Name: Ekaterina Sabelnikova
Place of Birth: Moscow, Russia
Date of Birth: July 2, 1989
At TU/e: September 2012 - August 2014, Master Business Information Systems
Current position: Service Developer at Océ

What is your job description?
I work at Océ as a Service Developer. In business services we define document-intensive business processes to provide customers with relevant document process outsourcing services through expertise, advanced technology, and industry documents & process knowledge. Most of my daily activities are related to discovering business processes and the IT solutions that enable them. Within service development I face a broad range of other topics, too, such as developing sales and marketing tools, defining implementation approaches, and designing and constructing execution approaches.

How did you obtain your current position?
It was definitely not an easy task to find a job. I believed that the knowledge I acquired during my master‘s would be perfect for a career in IT consulting, but all consulting positions turn out to require command of the Dutch language. For me, that was a serious bottleneck during my job search, so I had to look for other options as well. I expanded my search to include Germany as well, since many large enterprises are located there. Eventually, I was offered three positions, and was lucky to choose the one closest to my heart.

Why did you choose to go to TU/e and how do you reflect on your time at university?
I have attended several guest lectures of TU/e professors in Moscow, and was truly attracted by the international appeal and high quality education of the university, and it has great career prospects for graduates. There are not too many countries where international students can get around with English only. Last but not least, I received an ALSP scholarship from TU/e, which has obviously been important in the decision-making process. During my studies, working on my projects until the break of dawn without sleep I thought it was a nightmare, but now I consider it the best time of my life: I met so many new people, and gained knowledge and life experience. 

What are your plans for the (near) future?
My number one priority now is learning Dutch. I plan to stay in the Netherlands for three to five more years at least. I’m not sure about what will happen after that. Océ is a part of Canon Group, and their offices are located all over the world. It all depends on my career ambitions and the areas I would like to specialize in, but if opportunities arise elsewhere I am ready to relocate.

What advice would you give to current students?
First of all, it is all about networking - attend as many events, in-house days, meet ups as you can. It is your opportunity to meet managers and HR personnel, gain insights in the recruitment process and get familiar with companies. And be persistent in your job searching process, there are positions in the market but the competition is also very high. Do not pick ANY job, find the one which fits to your interests -you will work it for the nearest years- so it is better to enjoy it!