What is it like to have a student job at Medtronic?

It’s great! And it feels just like a normal job, it doesn’t feel like a student job.

All colleagues are very friendly, and they treat me just like any other employee, and that amazed me at first. I am part of everything basically. For example, I get to travel abroad with my team and take part in meetings and big events and get to do the things that my colleagues do. I feel very fortunate to be part of this as a student, and it gives a great feeling of belonging.

Was it what you expected it to be?

No not at all, I was not aware of what it would involve. I was surprised about the scope of the job; the job has much more variety than I had imagined – which I like. When I started, two years ago, I did not know how a big business works – there were so many things that I had no clue about.

During the job interview, there was a lot of focus on personality and my manager said: ‘It doesn’t matter what you know – you’ll learn’. That surprised me a lot, but it felt reassuring and it was a great thing to discover about the real world.

What does the job bring to your studies?

IT support is different from my field of studies which is Computer Science and Software Development. Still it brings a lot; it has given me new perspectives of what’s going on out in the real world and IT from a user’s perspective.

On the personal side, this experience has given me the reassurance that I am somehow needed and what I know can be applied somewhere. It has also given me a peace of mind – I have something to do in my everyday life. Studying is sometimes hard – and my job is a good way of keeping me engaged during the week.

How is it to juggle coursework, student activities, personal social lives, and have time to work as well?

I guess it depends on where you are in your studies. When I started in the job, I found it much harder. In the beginning, I took my studies much more seriously, but now I am more relaxed. I think that the job has helped me to better navigate in life, because I now have a broader perspective.

Sometimes I feel that the job helps me in my studies. It makes me feel that I am on top things and even when I am busy, it always feels good to go to work.

And, even if I have a lot to do, I still find time for other things, such as seeing friends, playing computer games and do sports.

What would you say would be the NO1 reason to get a part time job while at study?

Personally, I appreciate being in this context - Go to work and do something real.

The job has helped me grow and become more confident as I know that I am needed somehow. For me, that’s a great feeling and it has given me a peace of mind. It’s something that I would recommend everyone to get to experience.