerer kurset, og tilbakemeldingene er

strålende. Dere vil bli overrasket over hvor fort «på liksom» oppleves som blodig alvor, sier Haram. Plassene er begrenset, så meld deg på! Mange muligheter for internships Nesten alle bedriftene som deltar på Karriedagen, International Arena, tilbyr internships i utlandet. –Det er mange muligheter der ute. Benytt anledningen og sjekk ut alle selskapene på International Arena. NHH Internship Abroad Programme er en mulighet blant mange, og vi vil i høst evaluere ordningen sammen med bedriftspartnerne og de hjemvendte prøvekaninene, sier hun.

–Jeg er veldig fornøyd med responsen fra arbeidsgiverne, sier Haram. Alle er gode arbeidsgivere som tar godt vare på kandidatene, både faglig og sosialt. De tok utvelgelsesprosessen svært seriøst, og det er tydelig at de investerer tid i opplæring av de heldige utvalgte. Jeg er også fornøyd med at de tre pilotbedriftene er innen bank, consulting og internasjonal bistand, slik at studentene har hatt en bredde i bransjevalg. Nervøs søknadsprosess –Jeg syntes selv dette var et fantastisk tilbud til studentene, og var veldig fornøyd med at hele 450 studenter fulgte Facebook-kampanjen, sier Haram. Men jeg ble nervøs da det viste seg at ganske få studenter hadde søkt; kun 35 hadde søkt på DNB som fikk flest søkere, og 17 til FN som hadde færrest søkere. Alt i alt var det om lag kun 50 individuelle søkere. Dette er arbeidsgivere som er vant til å få tonnevis av søkere; ville de bli skuffet?

Ben Galloway (Consultant), Phil Hunt (Manager, Consumer) og Danielle Lestrade (HR) fra OC&C gjennomførte intervju med sju NHH-studenter for internship i London. Foto: Øyvind Ganesh Eknes.

NHH og DNB evaluerer nå ordningen med «NHH Internship abroad Programme». Følg med på ICC, en eventuell videreføring kan gi deg en super mulighet!

Internship i utlandet er et solid pluss – Et internship i utlandet viser at du er i stand til å takle en utfordring, noe som betyr at du også er klar for jobbutfordringer når du er ferdig utdannet, mener sjefrekrutterer i DNB, Glenn Menkin.

–NHH har svært mange dyktige studenter, og er en viktig samarbeidspartner for oss. Vi ønsker å bidra til at studentene har de kvalifikasjonene vi som Norges største bank trenger, sier Glenn Menkin, Head of Employer Branding and Executive Recruitment i DNB. Glenn Menkin har jobbet i mer enn åtte år med å rekruttere medarbeidere til sin arbeidsgiver DNB, og med å profilere DNB som arbeidsgiver. I studentundersøkelsen til analyseselskapet Universum i 2015 troner DNB på toppen over de mest attraktive arbeidsplassene i Norge. Da NHH lanserte sitt «NHH Internship Abroad Programme» med oppstart sommeren 2015, var banken raskt på banen som samarbeidspartner, og tilbød et ti-ukers internship ved London-kontoret for en NHH-student. - Det at du er oppmerksom på, fornemmer og håndterer kulturelle forskjeller, er en av de viktigste kvalifikasjonene vi ser etter, sier Menkin.

Glenn Menkin fra DNB var raskt på banen med internship i London for en NHH-student da NHH igangsatte NHH Internship Abroad Programme. Foto: DNB, Flickr.

Internship ute gjør deg mer robust DNB har utekontorer i blant annet London, New York, Chile, Hong Kong og Singapore. DNB etablerte disse for å hjelpe sine store norske kunder innenfor de norske paradegrenene shipping, energi og sjømat. I dag har de også mange ikke-norske kunder.

at du er i stand til å takle en slik utfordring, hvilket betyr at du er klar for jobbutfordringer når du er ferdig utdannet.

Banken fikk i alt 35 søknader til internshipet i London. –Søknadene var av god kvalitet, og vi hadde en tøff jobb med å velge kun én kandidat, sier Menkin.

–I søker- og intervjusituasjonen er det viktig å ha en historie å fortelle, en historie som viser hvem du er.

–Til slutt sto vi igjen med at kandidaten måtte være robust. Robust nok til å håndtere et internasjonalt arbeidsmiljø, og til å leve i en annen by enn vanlig. Men igjen, det var mange av søkerne som oppfylte kriteriene våre. -Uansett hvilken erfaring du gjør deg fra arbeidslivet i løpet av studietiden, vil det gi deg innsikt i hva du ønsker og bør jobbe med. Et internship i utlandet er et solid pluss. Det viser

NHH-studentene er svært viktige for DNB Hvert år ansetter DNB mange ferske NHH-ere, og også NHH-ere som har jobbet noen år.

–Utveksling og internship ute kan gi deg nødvendig innsikt. Det gjør det lettere for deg å søke på en jobb som du passer til, og det gjør det lettere for oss som ansetter å forstå hvor du passer best inn i DNBkonsernet. Vi har mange forskjellige funksjoner, og trenger ansatte med forskjellig kompetanse og interesser, sier rekruttereren.

Meet Caroline Røstadli, NHH student and intern at OC&C this summer, at International Arena, 1st October.

Want to be a strategy consultant in London? If you are ambitious, a brave thinker and want to work with fun colleagues, try out OC&C Strategy Consultants, a London-based consultancy. –At OC&C we welcome candidates who don’t just want to fit the traditional consulting mold. If you are a bit more spikey than most of your peers, we might be for you, says Nicholas Farhi, Partner at OC&C.

questions that are much more challenging and fun. Our mix of work is about 70 per cent strategy, while our main competitors, BCG and McKinsey, are only about 30-40 per cent strategy, according to Farhi..

