Matt Manetta is a former Internation Business and Logistics student, originally from Iowa USA. He did his internship in Finland in the company he is the COO & Co-Founder of, Braci Ltd Company. Braci develops smart algorithms on smart phones to alert deaf and hard of hearing in case of emergencies such as fire alarms, doorbell, baby crying, car horns and more of sounds.

What were your responsibilities?

“Project management, marketing, tasks for the company and team focus areas, building relationships with other companies, working out logistics, beta tests, market analysis, creating new IP, and more.”

What were the challenges you faced?

“Cultural differences, meeting times, etc. Also, coordinating meetings – we’re all in different places; one guy is in England, we have two in Denmark and I’m here in Finland. The sheer amount of work was daunting in itself and has led to a few work burn-outs. Staying motivated and focused is a big challenge, especially working in the health and safety sector because it’s slow going getting the train wheels rolling.”

Rewards of this Internship?

“My network has grown. I have been recognized by professionals with the area I am working in, my vision certainty, they want be on board with the division as they want to change a lot of lives – this, I feel this is very rewarding. I have learned a lot about business development; how to manage accounts, how to negotiate terms, everything I had to figure out myself or use my base knowledge from study to find where to look for answers. I’ve been lucky enough to work in Finland where business people are humble and helpful. It’s a great community and more straightforward than other places.”

Did your internship play any role in building your career?

“I still work in the same company but my tasks have changed. I now have taken on more of a project management role at Braci Inc now. It’s our own company so I made myself tasks, I hold meetings to discuss progress, use the strengths of individuals in the team to make work effective with teamwork.”

What advice would you give to the current MBS students searching for work placement?

“Keep an open mind and think more than corporations, startup is a good place to go. It’s more of a challenge because there’s more to do and you need to be motivated because no one will be there to guide you. You need to find tasks and do them.”

Any development ideas for the school?

“Build stronger relationships with companies, not only for internships but also for longer working life. Build the network, offer more credits to people who would like to work for themselves and give them skills they need to operate in businesses. Focusing on entrepreneurship will give those who can’t find a job an opportunity to make one for themselves. Also the amount of learning done and experience gained seems to put entrepreneurs ahead. There also needs to be more communication on what companies are looking for in graduates.”

Grace Ndiritu (with Matt Manetta)