If you’re like me—anxious and a chronic planner—then your search for the perfect master does not stop at “is this programme right for me?” but at “what can I do with it and is it actually feasible?”. With the semester coming to an end (how has it been almost four months since this all started?), I thought I’d put together a short list of the events I attended, organised at KI, that support the future careers of all students.

AstraZeneca panel

The first event I attended was organised by none other than AstraZeneca, the Swedish-British hybrid that became known worldwide during the pandemic. Five people from five different areas including marketing, talent acquisition, research and development, and others came to the university and described their testimony on how to translate academia (from various disciplines) into the industry. I think it was quite encouraging hearing all the different pathways that are possible, and getting to hear directly from the mighty “people above” was truly inspiring.  

Beyond the thesis

Secondly, organised by the Department of Global Public Health at KI, a panel discussion with three different graduates shed light on the possibilities after completing the often-feared degree project, AKA the thesis. Emphasis was made on how the thesis can serve simply to show you what you absolutely don’t want to do with your life—and hey, that’s okay!—and that you can pivot and branch out from your discipline to bless other areas with your talents.

CHaSE—Careers in health and science exposition

And at last, but certainly not least, comes the proclaimed “event of the fall semester” organised by the fancy business committee of our student organisation, MF, in which dozens of companies came to spend time with us lovely graduate students. Representatives described their roles, the kind of people they’re looking for, among other things. Lots of start-ups, lots of big names, and lots of dreams. There were also some big panels, like a medical doctor who turned his idea into a profitable business, and an inspiring presentation by Médecins sans Frontières.

In short

It goes without saying that Karolinska Institutet truly wants us to succeed in whatever endeavour we choose to pursue. And keep in mind, these events are mostly open the entire student community—whether you are a first year barely discovering what you like, or about to graduate and looking for actual jobs. This early exposure can make it easier for you (and me, thankfully) to start finding the direction in which you want to go, at a gentle pace and open spirit.

If you’d like to find out more specifically about the exciting times that can follow a Master programme, go to this page where you can get “inspired by KI alumni” from all programmes. Trust me, it really does work.