OC&C specialises in giving strategic advice to chief executives of large businesses, and are looking for NHH students who want to help. They currently recruit primarily from Oxford and Cambridge, but they want to broaden their recruitment talent pool and are currently exploring NHH as a long term partner.

OC&C also spesialises in better-known consumer facing companies.

OC&C has designed a recruitment processes that tests students’ raw abilities. –The most important quality in a candidate is common sense, but it is very uncommon to find. We are interested in finding out who you really are, and whether we are a good match, says Nicholas Farhi. Your grandma will understand what you do At NHH, 1 in 4 students start their career in a consultancy, mostly based in Norway. While OC&C is not well known amongst NHH students, they have a strong employer brand in the UK, recruiting around 40 undergraduates a year. –Our edge is definitely our strong presence in strategy, as opposed to more operational consultancy work, saysFarhi. An example of a typical strategic question OC&C asks would be “What kind of company do we want to be?” While a classic operational question is “How can we gradually become more efficient?”. –Some vast organisations, such as many of the banks and government agencies, typically hire consultants to find operational solutions. Although those organisations can afford to pay a lot of fees, at OC&C we are less interested in that kind of work. We focus on industries and

–You can easily explain to your grandma what OC&C client’s do and what you do for them. When the work is more tangible, we find it professionally more rewarding, he says.

“Female candidates slightly outperform male candidates at the job.” –Due to the more strategic questions we help clients address, we typically have projects of shorter duration, normally in the range of 6-8 weeks. You will therefore be exposed to a larger number of industries and topics than in many other consultancies – especially more operational consultancies, where it is not uncommon to work for one client for six months to a year. OC&C is a growing business and is continually securing new clients and projects. This means they have the capacity to open the door for new employees. The fashion for diversity Most London consultancies want to diversify their recruitment base, and dedicate significant resources to doing so. One common example is a large budget for initiatives to encourage more women to apply to consulting. In a typical year, of the 40 graduates employed at OC&C’s Associate Consultant level, 35-40 per cent are female.

Nic Farhi,Partner at OC&C, is trying to diversify beyond «OxBridge»,where they recruit 70 per cent of their candidates today. Photo: OC&C

–It is a competitive advantage for us as a business to tap into the full pool of talent – as well as a moral imperative. A woman is just as good a consultant as a man. Actually, we find that female candidates slightly outperform male candidates at the job. I find it intriguing that while male candidates easily perceive themselves as consultant material, many women who would make great consultants seem unaware of their own potential, says Farhi. The co-operation with NHH is another example of how OC&C is trying to diversify beyond “OxBridge”, where they recruit 70 per cent of their candidates today. –We are always trying out new ways of recruiting great people, and we hope that NHH will be a good place for us to expand, Farhi says. Case based interviews Prior to interviews, OC&C provides candidates with a case study guide book and examples of typical case studies to help with interview preparation. –We want you to succeed, we want you to know what a case based interview is all about, and we want you to practice in advance. But the reason for preparation is not to learn the shortcuts to solving business problems – there are no shortcuts, sadly! Instead, you should practice to help you to be calm, confident and yourself when you meet with us, says Farhi, and adds: –The cases which we use at the interviews are designed to test raw ability, not how much you have practiced - we want to see whether you can understand a situation, come up with some recommendations, and assess the impact of the various suggestions you make. The advice I would give candidates is to be yourself and make use of your common sense.

VENI VIDI VICI as an UN intern in Rome This summer I was blessed with the opportunity to work for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as an intern at their headquarters in Rome. It’s been an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life. By: Maria Flinder Stierna, NHH student and UN intern

t’s a very special feeling entering a UN building for the first time, knowing you’ve been hired to work there, looking up, gazing at the blue flag flapping gently in the warm, Roman breeze, and knowing that on that special first day in the office you’ll get your own keycard so you can enter whenever you want. The only thing that can destroy the romance of such a glorious moment is sensing the sweat trickling down your back, moving south towards the jeans that you already regret putting on, at the same time cursing yourself for forgetting to buy deodorant in the tax-free when flying in the day before. What a relief that the office culture was more about handshakes than hugs. Anyway, 3 months later and well-deodorized, I still feel a little bit proud every time I swipe my card. Working for FAO this summer has been challenging and interesting, educational and fun. I’ve learnt a lot, whilst at the same time experiencing that my input and knowledge was appreciated and valued by my supervisor and

bosses. I know for a fact that the analysis I’ve been working on will already be of practical value as I leave in August, and that my report will contribute to a new communications and development strategy for an important unit at FAO. And that’s a great feeling. I’m leaving Rome to start my CEMS MIM in Santiago with both a job offer I had to turn down and having discussed potential topics for writing my master’s thesis for FAO later on. I guess that’s the best proof I could have of managers taking seriously the efforts of their interns. So, “What is FAO?”, you might wonder. “What do they actually do?” FAO is the UN agency which leads global efforts towards eradicating hunger. The aim is not to provide food assistance during a crisis (that’s the job of the World Food Programme), but to secure long-term sustainable food supply and food security. So FAO works in a holistic way, with 5 main objectives: 1) Eliminate hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, 2) Make

I will remember this experience for the rest of my life! Here I'm at the roof terrace of the FAO building, just a few meters from the Colosseum.

agriculture, fishery and forestry more productive and sustainable, 3) Reduce rural poverty, 4) Enable inclusive and efficient food systems and 5) Increase the resilience of livelihoods to threats and crisis. As you can imagine, there’s a quite diverse group of professionals working at FAO: veterinarians meet statisticians and lawyers, ocean specialists meet agronomists and economists. And the number of nationalities is possibly even higher than the number of professions. The environment is as international as it gets, and few days go by without one hearing at least five to six languages and interacting – or trying to interact – in three or four of them. The language geek in me has been adrenalized for ten weeks straight - ¡Olé!

