Alumnus of the month: Joakim Haby
In February, we meet Joakim Haby. Already during his study time he had a very clear goal about what job he wanted after his studies. The road there was straight and in his role as communications officer at IKEA in Älmhult he feels that he contributes to improving the company’s activities.
Name: Joakim Haby
Age: 26
Current city and job: Work as communication & information specialist at IKEA Customer Support Centre in Älmhult.
What did you study at Linnaeus University and when did you graduate?
"I studied on the language, culture and communication programme and graduated in 2016".
What do you work with today?
"In my role I work in a team of communications officers to secure an efficient internal communication at IKEA's national customer support. The tasks can vary a lot but the core is to be close to the company's activities and contribute to meeting our goals. We focus in particular on communication concerning our assortment. The material that we create and make available to our members of staff contributes to a better everyday life for our customers".
What is most fun about your job?
"The most fun part is definitely the opportunities you have as a member of staff to influence. IKEA is a fantastic company where we live according to our values and constantly strive to improve existing solutions. As communications officer, much of the work I do is about taking information that is difficult to understand and making it easily comprehensible, but also in a larger perspective facilitating my colleagues' work in a rapidly changing environment. The work has a strategic focus, but is also about problem-solving here and now and requires collaboration with many different departments to ensure that our customers receive an optimal treatment. Since there is so much to do it feels inspiring to see what can be possible. I'm very proud of being part of this journey and to work actively to improve the customer experience!"
How did you get in to the labour market once you had completed your studies?
"Since I had worked a few years before I started my studies, I had already started thinking about what I wanted to do and where I wanted to be after my studies. I visualised in detail what I needed to do to get there and then I just had to make sure that this really happened. I started applying for jobs as soon as I started my internship period and also applied for other courses as a back-up plan, but luckily I got the job I wanted relatively quickly".
What was your student life like?
"It included a lot of 'fika' at the University Library during my time in Växjö, but since I did my internship in Helsingborg and studied abroad in London there was a lot of variation. What I bring with me is the fact that I met many different people and got to know some friends that I'm still in contact with today. What is more, at the final seminar I met my girlfriend, with whom I'm living today".
In what way did you have contact with the labour market during your study time?
"I participated at the career fairs that were arranged and went to a number of lectures at which people from the trade and industry took part. Naturally, I kept my eyes open to see what possibilities were available also then, but I wasn't all that active".
What do you bring with you from your studies at Linnaeus University?
"I don't think it's specific for Linnaeus University, but one of the most important things that I bring with me is the development you go through when studying at university level, something I think is important in most lines of business. I also made a lot of contacts through my studies and my internship, which was made possible by the setup of the programme".
What is your relation to Linnaeus University today?
"Besides being on campus every now and then to meet friends who still study, I'm not very active as an alumnus. But I stay up-to-date about what is going on general".
Can you give three career tips?
- Don't listen too much to what other people say. There is not one universal recipe that can be applied to everyone.
- Start thinking at an early stage about what you want at the moment and then try to focus on that in different ways.
- Outline a personal plan and be honest about what you can achieve.