Imane Bakhi studied International Business in Oulu University of Applied Sciences and graduated from there in 2009. Currently she works as an marketing manager in Oulu.

Imane Bakhi has done a degree in International Business in Oulu University of Applied Sciences. She also did a double degree as an exchange student in United Kingdom and graduated from both schools in 2009.

–I was one of those students who also benefitted from Erasmus exchange program. I did a double degree in United Kingdom and graduated same year both there and Oamk. It was a fruitful experience to combine Finnish education learning environment and that of UK. It is also an added value that makes you stand out from the crowd on a job market.

Imane is origanally from Morocco and has done a degree in English literature there. She decided to proceed her studies in Oulu because she got married with her husband who was working in Finland.

–After I got married I started looking for study opportunities in Finland. I was thinking how I could requalifie my education either by completing my previous studies in education or literature or I completely change into the business industry. After looking different opportunities, I ended up choosing the International Business education in Oamk.

Imane thinks that the one of the most important reasons why she liked Oamk’s education was that the learning process there is very smooth and the learning environment through practice suited well for her.

–I loved how easily and smoothly learning is proceeded and you can succeed in your studies just by attending lectures, reading and discussing with your peer group. We used “problem solving learning” and “case studies”-tools or real-life scenarios as a study method so we learned through practice. Theory is applied but as a framework and all the rest was based on formal reasoning and critical thinking. So, that kind of learning environment is the most suitable for me and I felt myself very productive.

Imane also liked studying in an international learning environment a lot because of the growing culture awareness and that you learn things in a different perspective.

–One of the best things in Oamk was the international learning environment. We were all coming from different backgrounds, so we shared nearly the same challenges such as Finnish language and culture, we exchange ideas, solutions and different cultural perspective. This allowed to remove cultural barriers.

Besides practicality and international learning environment, Imane thinks that networking was a very valuable thing in her studies. 

–Oamk cooperates with many local companies and they try to work as a linkage between students and companies, so it helps us create that networking already as a student. It helps us later on when we are trying to find a job.

Imane tells that International Business studies gives you a great set of tools, professional framework and a wide understanding of business operation of its all angles.

–International Business studies gives you a great flexibility when you are looking for a job. You can find yourself fitting in different departments in business, you can become for example an expert in finance, marketing manager or a business developer. It’s a really wide possibilities for you.

At first it was a bit hard for Imane to find what was her thing in the business industry.

–I was thinking where I could be most productive and motivated but later on after several internships I found myself more into sales and marketing.

Currently Imane works in a Finnish company called Tracker Oy.

–I work there as International Sales and marketing manager for French speaking countries. I am responsible for marketing operation and content creation, setting up and reporting market sales budget and building strong ties with our local partners.  

Imane thinks that applying a job in Finland was challenging. She had to go through many different steps before she managed to get her current job.

–The most challenging part for any foreigner is to find a job in Finland. Networking is essential even though you would graduate with the best papers. Oamk was very helpful by organizing matching events between companies and students. However, I honestly think the right attitude is what it matters at the end. If you are motivated and active with your personal initiative approach, everything will work out the right way. Seek opportunities to make stand out from the crowd.

Imane also says that in the job seeking process, Finnish language is a must, so she recommends international students to start learning Finnish earlier on their study path.

Imane wanted to stay working in Finland because of her family, high standard of living, equal rights and the high education.

–I have a daughter and I want her to grow and study here since the early childhood education is highly ranked in Finland. Most importantly in Finland you can enjoy a peaceful and a safe life.

In the future Imane considers her still learning and maybe study more some day.

–Currently I’m preparing for the new position in Tracker Oy and that will change my responsibilities and challenges. I will be dealing with different culture and new way of doing business. It will definitely also develop my interpersonal skills.

Her dream is to climb up the ladder professionally and to seek up new opportunities and challenges on her career.