Nahal works for the leading Nordic software and services company

Hi Nahal, where are you working at the moment?

I am currently working as a Business Consultant at Tieto. I actually wrote my master’s thesis here, and then joined the company as a trainee, where I got the chance to rotate between a number of units that I found exciting. This took me on a journey from service design projects to start-up incubator to large-scale transformation projects. These days, I am working on designing a USSD based app for a developing market.

What can a regular day look like at your job?

My ‘regular day’ changes from project to project. These days, I am spending all of my hours in a closed room with my team, making final tweaks to a first iteration of an app to present it to the customer. We find ourselves working late and having our lunch and coffee right on the sheets that we are working on – it gets intense but the excitement of the project fuels us on!

Have you worked with anything else since you graduated?

I have dabbled in side commitments here and there, all of which were geared towards environmental sustainability in some way. I am most proud of working with Global Shapers Stockholm, which has introduced me to a lovely bunch of people working for local change and opened some great opportunities.

Why did you choose this programme at KTH?

I wanted a more creative take on mechanical engineering, and this programme was the perfect balance for me to use my education in engineering as a foundation to learn more about the design aspect of developing products and services.

Are there any insights you acquired during your studies that have been extra useful for you in your career?

The programme was very hands-on and we spent most of our time working in independent teams. This was fairly new for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it. When I graduated and started working in a professional role, I was quickly able to appreciate this experience. Repeatedly finding myself in new teams, and of course the conflicts and adjustment that comes with it, prepared me to better navigate complex social environments at work.

What are your plans for the future?

Short term, I plan to continue working in my current role because of the diversity of experience it brings to me. Long-term, I see myself going back to school - I have a couple of topics I am interested in exploring for a PhD, incidentally all within sustainability science. I can thank my Eco-Design professor Anna Hedlund Åström for the inspiration!

What would you want to say to a student thinking of applying for this programme?

Go for it! This programme is perfect for the more creative engineers, and will provide you with a lot of hands-on experience to make you market ready when you graduate. My classmates are working in a wide variety of technical, creative and business roles, so I can really emphasize that the opportunities for graduates of this programme are plenty.