What being a fisheries intern is like The internship is offered through ICC at NHH, and it takes place in the branch called “Products, Trade and Marketing” in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy and Economics Division at FAO. I’ve been mainly working on two projects related to information on international fish trade and sustainable growth in aquatic resources. I didn’t have any previous experience from fisheries, but after reading about the importance of this sector for improving the economy of developing countries - not to mention feeding the world in a sustainable way – there was no doubt in my mind about applying for it. And I’m so glad I did. One of the best things about being an intern at FAO is being able to influence your area of work and specific tasks. As FAO asks every intern about their preferences before drawing up the contracts, all interns work on different topics according to their study background, experience, interests and future plans. While some "fishes" (FI interns) study trade and price indexes of fish products or socio-economic issues like child labour or gender equality in the sector, others assist in organising forthcoming conferences or preparing material for distribution at the conferences. Many interns also work in fields like statistics or IT. As I hoped and expected before going to Rome, most of the work was interesting, while some tasks – of course – were a little boring. I’d also prepared myself to encounter a slow bureaucracy. Being used to the high pace of retail and sales, smaller private NGOs in Norway and the student life at NHH and in NHHS, meeting a UN office with around 2,000 employees from 197 member states requires some adjustments. But I was happy to find it less bureaucratic than I’d feared. My impression is that the slow process in some

projects I got to know about was mainly due to a rather hierarchic decision –making model with (too) busy bosses on top, and a temporary lack of staff. My general impression of the other interns is that they’re happy with their tasks and topics, and with how the internship is organised. However, there are different opinions of the supervisors, since the time and effort a supervisor is able to invest in the intern’s project has varied. Luckily for me, mine really put the "super" into supervisor. I had a great time discussing my findings with her and challenging each other’s way of thinking. She’s guided me through how FAO works, and towards my final report and presentation. Overwhelming hub of knowledge FAO is a great place for learning. There are several conferences and meetings every week where you can learn from leading experts on food and agriculture related topics, and e-learning courses are available for all employees. There are also great facilities for other hobbies and services; everything from art classes and meditation sessions to using the gym during the workday, see a doctor free of charge when needed, or even using dry cleaning and banking facilities – all inside the building. FAO trusts you to make sure you work the hours you’re supposed to work and get your work done before deadlines, so the work schedule is quite flexible. This was great for me, being anything but charming in the morning, and working freelance for the Norwegian Fundraising Association. Friends, fun and Roman frustration Besides the internship itself, the new friendships established with people from all over the world has been the best thing about this summer. In addition to having a lot of fun in Rome and travelling during the weekends, these

friendships have also been quite educational. Because it really gives the conversation about gender rights a new dimension when a 21 year old intern from India says her family has considered marrying her off twice, but that she’s able to study and work because her mum prevented it both times. Or when discussing freedom of speech and media with a Chinese intern who’s spent the first 24 years of his life without access to Google search, social media or neutral newspapers, before coming to Rome. Every single one of these new acquaintances at FAO has increased my knowledge about other countries and cultures, and many of them have also become close and dear friends whom I know I will see again in the future. If you know me well, you also know that I was complaining a lot this summer. About the record heat wave, the public transport not worthy of being categorized as "transport" and our lovely landlady staying in the apartment she had rented to us, redecorating it without notice and eventually kicking us out. I know I’ve been whining like an ungrateful little brat. The stay in Rome was not perfect, but looking back on it as I leave, I know the work at FAO and the new friends I’ve made were worth every single 2-inch mosquito bite. The truth is, even though beautiful Rome is dysfunctional nowadays, I will actually miss admiring ancient ruins while drinking my coffee at a modern family-run caffetteria. And when I go back to Bergen in January, I’ll probably even miss the heat! The bottom line is that I’m so, so grateful for this opportunity, and I would encourage other NHH students who are committed to working for sustainable development and an end to hunger to apply for next year’s internship. You won’t regret it.

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Møt Sigrid på Karrieredagen 1. oktober, International Arena på standen "NHH Internship Abroad Programme".

Flekser Pippi-musklene i finansmetropolen Da masterstudent Sigrid Brynestad oppdaget muligheten for å delta på NHH Internship Abroad Programme, sendte hun straks en søknad om internship til DNB i London. Det har hun ikke angret på.

–Jeg tror det er viktig å være åpen og nysgjerrig på muligheter man ikke har sett for seg tidligere, og ikke nødvendigvis alltid følge det trygge enveissporet, sier Sigrid Brynestad. –Det er nettopp i de tilfellene jeg har gjort ting jeg ikke planla på forhånd at jeg har fått de mest spennende og lærerike opplevelsene. Filosofien er litt Pippi-aktig: "Det har jeg aldri gjort før, så det klarer jeg helt sikkert!". Samtidig er jeg kanskje ikke spesielt vågal av meg, og trives godt innenfor komfortsonen. Men fordi det er nettopp utenfor denne at man virkelig utvikler seg, har jeg bevisst tatt valg som utfordrer det trygge og kjente. Jeg føler at jeg har funnet en flott balanse på dette hos DNB London. Tidligere sommerjobb i en annen bank har gitt meg interesse for finansbransjen, mens CEMS og utvekslingen til HEC Paris har gjort meg oppmerksom på viktigheten av internasjonal erfaring og hvor

Som intern i London er det mye å oppleve på fritiden, og Sigrid Brynestad utforsker så mye som mulig. Foto: Privat.

mye man vokser på dette. Derfor trigget jeg på muligheten for et internasjonalt internship hos DNB London. I tillegg var det en ypperlig mulighet til å få gjennomført de 10 ukene med praksis i utlandet som CEMS krever. Hva jobber du med hos DNB London? –Jeg jobber hovedsakelig på et internt prosjekt med to andre interns og en konserntrainee som er vår teamleader, sier Brynestad. –Prosjektet dreier seg om implementering av en teknologiplattform som har som mål å bidra til bedret porteføljestyring ved London-kontoret. Et veldig spennende prosjekt, som går på tvers av de ulike seksjonene ved kontoret, og gjør at vi må involvere oss i de ulike arbeidsprosessene der. Internshipet er krevende, men også veldig engasjerende fordi vi får lære masse

