Tóra from Iceland is studying her first year on the programme

 

Tell us a little about yourself.

I moved from Iceland to Sweden in April last year and immediately began learning Swedish. Although I come from Iceland, it was tough to learn the language in one year but to be admitted into university it was necessary. Today I am very pleased to have achieved this because the Service Management programme meets all my expectations.
 
What did you study before the Master's Programme in Service Management, Retail?

I studied in Iceland at Reykjavik University and earned a degree in financial economics with a focus on marketing in 2002. After the bachelor's degree, I worked at Kaupthing Bank in Reykjavik during 2010 at various departments. I started as a business adviser and went on to marketing. It was incredibly fun to work at the bank, but after the banking crisis hit the country changed a lot and I switched to product manager. These different jobs gave me a slight glance at service and now I want to develop this interest further.
 
How is the education organized?

We read one course at a time and it was perfect for me to focus on one topic at a time. The program is versatile and during the course you get the chance to work in groups, do individual projects and make contacts with businesses. In addition to the theory we make several field trips where we have the opportunity to ask questions and establish professional networks.
 
What do you think is the best thing about this Masters Programme?

My previous education and work experience gives me some basic skills but I realize there is much more to learn. Here I have the chance to develop my education and get a thorough knowledge of the retail industry. The challenges on the programme are many and they all prepare us for the master's thesis. For example we hand in project and have a kind of internship which connects up theoretical education with working life. This is an excellent preparation for when we take the next step in our career choices.

  
Why do you find the retail industry so interesting?

Retail industry is an industry in constant change and it suits me to work in a live environment. In addition, I have long been very critical when I shop and often get ideas that I would like to suggest, but do not have sufficient knowledge of the theory or the contacts.
 
What would you like to do after you graduated?

Since I have much to learn, my interests change almost every week, but basically I burn for "problem solving" that is, any company working in service problem analysis. Today, companies need to follow the latest trends and adapt quickly. Often they have neither time nor money to follow up changes- and decisions made by the Board are not always shared and supported by staff. I want to help companies to simplify and improve communications so that customers end up being satisfied customers.