Can you tell us what you talked about during the presentation?
"I talked about my professional journey since I left the School of Business, Economics and Law and tried to share some lessons. The most important one, however, is to listen to your own voice and your own inner compass rather than advice from others, including me."
In your career, you have switched industries several times, can you tell us about that?
"I believe that you can learn a lot from seeing many different industries, companies, and organizations. I started out working as a management consultant, so already early on in my journey, I got to know different sectors and I found that very rewarding. I learnt a lot from seeing many different organizations and it helped me to bring great ideas from one company to another. Industry logics are different across different sectors, and I find it exciting to understand new contexts and strategies. There are also many similarities between diverse sectors. Companies in different industries share many of the same success factors and challenges when it comes to ways of working, collaboration, culture and leadership. It is however important to find your own path here, some people prefer becoming very specialized in one industry and that is perfectly fine. Again, it is all about finding your own voice and your own path."
What lessons from your own journey would you like to share with the students of today?
- "There is no such thing as the perfect career plan, and you should not feel stressed if you do not have one. We live in times of unprecedented uncertainty and change. Times characterized by difficult challenges but also by amazing opportunities. Many of the jobs we have today will evolve and look quite different in ten, twenty years from now. New roles and professions that we cannot even imagine today will emerge. To thrive in this world of constant change, it is important to try to embrace the uncertainty (even though that might feel difficult), have a growth mindset and try to constantly learn and develop yourself."
- "Rather than planning your career in detail, I believe it is important to find out, on a deeper level, what is important to you and how you believe that you can contribute with your unique competencies and life experiences. To do something really well you have to understand how that contributes to others, and it must feel meaningful to you. In my opinion, to merely climb the career ladder or chase monetary goals out of self-interest can never give deeper, long-lasting meaning and satisfaction."
- "Do not feel stressed about achieving everything at once. Your professional journeys will be long, and you will have time to test different things out and learn along the way. The path does not need to be straight, in fact I believe that you learn more if you experience different roles and industries. In hindsight, I can see that my failures have brought me some of my most important learnings and opportunities for growth."
- "Build long-term mutual relationships and do not think about your career in isolation. You will always be able to achieve more together with others than alone. The path to a rewarding professional life is so much more about collaboration than competition."
How was it to meet the students during the career day?
"It was a great pleasure and honor. This generation gives me so much hope. I believe that you will be able to embrace the opportunities of our times so much better than my generation. You fully understand the scope of the sustainability challenge, you are digital natives and global, inclusive citizens. We have so much to learn from you and I cannot wait to see how you walk out in society and show us the way to the future we are all longing for."