Navn: Sigrid Brynestad (23) Studiebakgrunn: CEMS-student og BUS-profil. Ferdig med master V-2016. Utveksling: HEC Paris på masternivå. I tillegg sommerkurs på Fudan University i Shanghai. Verv NHHS: Funksjonær i Uken og Bergen Challenge, ellers aktiv i NHHI Basketjenter og Fotballrypene. Påtroppende økonomiansvarlig Stafettkomitéen (høsten 2015)

Hvem er du da? –I bunn og grunn er jeg er en skikkelig planlegger som liker å få oppgaver unnagjort og krysse dem av på planen min. Jeg har også sterk tro på at man oppnår resultater gjennom jevnt, hardt og grundig arbeid. Jeg er veldig målbevisst, men samtidig har jeg opp gjennom årene lært at det er når jeg tar av meg skylappene at jeg virkelig har opplevd givende ting og fått morsomme muligheter. Det er nok flere som ville klassifisert meg som en typisk "flink pike". Men jeg liker å tro at jeg har et relativt sunt og bevisst forhold til det, ved at jeg "kjenner lusa på gangen" og passer på å utvikle meg selv ved å hele tiden utfordre komfortsonen. Og det er jo der Pippi-faktoren slår til, sier hun. –Generelt tror jeg man kommer langt ved å planlegge det man kan planlegge, være åpen og nysgjerrig på ulike muligheter og alltid følge magefølelsen, selv om det kan føles skummelt å bevege seg utenfor det trygge og kjente, sier hun.

om hvordan DNB jobber med bedriftskunder, spesielt i utlandet. Jeg har selv ansvar for implementeringen i Shipping, Offshore & Logistics (SOL) og jobber dermed tett med dem for å kunne gi fra meg en best mulig analyse ved prosjektets slutt. Leveranse av prosjektet innebærer at vi alle skal presentere resultatene og våre anbefalinger til Management Committee ved London-kontoret. Det er veldig spennende å få jobbe med noe som er så viktig for banken, og kontoret spesielt. –Ellers jobber jeg med å forebygge hvitvasking (compliance), noe som er høyt prioritert fordi flere banker nylig har fått store bøter grunnet at deres systemer for slik forebygging ikke var gode nok, sier Brynestad. –DNB London må i tillegg forholde seg til to forskjellige reguleringsautoriteter (Norge og Storbritannia). Siden finansbransjen er strengt regulert her, er det spesielt viktig at banken har god kontroll på regler, prosedyrer og kunderelasjoner til enhver tid.

–Jeg deltar også på bransjemøter og presentasjoner når besøkende fra Oslokontoret kommer med oppdateringer om hva som skjer rundt i konsernet. Vi har også hatt flere ”Competence Lessons” der en avdeling på kontoret deler kunnskap om hva de gjør og hvordan det kan hjelpe andre avdelinger. Jeg har lært mye om de økte kapitalkravene for banker som er et særlig hett tema etter finanskrisen.

–Ellers har jeg også lært hvor viktig det er å være god til å lytte til andre, og at det er en fin egenskap å ha med seg når man skal forstå målgruppens behov, utfordringer og ønsker.

–Selv om også London-kontoret har en utpreget DNB-kultur og det er mange nordmenn her, er arbeidsspråket engelsk. Jeg har blitt komfortabel med å ha det som arbeidsspråk, og det oppleves som en frihet å vite at jeg kan jobbe uanstrengt på engelsk. Dette er rett og slett en fantastisk mulighet til "Dette er en fantastisk mulighet til å få å få internasjonal arbeidserfaring og samtidig bli bedre kjent med internasjonal arbeidserfaring og samtidig finansbransjen og DNB.

bli bedre kjent med finansbransjen og DNB".

Hvordan ser arbeidshverdagen din ut? –Siden internprosjektet løper mye på vårt eget initiativ, står jeg veldig fritt til å organisere min egen arbeidsdag, sier hun. Vi har mange møter for å koordinere oss imellom på prosjektteamet. Ellers bruker jeg mye tid på å snakke med og intervjue de ulike medlemmene i shippingteamet for å sette meg ordentlig inn i deres behov med tanke på teknologiimplementeringen. Jeg arrangerer disse møtene selv, noe som innebærer at jeg må ta mye initiativ til å snakke med ulike kollegaer som jeg aldri har hilst på før. Jeg jobber på

flere måter som en konsulent, noe jeg synes er veldig spennende og lærerikt. Det er samtidig utfordrende å skulle foreslå nye måter å gjøre ting på for en stor seksjon, der de naturlig nok har etablerte vaner og rutiner.

Hva har du lært? –En ting jeg har fått oppleve er at endringsteorien vi har lært ved NHH ofte stemmer overens med virkeligheten, sier Brynestad. For å få til en suksessfull endring i organisasjonen er det ekstremt viktig med åpen kommunikasjon rundt endringen, samt tett involvering av de ansatte i hele prosessen.

Hvorfor fikk du jobben? –I de to intervjuene, som foregikk per telefon og over Skype, var det få tekniske spørsmål, men flere spørsmål om hvordan jeg er som person. Det var viktig å kunne gi eksempler i intervjuet som viste hvem jeg var i tillegg til å ha et reflektert forhold til tidligere erfaringer. Jeg fikk derfor mye igjen for at jeg hadde tenkt ordentlig grundig over hva jeg har lært gjennom tidligere jobberfaringer og hva det forteller om meg, sier Brynestad. –I tillegg tror jeg bakgrunnen min fra CEMS var noe som gjorde det lettere å stole på at jeg trives godt med å jobbe i et internasjonalt miljø.

