Em Lindqvist: My Summer Work at Cobolt AB

Vincent, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?

I am 21 years old, from a small town in southern Sweden called Viken. I moved out from my parents place 1 year ago to pursue my Bachelor’s in Business Administration here in Stockholm. In my free time I like to do things with friends and watch movies.

What motivated you to apply for this summer job?

I was looking for a job that would let me apply my knowledge from University and, more importantly, add onto that knowledge by gaining real life experience which is valuable for my career.

Can you share a memorable project or task you worked on?

The most challenging but also rewarding project was constructing a cashflow analysis. I had only done it on a smaller scale in one of my courses, so doing it alone and on a real company was a new experience.

What skills or knowledge did you gain from this experience?

I further developed my Excel skills and gained a deeper understanding of cash flow compared to what I have learned from University.

So, tell us, how did you overcome the most challenging project?

When constructing cash flow analysis and monthly income/cost reporting there was many times when the numbers did not add up. That demanded me to be analytical, detail focused and creative to find ways of discovering the missing parts and differences. The most important part is being persistent and confident in your abilities to solve the problems.

What are you most proud of accomplishing during your internship?

Taking on larger and challenging tasks that I had no previous knowledge of how to complete, but still managing to get a grasp of and solve them.

How do you think your contributions impacted the team or company?

I think part of my work was offloading to the finance colleagues, leading to them being able to focus on other tasks. The other part of my work, with larger tasks from our CEO, I hope helped the financial management on a broader scale.

How has this internship influenced your career goals?

The projects involving financial analysis has solidified my desire to pursue a career in finance. Accounting has been a valuable experience in understanding a company at its core, but it is not the path I want to pursue.

What are your plans after completing this internship?

I will return to University and continue my Bachelor’s degree, combined with staying within the company as a part time employee. In the future my goal is to get an internship in finance or banking, to tackle new challenges and further develop my skills.

What advice would you give to future interns?

If a challenging task is available, take a shot at it even if you might not be sure how to do it. You’ll learn a lot.

Can you share a fun or interesting fact about yourself that we might not know?

I love to travel and explore different cultures. I have been to Asia and the Caribbean multiple times.

Would you like to work at Cobolt more in the future?

Yes, I will keep working during the semester as it is a great job to combine with studies.