Student Stories
"ISM gave me valuable connections"
- Terhi, Project Manager at Tieto
I studied accounting in my Bachelor’s degree but wanted to study something else for my Master’s. ISM seemed practical, interesting and also current and I thought it would be useful later on in my career. Studying in ISM was full of real life examples, company visits, cases, group working etc. It was just more diverse than what I had studied before. I even got my current job out of studying in ISM as there was an opportunity to make my Master’s thesis to one project in Real-Time Economy program. I got the deal and after I had finished my thesis I expressed my interest towards this project and the companies that had been participating in it. As a result they hired me to the project. It shows how important networking and being pro-active and self-oriented is. My current job combines accounting and information systems so I was really lucky to get this kind of a job. School of Business gave me really good opportunities and valuable connections, of course like said before, networking and being active is very important. Finland can give a lot of things to you if you just want that.
"From business courses to quantitative courses"
- Eleonora, Business Intelligence Analyst at Stora Enso
In my Bachelor’s degree I was studying Management but for my Master’s I wanted to study Math and deal with real business problems. I saw that ISM is a business program but at the same time it offered a lot of quantitative courses, so studying there really looked like a good opportunity for me. ISM is a program on the edge of business and technology which is very important. It offers business courses (e.g. Service design, business models, logistics, ) but also has a lot of quantitative courses and technical courses about information systems, so you can study both business and technology which is quite unique. The variety of courses is really wide in ISM, so you can try different things and then decide what you really want to do and where to specialize. This is what differentiates it from other similar programs. I took Business Intelligence as one of my courses and it gave me a wide overview of how quantitative methods and technology help to make intelligent business decisions. Now I work as a Business Intelligence Analyst so my choice of studies really helped me with my career. The program is good for those who are interested in business or technology or both, especially if not sure about a specific path yet. Finland is a very friendly country and people are very tolerant and helpful even if you don’t speak Finnish. It is very comfortable to live here.
"Business and technology was a perfect combination for me"
- Anatoly, Business Analyst at KONE
Studying within ISM Program provided me a great opportunity to learn business administration combined with technology and information management. The program offered a variety of courses in IT, logistics, marketing or a combination of all. My major field of study was technology management. I am very happy with the level of professional knowledge and skills obtained at Aalto University. My studies, particularly within ISM, enhanced my analytical skills as well as gave me a good understanding of current business trends and challenges. During the last years of university I started to work in the area of information management, where I realized the importance of business data, e.g. through my Master’s thesis work for Nokia Siemens Networks. At the moment, I’m working for KONE as a business analyst focusing on cost reduction and process improvement in logistics area globally. For new students I would like to advise taking courses which develop your analytical and presentation skills, as these will be important in your career. Additionally, I would highly recommend to do a student exchange program, since the experience is very valuable and you will get a lot of friends from all over the world too.