Meet our Stockholm Associate Program 2021 Roadies

They're bright, brilliant and bubbly! Get to know the Stockholm team's 2021 Associate Roadies and hear their stories – what is Roadie life about, how the program's been, what they've learnt, and what their future plans are.

Maybe you'd be interested in becoming an Associate Roadie? The application period for joining the 2022 Associate Program is now ongoing! The Associate Program is a full-time summer job with the possibility to start working part-time already before summer and to continue after. The application period ends on the 31st of January – it's time to get the ball rolling!

Christopher Gustafson | Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) | Information technology

Role: Software Development Associate Consultant

Why Columbia Road?

I decided to come back for a second summer at Columbia Road after a fun last summer with lots of learning. Columbia Road really cares about its employees, which made a great argument for coming back a second time. I wanted to continue to learn more about not only software development, but also a bit of project management and general consultancy skills, and Columbia Road is a great place for that. The culture of the company makes you feel appreciated and encouraged to keep learning and develop your skillset.

What have you learned during the program?

Before the summer I sat down with one of my colleagues who encouraged me to write down some points where I wanted to improve as a developer. I decided to focus on one of them, my usage of tools. I was allowed to allocate time to explore different tools for software development, it was surprisingly insightful. I really appreciated being able to dedicate time to keep developing my skills, which I think Columbia Road does a great job of doing.

Furthermore, I learned a lot about project management and how to not only be a good developer, but also a good advisor to clients. Two things that do not necessarily mean the same thing.

What are your plans for the future?

After the summer I have been continuing to work at Columbia Road part-time while finishing my masters in Software Engineering of Distributed Systems at KTH. It has been a great opportunity to keep learning and having a nice side hustle along with school. I will be writing my Masters Thesis this fall and then continuing a career in Software Engineering, and I feel like Columbia Road has given me a headstart as I am finishing my studies and transitioning to working full time.

Anything else on your mind?

Lastly, I just want to give a big shout out to the people working at Columbia Road. They are all super friendly and fun to be around and make work a lot more enjoyable.

William Neem Laahanen | KTH Royal Institute of Technology | Engineering in Media Technology

Role: Marketing Technology Associate Consultant

Why Columbia Road?

I’ve had some contact with Columbia Road previously during some student fairs and all the people that I have been talking to have created a very positive feeling about what a great company it really is. 

I have always been interested in combining my interests in technology, marketing, business and entrepreneurship. At Columbia Road, you really have the chance to do that, thanks to our unique niche in the consulting industry with our business focus in technical contexts. What is also great is that there is a start-up feeling in the Swedish office, which I really like. Being able to help both clients and our own company to grow is something that makes the days really exciting.

What have you learned during the program?

What’s great with Columbia Road is that they really give you a lot of responsibility from the start. They throw you into the pool trusting you to be able to swim, but always with senior colleagues keeping an eye on you making sure that you won’t drown, haha. So what this means is that I was able to use and learn technologies and systems that I have never used before in real client projects, which is a real confidence boost when you manage to handle them. I have also learned a lot about what it really means to be a consultant, and all the skills it requires, such as communication skills, time management as we are handling several projects at the same time, and a get-shit-done attitude.

What are your plans for the future?

Since I graduated this summer I’ve stayed at Columbia Road working full time and that is where my focus is at the moment. I’m learning new things every day, and broadening my skill set and getting better at what I do is what I’m working towards. I have a great passion for sports so in the future I would like to combine that with growth hacking, strategy work and marketing in some way.

Anything else on your mind?

I feel that I really want to emphasize how many helpful people are working at Columbia Road. Whenever you feel stuck or whatever it might be, there is always someone happy to help. Also looking forward to the next floorball or football game between the Swedish and Finnish offices so we can beat them ;)

Feeling inspired? Apply now and secure your position for 2022! Gear up your career, learn new skills, and secure a memorable summer with nice colleagues!