I have always been really goal-oriented and focused, but CBS managed to broaden my horizon. Through CBS, I changed my professional ambitions and learned to acknowledge what I am good at doing. That process changed me forever.

I started right after upper secondary school with a clear purpose of what I wanted: To work in the tourism sector or in a cross cultural context, at least. I was very ambitious and focused on learning the things I thought gave me more knowledge within that specific area. But after a few weeks, I realised the complexity and strategic aspects of marketing and communication disciplines. Although it might seem basic, it was a whole new world unfolding itself in front of me. I was thrilled.

When my bachelor was about to come to an end, my ambition had changed. Now I wanted to work with marketing, and especially the quantitative part of marketing. CBS has plenty of opportunities within that field, but destiny wanted something else. So when I was not admitted into the master programme I had applied for, I took the opportunity and started full-time at my current job in a marketing department.

It was my first break away from school – ever. Thinking back, I do not know how I managed it, but I guess you are in a certain flow, where you just continue without looking back. However, working full-time is tough in another way. Responsibility, large budgets and managing internal and external stakeholders can be a challenge, but yet you learn so much and you develop personally! I learnt that I am actually horrible with big numbers, and my eyes freak out when I see a huge excel sheet which did not go well with my ambitions of working with quantitative data and complex customer analyses. My boss also noticed this, and my position slowly turned into focusing on what I am really good at: Communication and branding.  I found out that it is much more fun to work with something which comes naturally to you, and you are good at doing. My professional profile started to shape itself based on my practical experience.

After two years, CBS welcomed me back to further shape my profile within communication and branding. I was a whole new person than the one who started at CBS for the first time in August 2010. I was confident and had hands-on experience with campaign branding and content management. I started my degree thinking it would be nice to know more about branding while believing that I already knew a great deal of “the real thing”.

However, CBS surprised me once again. Like my horizon broadened within the field of marketing during my bachelor degree, CBS opened a world of new branding perspectives for me. I have learnt to question why we do things as we do where I work. I have learnt new ways of approaching stakeholders with strategic brand management. And I am still learning.

Looking overall on my relationship with CBS, you can say that CBS opened new worlds to me and challenged my ambitions to go further and in other directions. That process changed me.