From Kenya to Jönköping and now an office on Oxford Street, London!

The job interview was held in the morning and the same afternoon I got a call: the job was mine! Later, I asked the interviewer why I was the lucky one? It came down to my international experience as many of their applicants are usually educated within the UK. My connections with Sweden were also interesting. Sweden is seen as entrepreneurial with a strong industrial hub for a lot of household names and industries. Overseas employers are keen to tap into this market.

I still work at this company and, having had a few promotions, am now a Client Manager. London is one of the biggest financial capitals in Europe and it’s great to work here for one of the most reputable accounting firms.

My journey to where I am today has been very international. I was born in Kenya and later moved to London for higher education studies. Then I moved back to Kenya to work for an accounting firm there. I then decided to apply for a degree in Sweden. Most students go to London, USA or Australia, but I decided not to follow the herd. I found that JIBS offered what I wanted, and in English too. A quick research of the town and the surrounding landscape won me over!

I came to JIBS with high expectations and I wasn’t let down. One of the things I didn’t expect was the level of involvement. For example, we got to work closely with some of Jönköping’s leading companies, with real cases. Almost everything we did had a real-life element. Another extremely valuable element was the structure of the courses, focusing on projects and teamwork. To me, it was a new way to study. Working in groups brought in multiple perspectives – a clear benefit in solving problems together. I dare say that this experience has helped me a lot in my career, when leading my team on a daily basis. 

Mitesh Parmar
Former Student, International Management, Jönköping International Business School
Client Manager, London, UK