–I tillegg har London så mye forskjellig å by på, både når det kommer til severdigheter, uteliv og underholdning. Jeg har også opplevd en stor verdi i CEMS-nettverket mens jeg har bodd her, da det siste året har gitt meg venner på tvers av landegrenser hvorav flere av dem jobber her i sommer. I tillegg deler jeg et koselig ”townhouse” i Marylebone med en jevnaldrende dansk jente og Caroline Røstadli som er på det samme NHH-initierte internship-programmet hos konsulentselskapet OC&C. Derfor har jeg vært så heldig å ha flere kjekke folk å henge med på fritiden.

Meet Caroline on Career Day 1st October, International Arena, Speilsalen, stand “NHH Internship Abroad Programme”.

The life of a summer intern at OC&C Strategy Consulting Caroline Røstadli tackled on-line testing, a cased based interview on campus and a final telephone interview to become a consultant intern at OC&C. Photo: Shantanu Singh.

By: Caroline Røstadli, NHH student and summer intern in London

eek 1: Expectations meet reality. Monday 29 June was my first day at work. I was dressed in a black suit and white shirt, not really knowing how to translate the dress code “suit and no tie” for men into an appropriate outfit for women. I knew that most of my fellow interns had graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Oxford or Cambridge, and at the time I thought I’d be the only non-native English speaker. I was scared I wouldn’t be able to perform as well as my colleagues, or that I wouldn’t fit in. I was wrong. For the first three and a half days we had training. We went store checking, had PowerPoint training, research training and had a whole day of Excel. We had all studied different things, such as engineering, maths, economics and management. So we all had our strengths in different areas, and everyone was able to pick up new methods and ways of thinking as we went along. We learned a lot, and we had a lot of fun. During the breaks we played table football, watched cricket (which is impossible to understand!) and watched tennis at Wimbledon. During the lunch breaks we went out and tried everything from sandwiches to Asian curries, and at least once a week there were wonderful food markets just outside the office, with chorizo salads and home made brownies. We stayed pretty much loyal to our intern group and we all had the chance to get to know each other. I was surprised at how well I fitted in and how welcoming the other interns were to me, the foreign girl. I also learned that I was far from being the only non-English intern, although I was the only one studying outside the UK. Interns and other co-workers were interested in learning about the Norwegian School of Economics, and many where eager to introduce me to another Norwegian who had studied at NHH and was, according to everyone, brilliant. Some who had worked for different clients in Norway came up to me, or happily shared advice on places to go in London. Everyone was determined to make me feel welcome. During the training, we usually stopped working at 5pm, so I had time to meet up with a good friend of mine in London, and we went for several walks around the city. I live close to Oxford Street, Hyde Park and Regent Park, and this gave me endless opportunities just outside my door. On Thursday we got allocated to our first project. We all turned a bit pale, fearing that the fun time was already over. It turned out that it was just about to start: I was allocated to a project working with a major client to the firm, and my team was just a great bunch of talented, fun people to work with. We are currently working with the client to see how it should respond to the increasing competition and changing market trends in food retail. My team consists of two British colleagues, one Swede, one Swiss MBA intern from LBS and two partners. I work closest with the associate consultant Matt from England and the consultant Pontus from Sweden. They offer me all kinds of support, they are serious when necessary, but they are also people I find it easy to have fun with.

Week 2 & 3: Settling in at OC&C and London Work hours and traffic lights. I was afraid my average hours would be until 10 pm and that I would have 15 minute lunch breaks and no free time. This has turned out to be far from the truth. My fellow interns Pontus and Matt are always there to make sure that I do take a break and I usually go out with the other interns for lunch, taking between 45 minutes and an hour. If I want a break, there is always someone to have a cup of coffee or play table football with. There is also a traffic light system that ensures that unless you have to stay late, you must go home at 7.30 pm at the latest. If necessary, you can be required to stay longer, but dinner is then free and you get a free taxi ride home. This increases the pressure of being productive at work, but at the same time you can quite often go home at a comfortable hour. After/before work activities In the afternoons, I have participated in netball and pétanque competitions (both of which I had never played before), as well as the OC&C summer games, followed by drinks with co-workers. I have also had the chance to join in tennis and cricket, and every Thursday I have done yoga in the office before work. There are many opportunities to join sports activities and luckily for me, no prior knowledge is required. It is recognised as a great way of socialising, so they welcome the interns with open arms. If participating means I have to leave work earlier than the rest of my team, they are happy to let me, and I can catch up another day. Socialising with the other interns and the firm In addition to sports activities, OC&C provides every intern with a buddy, and we get to go for free lunch with them occasionally, as well as talking to them about everything we find easy or difficult. There are monthly love-ins, where OC&C celebrates success and shares important events with each other, personal or professional. The first one of those we got to participate in also ended with an open bar not too far from work. Next week the interns are going bowling with free drinks. There is always something arranged for us, so we can have fun and get to know each other. Amongst ourselves, we chat on Whatsapp and some of us hang out at the weekend. Settling in in London I share a room with another intern from NHH, who is working at DNB in London. We have many a chat at night and we include each other in the social events we are invited to. I also have a few friends from outside NHH, and who I know from a previous stay in England, or from CEMS. Together we have gone out for drinks, had dinner together, explored London, seen musicals and participated in Secret Cinema, where you are actively participating in a movie and have different quests to solve. London is so central, and there is always a friend who is passing by and there is always something new to explore. This summer I am extremely lucky. I work with incredibly intelligent students who have studied many different subjects and have experienced so many different things. I work with friendly colleagues, in a welcoming, fresh and fun company, in a city that has everything. Going to work is fun, weekends are fun, and it is all very challenging and very rewarding.

