Kasimir Kunnas IBL14 Graduated 2017

I first became interested in business in my early twenties when I was working for a large telecom company in Helsinki. I wanted to learn how a business works and how it operates. My studies on IBL in Metropolia UAS started in 2014. The international aspect of the programme suited me well, since I had done most of my schooling in English prior to this (the only exception being high school). Truth be told, at this time I had no idea what interested me most, be it economics, logistics, marketing or accounting. I think I’m not alone in this regard.

One day on campus my good friend and fellow alum Brian Macklin told me he had applied for student exchange to Hong Kong. Of course I wasn’t going to let my buddy leave without me, so I applied for exchange the next day. Quite the spontaneity! Thankfully both of us got accepted and I’d argue that the exchange was the best time of our lives. To anyone who might be reading this, if you have the opportunity to go for an exchange – do it! I also recommend choosing a place that may be slightly off the beaten path. Hong Kong is amazing, but so is probably also Japan or Korea.

In the summer of 2016 my previously mentioned friend, Mr. Macklin, was doing his work placement in Den Haag in The Netherlands. On my flight to visit him, I started reading a book. The book was “The Intelligent Investor” by Ben Graham. This book changed everything for me and at that moment, I knew I wanted a career in finance. The vision was set, but I had no idea how to fulfil it.

While I was writing my thesis for Metropolia, I was simultaneously writing my application papers to Lund University in Sweden for a master’s programme in International Strategic Management. To use the word ecstatic would be an understatement of what I felt when my application was accepted. I graduated in April of 2017 from Metropolia and started my studies in Lund in August of the same year.

As I write this, two of my IBL classmates and Metropolia alums, Brian Macklin and Daniel Iles are both about to complete their own master’s studies. Brian from Vaasa University and Daniel from LUT Lappeenranta. The trio of us are still in touch and see each other quite regularly.  Studies are important, but the best part about student life is: You’ll make friends for life.

I want to thank Metropolia for giving me the tools necessary for personal and professional development. To any student who might be reading this, thank you for reading my story. To end, I’d like to share some things I’ve learned along the way.

– Your real learning starts after your studies. Schools and diplomas will only take you so far. What really will make a difference is developing the habit of lifelong learning. I know it may sound cliché, but it’s true.

– Don’t stress if you don’t know what industry, company or field you want to work for after your studies. The key is to always remain curious, try different things and never stop learning.

– Salary is important, but much more important is the content of your job. Currently, I work as an investment advisor for mutual funds. It’s been a rocky road, but I’m on the career path that I want. I wouldn’t change to any field that I’m not interested in even if it meant doubling my pay.

I’ve been writing on investing since 2019 on my own website. Feel free to check out my musings at www.ignorethestreet.com

If anyone reading this wants to contact me, feel free to send me a message on LinkedIn. I’ll be happy to discuss anything, be it studies, job seeking or investing.

Cheers and enjoy your studies!

Best regards,

Kasimir Kunnas

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