Hi Jordan! You graduated from the master’s degree programme in Management in 2019, can you tell us more about what you have been doing since your graduation?
After I graduated, I stayed in Sweden and started working, first as an engineering consultant, which was a continuation of the type of work I had in the US before studying at LUSEM. This allowed me to learn about the work environment in Sweden and build a network, starting in an area I had some experience in. In 2022, I took on the role as a product owner for a SW team I had been working in for the two previous years, which has really allowed me to use many of the lessons I learned as a Master’s in Management (MiM) student, along with my engineering background.
I was drawn due to the high level of diversity in southern Sweden, especially in Malmö and Lund. It is a place where the world meets and where people can learn and share about their values and beliefs.
What motivated you to choose Sweden as your study destination and to pursue a master’s degree in Management at LUSEM?
I was drawn due to the high level of diversity in southern Sweden, especially in Malmö and Lund. It is a place where the world meets and where people can learn and share about their values and beliefs. It’s also a place with world-class universities and a job market that aligns with my education and work experience.
Today you work as Product Owner at Volvo Cars, how can a typical day look like for you? And what is the favourite part of your job?
Well, every day is different, and I don’t really know all that will happen when I start the day. There’s a lot of communication with both internal and external stakeholders, solving problems, planning for the future, sorting out priorities, as well as catching up with coworkers. I work in the internet connectivity area, so many parts of the vehicle depend on us to deliver a service that works very well. This means our area can get a lot of attention when things go wrong, but I have also been able to drive up the quality and build a great product line used across the amazing vehicle lineup Volvo Cars has developed. I’m fortunate to work with a lot of great developers and managers, so they do a fantastic job of solving some very challenging issues with a tight timeline.
The most fun part is to see when all the work we do comes together, either in a whole new product connecting to the mobile network (as we recently achieved), or a new feature in our product running for the first time. Software is an amazing area to work in where we can create completely new functions very quickly. It also has a large effect on the customer’s experience of the car. The challenge is to do that with quality and integrate it with the hundreds of other functions in the vehicles. It’s a very complex system to work in.
What skills and knowledge from your time in the Management programme and at LUSEM have been most valuable in your career after graduation? Were there any specific courses or projects that were particularly influential?
I think much of what I learned was through having quite challenging projects and assignments in the Management program that pushed us to our limits and helped us learn our strengths and weaknesses. The reflections we did and feedback we gave each other also helped us draw out insights about our skills and personalities. I think continuing the practice of reflection, both individually and as a team, has been a very valuable lesson that can be applied in both professional and private situations. I think through the experience-based learnings, I gained skills that became ingrained, as well as areas where I need to watch out for (such as being too optimistic).
I think continuing the practice of reflection, both individually and as a team, has been a very valuable lesson that can be applied in both professional and private situations.
I remember that we had a week-long business simulation at the end of our program, where each base group had their own business to run. Our team had really been through the full cycle of team development, from forming, to storming, norming and the performing. We each utilized our strengths and were able to have the most profitable business at the end of the week. Not only was that success good, but it highlighted how we had grown together as a team, which is one of the goals of the Master’s in Management program.
What advice would you offer to recent international graduates looking to start their careers in Sweden?
One of the challenges in Sweden is that it can be hard to enter the job market when you don’t have existing connections. Any way that one can connect professionally during their studies will help. For example, I attended both the engineering and business career fairs and reached out to many companies.
Any way that one can connect professionally during their studies will help.
I was able to find a manager to shadow during my program, which helped me learn about the work culture. If there are events for young professionals or classmates who have experience in an area of interest to you, be sure to use these as opportunities to network. The key is to get the first job. After that, one’s network will grow and new opportunities will likely open up. So, be open to jobs that may not be exactly what you desire at first, especially if they are with good companies or allow you to interact with a network of other professionals.
