While once again trying to remember how to calculate the value of a perpetuity I find myself thinking: How did I get here? Is this really leading me in the right direction?

When buying another cup of Alfa’s famous bitter coffee (is it number six today?), I think of other options. My dream of self-sufficient farming pops up where I’m tending to my equally imaginary cattle. I could be ski bumming, turning in the freshest powder imaginable down any decent run in the Alps, or even working a mindless job where I never have to think about maximizing shareholder value…

The rain is pouring down and to be honest, Lund isn’t showing its best side. That’s when I grab the phone and call my cousin Victor, who is interestingly,  and in context, a LUSEM Alumni. I wanted to know what made him want to study Business when the world is full of other possibilities.

• Well, I started high school as a Natural Science Major but then I realized after the first term that I was more interested in Business for school and my career which led me to continue studying business at Lund University. I find balancing a balance sheet satisfying and I’ve always liked analysis. By understanding the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement you can to a degree understand a company and – it might sound weird – but I found that fascinating.

Sometimes it’s hard to find motivation, I mean not all courses are super interesting and the material can seem irrelevant to my future career. Were there any courses that you found to be more valuable than others or courses that were boring, I ask while looking at the rain outside.

Victor is quiet, I can hear him thinking. 

• Well, I think my view on this has changed a little since I studied. It’s easy to be cocky and think that a course is unnecessary “Why do I need to know this”. And while I haven’t used everything that I learned, I think it’s important to realize that you build a mesh of knowledge where every piece matters. While I might not use the knowledge directly in my work life it can still impact the way I reflect on issues. It’s important to be humble about the fact that knowledge is positive and rarely unnecessary.

• After your bachelor’s you also chose to do your Master’s in Lund, how did you choose the subject?

• At first, I started working at PwC after my bachelor’s but I did not feel done with my studies and decided to take the one-year Master’s in corporate finance. It was an easy choice of specialization as that Master’s was closest to my interests. I would rather say that it was a question on whether I would study a Master’s at all and doing it is one of the best decisions I’ve ever taken. It has been very useful for my work, the teachers were great, and it taught me to work hard!

While listening to Victor’s experience, I notice that the rainfall has decreased. There is hope for sun and spring is around the corner. Let’s move on to the next subject!

• Enough with the studies. I want to know what student life was like ten years ago, what did you do when you were not studying?

• I was active in LINC and a little bit in Malmö Nation playing piano for their choir. I was also a habitué at my favorite club Herkules Bar or Herkan as we called it. It was a club on Stortorget where Lindex is now. Sadly it had to close in 2018. 

Victor with the owner of Herkan when DJing at the club

• OK, so what about now, what can we students look forward to after graduating? What are you working with and how did you get there? 

• I’m an investment manager at an investment company called Lazarus. We help companies in need of external help through new ownership. Usually turnarounds or carve-outs and spin-offs. To get there I started at PwC as an Audit associate, then I worked with turnarounds at EY before coming to this workplace. I really recommend working as a consultant for a couple of years early on in your career, it teaches you the fundamentals of structuring problem-solving and presenting it in a understandable way. They also have great onboarding since they recruit so many newly graduated people. 

• And all your Lund friends, do you still meet the people you studied with?

• Yes! Both as friends and in a work setting. Since Stockholm is a financial hub a lot of people gather here and work in similar fields. Some of them I meet very often. I try to have lunch with people I studied with to catch up and sometimes you can get something work-related out of it as well. It is really a great thing with the network from Lund. 

I have a feeling that Victor really likes what he is doing today, but he didn’t know that when he started studying. So I ask him – knowing what he knows now – what recommendations he would give to his 10 years younger self. I ask hoping for the magic spell. 

• Well, academically I would recommend doing the Master’s. I was uncertain of if it would be worth it but it definitely was. Other than that I would recommend myself to take advantage of the fact that all my friends lived within 2 kilometers and that everyone was down to hang out. I didn’t really anticipate that then but I’ve realized that is not how life is now. It was great being able to see friends spontaneously which is harder to do now, both as a result of growing older but also living in a larger city. I would also recommend myself to be active in more organizations, the amount of organizations you can participate in is incredible and hard to find in a grown-up life. It provides such an easy avenue for social interactions and meeting new people. 

After hanging up, I look out of the window. The rain has stopped and I can see some blue sky at the horizon as the sun sets. 

Well, it is up to me (and you) to know whether we made the right choice or not, and it is not always easy to tell. But one thing is for sure and that is that we live in a great student city. So, if you are still in doubt, you can at least – while understanding if this is your right path or not  – make sure to enjoy the great life as a student in Lund, however long it might last.