NHH-student Irina Isakova (at the far right) explored Lofoten and the marine sector together with other students from all over Norway. The Marine Student Bootcamp is an event organised by the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries and “Sett Sjøbein”.

Student Marine Bootcamp Unforgettable Bootcamp with fantastic students from all over Norway, sparked enthusiasm for the marine sector.

n her quest for a job in Norway, international student Irina Isakova looked for opportunities to learn more about Norwegian business and to establish a network that would make her job search easier. She decided to participate in a student Marine Bootcamp in Lofoten in March this year. –It was an amazing experience. We met several companies from different parts of the fisheries value chain and got first-hand knowledge about the challenges and opportunities of this industry. And on the last day of the camp, we got to take part in the annual conference of the Norwegian Seafood Federation and even talked to the Minister of Fisheries about our projects. Sixteen students from universities across Norway participated in the bootcamp organized by “Sett Sjøbein” (“Sealeg”) which is a project to increase recruitment to the marine sector.

–We were three students from NHH and it was great fun to see how our knowledge could be applied in real life. We used our skills in a specific project and expanded our knowledge beyond finance and microeconomics by working with amazing students specialising in completely different disciplines such as biology and engineering. Irina Isakova hopes that the bootcamp will help her in her future career. –It’s definitely given me the passion for this industry and many unforgettable moments with fantastic students from all over Norway! It’s helped me to clearly identify who I am and what I’d like to do. Silje Båtsvik Risholm, advisor at “Sett Sjøbein”, invites students to apply for the next two bootcamps that will take place in West Norway

Name: Irina Isakova From: St. Petersburg, Russia Profile: MSc in Energy, Natural Resources and the Environment Dream job: At the intersection of economics and engineering. Find out more about the bootcamps and the application process: Like “Sett Sjøbein” on Facebook, or check their website, settsjobein.no

(Bergen area) 24-30 October and in Mid Norway, (Trondheim area) 13-18 November. The West Norway bootcamp will focus on sustainability and seafood, while the Mid Norway bootcamp will focus on technology and fisheries. The bootcamps are held in English and Norwegian. All costs for participants are covered. –When you apply, it’s important that you show your interest in learning about the seafood industry. We’re not looking for students who know all about the industry beforehand; the point is that you’ll learn something new, says Silje Båtsvik Risholm. –But we do look for students who are excellent in their field, willing to learn and have an open mind about cross-disciplinary teamwork.

Møt UD på Karrieredagen 1. oktober, International Arena.

Fra Statoil til UD-aspirant

Navn: Erlend Sannes Hadland (29) Utdanning: Master i International Business fra NHH i 2012 Utveksling: Til England og Kina, pauseår i Ecuador

–Lønn er ikke viktig for meg. Jeg har aldri valgt en jobb på grunn av penger, men etter muligheter og interesser, sier Erlend Sannes Hadland (29). Tekst: Kristin Vallevik Gjerde

idligere NHH-student Erlend Sannes Hadland bytter beite og går fra oljegiganten Statoil til aspirantkurs i UD. Han gikk ut fra NHH i 2012, og har jobbet i Statoil de siste tre årene med samfunnsansvar og ikke-teknisk risikovurdering. Nå står UDs aspirantkurs for tur. –Jeg er veldig interessert i internasjonale spørsmål. Jeg hadde lyst til å jobbe ute, og ikke sitte i Norge hele livet. Jeg ville gjerne reise ut gjennom en norsk arbeidsgiver, og ha med meg det norske elementet ut, sier Hadland.

Lønn ikke viktig Hadland gjorde det som for mange siviløkonomer fremstår som underlig: å gå fra en godt betalt jobb i Statoil til staten, som betaler mindre.

mulighetene som jeg fikk på studiet. Det var veldig verdifullt, NHH har gode samarbeidsinstitusjoner og det er mange muligheter for NHH-studenter i mange interessante land, sier han.

–Lønn er ikke viktig for meg. Jeg har aldri valgt en jobb på grunn av penger, men etter muligheter og interesser, sier han.

Han mener at det å jobbe med mennesker fra andre kulturer gir et utvidet syn på verden.

Aspirantkurset er treårig; først to år i departementet i Oslo og siden ett år ved utenriksstasjon, før man vurderes for fast stilling. Deretter forventes det at man fortsetter ytterligere to år ved samme utenriksstasjon før man søker seg direkte videre til neste utenriksstasjon. Totalt består aspirantløpet av to år i Norge og seks år utenlands, på to ulike steder. Etter dette veksler man mellom hjemme- og utetjeneste gjennom hele karrieren. –Jeg er veldig interessert i utenrikspolitikk, og som økonom er jeg også veldig interessert i handel og næringsliv. Det har mye med min utdanning å gjøre, men spekteret er mye større i UD. UD gir en generaliststilling. Jeg kan få jobbe med veldig mye forskjellig, både økonomi og næringsliv, men også med saker som går utenfor min profil, sier han. Tverrfaglig bakgrunn Hadland tok sin master på NHH i Internasjonal Business, den engelskspråklige varianten. –Der var det en del fag som ga tverrfaglige muligheter, ikke nødvendigvis bare tunge økonomiske fag. Jeg studerte temaer innenfor internasjonal handel, samfunnsansvar og EUrett. Dette har gitt meg økonomi i bunn, men kvalifiserer meg til å jobbe også på andre felt. Man må ikke bare ha tunge tallfag, sier han.

Før han går fra olje til utenrikspolitikk nyter Erlend Sannes Hadland ferien i Vietnam. Foto: Privat.

