Stein Swaanen works at OSCE
Stein Swaanen is an alumnus from Master’s Programme in International Administration and Global Governance. Today he works as Regional Development Officer at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
What made you choose the University of Gothenburg for your
education?
“The Master’s Programme in International Administration and Global Governance, which was not offered by other universities at the time, as well as the University’s academic reputation.”
What did you like best about the University and your study programme?
“Its flexibility and wide range of offered courses, as well as the internship opportunities.”
Describe a typical day at work, what does it look like?
“Usually, the days are pretty straightforward. Either the day starts with an internal meeting or simply with checking the emails. As I work for the office in Central Asia, there is a 5 hour time difference with our headquarters in Vienna. This means that we usually receive a lot of emails/documents overnight. After sorting those out and prioritizing the tasks for the day, I usually take some time to read up on the latest developments in the region.”
“After lunch, in case there are no meetings, I usually take care of paperwork. But usually there are meetings scheduled in the afternoon, either with partners and/or project beneficiaries.”
“Most of our project activities are implemented in local languages, so it is primarily the local staff making those arrangements.”
What do you benefit most from your education?
“Mostly writing and analytical skills.”
Did you find it easy or difficult to get a job after graduation?
“It is very challenging unfortunately. I applied many times, without success, but managed to find an interesting position after all.”
Your three best career tips?
“I guess the most important thing as a young graduate is to not expect to land your dream job immediately. What is important is to get as much experience as possible in order to apply for that dream job at a later stage of your career.”
“Also, don’t let rejections discourage you. I have applied over a 100 times myself, and it is never nice to receive a ‘no’, or worse, no response at all. However, keep trying and ultimately something will come up.”
