Before coming to Finland, Christabel was a professional in business and marketing with an exciting educational path, so she was familiar with the academic life and had a better starting point than most students. However, SAMK was able to support her in different ways.
At SAMK, Christabel discovered Finnish culture, way of life and language. As an entrepreneur, she also learned about business operation in Finland, and in her city, Rauma.
Seize the opportunity by thinking outside the box
Christabel secured her first paid internship with a non-traditional approach. She shared that she was a proactive student who took part in many SAMK events. Through these sessions, she met and connected with different communities and organisations.
One of the events also opened an unexpected door for Christabel. There, she met a representative from the City of Rauma, and the two discussed the upcoming Rauma International House. Christabel shared her experience in digital marketing, which left a positive impression and eventually led to her securing a paid internship at the new organisation.
Creative business idea: passion meets career
Even though Christabel’s expertise is business and marketing, she has a lifelong passion for baking. She combined the two and create her own business, specialising in a delicious dessert – brownies. By now, her business is well-known by the Rauma community, and she has received lots of positive feedback from customers.
SAMK courses and modules came in handy for her in the business journey. In her studies, Christabel focused more on entrepreneurship and digital marketing. The highlights, she mentioned, were the guest lecturers that talked about their own businesses and their entrepreneurial experience. In these sessions, she gained practical insight into the field and connected textbook theory to actual practices. These helped her a lot with her venture later.
Advice for students
Speaking from experience, Christabel advised students to be active by taking part in events, both by SAMK and other organisations. Finding a job should not be the only goal in these events, but also to create a positive impression and make long lasting networks.
– You can get the experience, meet all the people. Not necessarily to get a job, but to network so that people know what you represent and what your attitude is.
For business students, she recommended working on the assignment based on their business idea. During her study, Christabel often did her tasks with her business in mind, so she already had good preparation and a strong foundation for her future venture.
Christabel is now a full-time chef while maintaining her growing business.