Hadland var på utveksling i Lancaster i England i løpet av bacheloren, og tok et pauseår i Ecuador før masteren der han jobbet frivillig med blant annet mikrofinans for en norsk organisasjon. Siden var han på utveksling på masternivå i Kina. –Jeg benyttet meg av begge utvekslings-

–Alle tenker ikke likt og folk har ulike verdensoppfatninger. Etter å ha jobbet med folk fra rundtomkring har jeg lært at det å tilpasse seg er et nøkkelord, spesielt i jobbsammenheng. Det er viktig å tenke på at folk har forskjellig bakgrunn, og at deres oppfatning av problemstillinger kan være forskjellig fra din egen, sier Hadland. I tillegg nevner han at man i UD kan jobbe med veldig mye forskjellig. −Det er en jobb som passer bra for folk som har lyst å strekke seg ut over det de har studert. Jeg tror ikke folk er klar over hva UD kan tilby av muligheter for å komme ut og jobbe. Det er ikke veldig lett for en økonom i Statoil å komme seg ut. UD har over 100 lokasjoner, det er mye mer enn hva Statoil har, sier Hadland. Han opplyser også at han ser annerledes på Norge etter å ha vært ute. –Jeg setter mer pris på norsk samfunnsliv og det man har hjemme. Du oppdager hvor mye ditt eget verdisyn preger deg, sier han. Nåløyet Å bli tatt opp som UD-aspirant er en lang og krevende prosess. 15 stykker av om lag 450 søkere blir valgt ut, med ulik studiebakgrunn og erfaringsgrunnlag. –Det startet med søknad i januar, neste runde var nettbaserte, arbeidspsykologisketester og engelsktest, deretter et fire timers essay som skulle skrives hjemme. Jeg skrev om hvilken påvirkning den økonomiske utviklingen i Asia har hatt på internasjonal politikk. Jeg kunne trekke veksler på det jeg har studert, selv om det også handlet om mer enn økonomisk forståelse. Til

Meet Citigroup at the Career Day, International Arena (Mirror Hall).

slutt var det intervjurunder med aspirantnemda og psykolog i tillegg til gruppeøvelse, ny omgang med evnetest og språktest. Jeg ble testet i spansk, som er tredjespråket mitt, sier han. I aspirantnemda sitter det representanter fra UD, i tillegg til organisasjoner som Redd Barna,Norad, LO, NHO og Universitets- og høgskolerådet. Da telefonen fra UD endelig kom var Hadland veldig lettet. –Jeg var veldig fornøyd med å ha kommet gjennom en så lang og krevende prosess, og få en jobb jeg hadde så lyst på. Det tok tre måneder fra søknaden var sendt til jeg fikk jobben, det var mange steg og en veldig lærerik prosess, sier han.

ERLENDS KARRIERERÅD Vær nysgjerrig: Reis ut gjennom utdanning, ta gjerne et års pause hvis du har tid og reis ut opplev og erfar nye ting, finn ut om det er noe for deg. Bruk de mulighetene du har på studiet! Sats tverrfaglig: Jeg fikk feedback fra UD at det var bra med tverrfaglig interesse. Min master var tverrfaglig med økonomi i bunn. Man må ikke ta finans, det finnes andre fag å velge i også. Vær engasjert : Jeg hadde ikke verv på NHH, men å engasjere seg på generelt grunnlag er bra, enten du gjør det i studietiden eller utenfor. Lær språk: Bruk muligheten på NHH til å lære språk. Hadde jeg visst det jeg vet nå, ville jeg ha tatt fransk eller spansk i tillegg til engelsk.

Citigrup comes for the third consecutive time to NHH Career Day. Photo: NHH.

Women in finance Finance has a rather strong reputation for being a male dominated sector. Ingrid Smith-Sivertsen (28) currently works for Citi in Oslo. She was part of Citi’s corporate banking graduate program, which included a year at their European headquarter in London. What is your job about? -When I was in London the job included credit analysis of companies, risk assessment and internal credit analysis. I was rating companies and giving assessments on whether or not the bank should get involved. I also worked with cash flow modeling, to see if clients were able to pay off their loans. This included industry analysis and risque analysis. The office in London covered the entire European market, and is an exciting place to work. I felt I was in the middle of where it all happens, and I gained experience from working on great projects. The ten-week corporate graduate program was a good way to start my career. Citi hires people with highly varied backgrounds, but you have to be great at what you do. Their graduate program is a very specific training that enables you for immediate employment in the banking sector. What are your thoughts on being a woman and working in finance? -I enjoy my job very much. However, in my opinion, too few women choose to work in finance. I think this is primarily due to the perception that it is male dominated. In my finance major, the majority of the students were women, so I do not see why it should be this way. Why is Citi focused on recruiting women? -Diversity is important. The working environment improves if you have a good mix. If an employer considers it likely that they will find equally qualified candidates regardless of gender, why not have women on the team? It is also the case that many of our customers are women, and as a bank we need to be representative. Joanna Anafu, Talent and Development Manager at Citigroup says: At Citi, we have a real business case for bringing diverse talent into the bank. We run female programmes that provide the opportunity for students to gain insight into a career in Investment Banking and break down the some of the misconceptions about the industry.

Want to learn more about Bloomberg? Join them on Career Day 1st October, International Arena, Speilsalen (Mirror Hall).

