This week, we sat down with Olle, a graduate who has joined us at Klarna through last year’s Graduate Progam intake.
We talked about his motivations for applying, his experience so far, and his development over the past months.
Here is what he said:
Why did you apply to the graduate program?
I believe that graduate programs, and Klarna’s specifically, are a great way for new graduates (such as myself) to get hands-on experience in different fields of work within your area of expertise.
The Graduate Program at Klarna allows you to gain a broad understanding of your area of expertise and problem space while still allowing you to dive deeper into the specific areas you’re interested in.
Also, to put it bluntly, a great thing about it is that you get the experience of working in a startup, but with the resources of a global company.
What makes Life at Klarna special to you?
I’ll probably repeat myself on this a couple of times, but it’s definitely the people and their willingness to share their experience with you. Most people I’ve had the opportunity to work with at Klarna have a genuine interest in the work that they’re doing, and that sense of fulfillment spreads across the workplace. And I would be lying if I didn’t say that the icing on the cake is the breakfast buffet in our Stockholm office!
How has your time in the graduate program supported your development?
The fact that you’re treated as any other employee was what really sold it for me. You’re not being thrown around in different departments – you get to experience various sides of the business while allowing you the time and responsibility to dive deep into your own problem space. You’re joining a team as a regular team member with the expectations to deliver just like everyone else, which allows you to grow rapidly into your role.
The rotation that you do after half the program is also a great way for you to get more of an overview of the business in the company. For me, it allowed working within a problem scope which was a natural next step in the customer journey, which gave me greater insight into how we’re working across teams to provide the best experience possible.
What has been your favorite part of working in the Business Operations competence so far?
Hmm, tough one, but I’m going to split it down into two:
The first is gonna sound cliché, but the colleagues and the level of knowledge sharing that just comes naturally to people. When you join the Business Operations competence, you’ll feel welcomed immediately, and I don’t think it’s just because our work is inherently focused on people, and that’s just how things should be. People genuinely care about each other and about making sure that each of us gets the best experience possible. If you’re ever wondering about anything, have questions or doubts, finding an answer or a helping hand is just a message away.
The second part would be the acceptance of failure. Or I wouldn’t really say acceptance either but rather that it’s expected of you to fail sometimes, and that’s OK. Nobody is perfect, and instead of fiddling and polishing on something for weeks, or even months on end, you’re encouraged to try it out, get real feedback and then continue improving on it.
Any advice for people interested in joining the graduate program at Klarna?
If you’re interested in working in a fast-paced environment with awesome people and want to learn a lot in a short period of time, I definitely think you should apply!
I bet that you have already found some invaluable advice on how you should go about prepping for the application on our website, so I’ll keep it short and focus on the most important bits:
- Be yourself. You’re good enough as you are. You don’t have to embellish or brag about your accomplishments. Let who you are do the talking;
- Take the time. The worst thing you could do when applying for any job really is stressing out about interviews, case works, tests, etc. Take the time you need to prepare yourself, and don’t be too harsh on yourself if you don’t know something. It’s OK not to know everything at once!
- Have fun! You’re probably a recent graduate and super-excited to get out into the workforce. Enjoy it! This ties back into the first advice, but you are the asset, and don’t let anyone say otherwise!
Curious to read about other graduates’ experiences at Klarna? Check out Veleryia and David’s stories, too, for a sneak peek into two of our other competences here at Klarna!
Remember: The applications are still open for this year’s graduates intake, and you can find out everything about the application process and available roles here.