Clara taught how to work both independently and in groups
Clara Canova is a former student at the Master's Programme in International Administration and Global Governance (IAGG). Today she has a career in business and digital innovation, working as a Project Officer & Business Innovation Specialist at an Italian consulting firm.
Why did you choose to study IAGG
I wanted to take my Master's degree abroad. Sweden was my first choice because I had been an exchange student here in high school. I chose the University of Gothenburg because it is the biggest university in Scandinavia and the Department of Political Science is very well renowned and internationally ranked. My first choice was IAGG because it offered a Master of Science programme - a more challenging, research-oriented programme with a more case study approach.
Gothenburg is a beautiful and welcoming city
Where are you working today?
I am a digital transformation specialist and business analyst at an Italian consulting firm, Spindox S.p.A.
What does an ordinary working day look like?
I work for a leading automotive client, supporting project management governance in the building and maintenance of customer-facing websites. I also work to build business analyses and business proposals, make business model evaluations, and consult companies that want to innovate their business and their technology. Basically, I work in the field of IoT – the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0.
Do you benefit from your education in your work?
IAGG has especially taught me to work both independently and in groups, to self-organize my time, and be able to meet strict deadlines. The rigorous approach to academic work, the academic English level I could achieve, and the self-discipline I had to develop for coursework all greatly impacted my work method and ethics.
Do you have more experiences from your time as a student that helped you get to where you are today?
IAGG was extremely different in scope and approach to my bachelor studies, this helped me to become more flexible and open-minded, more challenge-oriented, and not too narrow-sighted when diverse job opportunities, sometimes apparently not too close to my field of studies arose. I have learned to be more open-minded, and risk-taking and to step out of my comfort zone.
What was it like to study at the Department of Political Science?
Challenging, extremely challenging. We were fed a lot of input, and met tens of extremely capable academics and researchers. We had to process a lot of food for thought and learn to think for ourselves. We learned to form well-rounded analyses and opinions fact-based and in limited timeframes. All in all, we learned to think with our heads and independently.
What did you like about the University of Gothenburg and the city of Gothenburg?
Haga campus is one of the most comfortable and welcoming facilities I had the privilege to study into. The campus was basically my second home, the possibility to spend time there studying even on the evening and weekends, being able to come and go as we pleased and the kitchen facilities made it the perfect place for a commuting student like me, I used to live in Stenungsund 55 minutes from Gothenburg by train, to fulfill my student duties and live my student life.
As for the city of Gothenburg, I deeply love the city and the region and it is for me my second home outside of Italy. Gothenburg is a beautiful and welcoming city.
Finally, for students who are studying right now and might be worried about getting jobs in the future - what are your top five tips for them?
Do not limit yourself to one path in life. When I was a student I thought I would become a scholar in Political Science and then I ended up pursuing a career in business and digital innovation. As long as you are young, try to build as much experience as possible in many different fields, from volunteering to office work, to international/development institutions and private corporations.
Take advantage of the many opportunities that internships, both during the free half-term of IAGG and after graduation, offer you. Experiment, move out of your comfort zone, be curious and never say no when a good opportunity is offered to you. Go abroad, if you can. It will help to build a broader network for your future career and to find out what you really want to do in life.