Seeking: Graduates with a strong interest in finance, and the ability to communicate effortlessly to a wide variety of people. Norwegian Magnus Mathisen joined Bloomberg in London just over a year ago. -What I like most about my job is that I already have a real impact on Bloomberg’s business by having in depth contact with major decision makers in the Norwegian finance industry, says Mathisen. Why did you choose Bloomberg as your first employer? -I applied for the Bloomberg Bootcamp in the first year of my studies and spent a fantastic week during the summer, together with about 15 other students. The following summer I had a ten week internship at the company, and that gave me real work experience. I didn’t doubt for a second that I’d like to work for Bloomberg after my studies. It fits me perfectly; I’m very interested in finance, and I really enjoy working with customers to find solutions. I like the company culture; it’s very young, dynamic and forthcoming. What the Bloomberg Professional® service is all about It all starts with data. Anchored by the Bloomberg Professional® service (the Terminal), which provides real-time financial information to more than 325,000 subscribers globally. Bloomberg solves a variety of challenges for their clients through an array of technology, data, news and media services that add value to information. - People often think that the terminal is all about the software. I’m often asked if you need to be good at programming or be a software engineer to work here, but we have a huge research and development team that takes care of this. My job in Financial Product Client Services and Sales is to maintain and

develop relations with clients, make sure they’re updated in terms of our products and in particular that they make good use of the analytical potential of the Bloomberg terminal, says Magnus Mathisen. What Bloomberg is looking for in NHH candidates -We’re looking for candidates who are extremely dynamic and who have a keen interest in financial markets, says Mathisen.

Name: Magnus Mathisen Education: Bachelor’s degree from Warwick University, BSc Accounting & Finance Role: Works at Bloomberg in the Financial Product Client Services and Sales team in London, focused on dealing with Norwegian clients.

- You need to have an enterprising spirit – you want to make a difference. You’re keen to create and manage good relations with clients, as you’ll very quickly have your own clients to take care of. I hope that our Norway team of six soon will get another Norwegian on board, he says. -If it’s a finance geek with a talent for communication - that would be great!

You find a Bloomberg terminal in the NHH library. Do you know how to make use of it?

International Arena Participants 2015: International Arena, Career Fair 2014.

HSBC GOOGLE ROYAL BANK OF CANADA EFFICIO CONSULTING NHH INTERNSHIP ABROAD PROGRAMME PROKURA TRAVELBIRD BLOOMBERG CITIGROUP MOUNTBATTEN INSTITUTE NHH UTENRIKSDEPARTEMENTET

Choosing your career path A career is an adventure, an exciting journey with many twists and turns running through your lifetime. Everyone’s adventure is unique, driven by differing circumstances and motivations, fuelled by the people and opportunities you meet along the way. By: Rob Wales and Agnes Bamford, UK based career consultants

Setting a direction As you look to begin your adventure you’ll need to set a direction. Some will know exactly what they want to do, what they want to achieve and how they want to get there. They’ll still have to contend with ups, downs and unexpected twists along the way. But, with a journey anchored to a clear vision of the future, they'll be better equipped to navigate through the unpredictable winds of time and continue on their chosen path. But don’t be anxious if you can’t think beyond the first few years of your career. Time, experience and growing knowledge of yourself will help you shape the future narrative.

And great if you get offered the role; but it’s no failure if you don’t, especially if you’ve given your best by way of preparation and approach. At the very least you should be able to take some learning from the experience. With more practice and experience, the better you’ll become. Interviews are the sum of so many factors and will always take you into the unknown. But there’s a lot you can do to prepare: researching different types of questions and practising your responses; understanding body language and what it conveys; recognising the importance of EQ alongside IQ; how to control nerves, be yourself and sell yourself.

Developing an international mind-set When applying and interviewing for a role abroad its important to recognise If possible, choose something you think cultural differences and how they could you’ll love. Be honest with yourself about influence your approach. For example, your motivations and aspirations – this Norwegians are known to be very direct is your life, your career and no-one else’s. in their communication, which can make them appear abrupt in other cultures. Explore and investigate opportunities Whilst Norwegians are recognised Research, research, research. Talk to internationally for their high proficiency people who’ve taken the career path you in spoken and written English you should are considering. Go deep beyond marketing be aware of cross cultural expectations of literature designed to sell a company or a role. politeness. Remembering to use ‘please’ and Speak to as many people as possible about their ‘thank you’ and softening your style can greatly experience. enhance perceptions of your likely effectiveness in Career consultants Rob Wales and Agnes Bamford share their insights and make sure the workshop the work environment. Sometimes it’s not just what runs smoothly. Photo: NHH. Ask yourself: “What do I really want to know?” Don't be you say but how you say it. Remember, it’s a conversation afraid to ask the "ugly" questions, the ones they don’t answer between two people - "how you make them feel" when talking in a brochure. These are often the most revealing. Stuff like what will influence the emotional response they have to the interview. they find difficult or tedious, what have they struggled with, what the work life balance is like, whether they feel valued and listened to, the type of Your choice of words is also important when writing a CV or email. What is people that progress, the type of people that don’t, what the pressure points common terminology in Norway may be an alien concept elsewhere. It’s your are. Where possible, try and experience the environment by way of work responsibility to create the right impression, to adopt a tone that appeals to placement or internship. an international audience and to ensure your background and achievements are easily understood. Interviews are conversations A recurring landmark on everyone’s adventure is the interview, the gateway Whatever adventure you choose, remember it's your adventure and the (or barrier) to the next stage of the journey. Some people love them. Many journey is affected by some factors you can control and some you can’t. Be fear them. They come in all shapes and sizes with different agendas, criteria, open to opportunities, listen, absorb, and remain true to your values. Know approaches, questions and formats. that you’ll learn as much from disappointments and unexpected turns as you will from successes when it goes to plan. Prepare to be amazed at what you Recognise that, at their core, they are simply conversations. Two people, can discover along the way. Enjoy the journey! (possibly more, depending on format) sharing information. We do this every day of our lives in countless interactions. We're humans, designed to converse.

Agnes and Rob will be running interview workshops during the NHH Career Week on Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th September. Owing to the success of their previous workshops, book early as there are limited spaces. The mock interviewers will come from prestigious companies from interesting sectors.

Top recruiters from well-known companies mock-interview NHH students at the 2014 workshop. Photo: NHH.

Internasjonale muligheter, se også:

#NHHW Internasjo na

ORLDWIDE

le muligh

eter for N H

H-studen ter

Utgitt av: International Career Center

Redaktør: Ann-Mari Haram

Norges Handelshøyskole

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