Alumnus Kron Rexhepi: The most important work life skills are curiosity and the willingness to learn new things
Who are you? What did you study at the School of Business and when did you graduate?
Hello! My name is Kron Rexhepi. I graduated from the School of Business in the summer of 2020. I majored in Information and Service Management and my minor was Quantitative Methods.
What made you choose to study Information and Service Management?
The range of courses in Information and Service Management was very wide. This attracted me as I was not yet sure of my own interests. I also thought that Information and Service Management as a major would be very topical, and the skills learned there could certainly be utilized in the future when transferring to working life. I was also interested in different programming languages and data, although I had no previous personal experience with them.
What has your career path been like?
During my master's studies, I did a six-month internship as a solution developer, where I got to know different programming languages and the world of data. After the internship, I returned to school to complete my studies. Shortly before graduating, I decided to try my wings in the field of management consulting and started as a strategy consultant at Civitta, where worked for two years before moving to Cloud1.
You work as a Data & Analytics Consultant at Cloud1. How did you end up in your current job and what kind of work assignments do you have?
In management consulting, I was particularly interested in data-related projects, and I also found myself watching programming-related videos and tutorials in my free time. After taking a few programming courses independently, I decided that I would like to focus more on data in my work and possibly also learn to code. I took advantage of the networks I formed at the School of Business and applied for jobs in the field of data analytics. After all, the position as a Data & Analytics Consultant at Cloud1 seemed like the best option for me, as I was able to utilize my skills and experience in both consulting and data.
My work assignments are diverse, and they vary depending on the clients we work with. I am part of our company’s Intelligent Data Solutions team, so my work consists mainly of reporting and analyzing data. Currently, my tasks relate especially to the utilization of various components of Azure. In some projects, I have also been able to design and implement more interactive business applications to support reporting using Power Apps. The tools I use most often are SQL, Power BI, Python and most recently Power Apps.
School of Business alumnus Kron Rexhepi.I recommend trying more technical courses as well, as the school offers great opportunities for learning different programming languages.
What are the most important skills needed in your job? What tips would you give students to develop these skills?
I think the most important skills are curiosity and the willingness to learn new things. I noticed already at the School of Business that the best way to develop and learn from oneself is to try new things without prejudice. Of course, logical thinking, reasoning ability, and analytical and problem-solving skills help a lot in my work, but these skills also develop through work assignments and through learning new things, so they are not necessary to possess in the beginning.
My tip for students to develop their skills is to try more technical courses as well, as the school offers great opportunities for learning different programming languages and “hard” skills in addition to the softer social skills. You can learn programming languages also in your own time, but I would encourage students to take advantage of fellow students, as you can get good peer support and tips from other students.
What do you think has been especially important or useful in your studies for working life?
The role of networking should never be underestimated, as in almost all my jobs there has been someone I know, who recommended me that job. In addition to networking, the programming courses I took at the School of Business have been very beneficial for me (Data Resources Management and Data Science for Business, among others), because even though I didn’t learn to code, I realized that programming languages and data analytics aren’t as difficult as I had initially imagined.
Would you do something differently in your studies or what advice would you give yourself if you were a student now?
I would use the opportunity to take courses in other disciplines at Aalto University, such as the School of Science, as I have noticed that business graduates with technical skills are valued a lot in working life. There seems to be a demand for employees who understand both business as well as more technical aspects of the business.
I would also attend various events more often because an extensive network is always useful in working life. During my relatively short career, my contacts have already been very helpful to me, and respectively, I have been able to help my contacts in pursuing their career paths.
Find out more about Kron's career path on LinkedIn!
School of Business alumni stories
Here you can find School of Business alumni stories. Our alumni share their professional journeys and give advice and tips regarding working life. The stories have been sorted based on the alumni's majors. The newest publications are placed first in the major groups.
Information and Service Management, Master of Science (Economics and Business Administration)
Master's Programme in Information and Service Management is the most tech-savvy programme at the Aalto University School of Business. The ISM programme shapes students into future leaders of the digital era with a unique combination of leadership, business and technology. ISM provides students with in-depth expertise in developing, managing and leading data-heavy businesses, making graduates highly sought after in the job market.
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