Alumna Iida Ahonen

Tell us about yourself and your work. Where are you originally from?
I am Iida Ahonen, 27 years old, originally from Finland. I got my joint master’s degree from the University of Groningen and The University of Strasbourg (in France) in November 2020. Right now I am living in Brussels where I have worked since September 2020. I am working at the European Parliament as an assistant to a Finnish Member of the European Parliament. I actually started my job as a trainee last September but the traineeship quickly turned into a job - mainly because there was a lack of time and knowledge for communication in my MEP’s office and I managed to fill that gap. So there was definitely a close link between my traineeship and the first “real” job after graduating!

What was your career path as an international alum?
I have also done another traineeship earlier - during my studies - from September 2019 until February 2020. This traineeship took place at Finland’s Permanent Representation to UNESCO and I worked for the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Even though this traineeship did not really create an actual job for me, it was my first step in the field of international cooperation/politics and it contributed to getting my next internship at the European Parliament without a doubt.

I did my master’s degree in European studies at the University of Groningen. I studied in the Erasmus Mundus Euroculture programme, which meant that I actually only spent one of my four semesters physically in Groningen: during the programme you study in two different European universities. My other university was the University of Strasbourg where I started the programme in autumn 2018. The semester that I spent in Groningen was spring 2019.

Students often find themselves accountable for their choice of study and the added value of the study. Have you also experienced this and what were the reactions to your choice of study?
I decided to study European studies as my master’s because I wanted to make a slight change in my career path. I did my bachelor’s degree in journalism and communication in Finland but soon realized that journalism wasn’t my thing after all - I could not really use all my strengths such as linguistic skills (in addition to Finnish, I speak English and French very fluently) and passion for internationalization. I had sort of fallen in love with Europe and its integration when I worked for a year as an au pair in France a few years back and that was where the first thoughts came to my mind about making Europe my field of expertise and career. The choices I made back in 2017 and 2018 have proven to be wonderful and they have taken me to places I wanted to end up at the beginning of my career. My two degrees from communications and European studies seem to work well together in the job market since there is always a need for communications everywhere, and especially for communications experts who know the substance and the European context as well. The moral of the story: don’t be afraid of changing the path of your studies or career if that’s what you feel is right - it will play in your favour.

How does your career link up with your studies and which aspects do you see recurring?
Studying at the UG really challenged me and made me take further steps in academic and analytical thinking. The UG has probably been one of my best academic experiences, thanks to professional and demanding but friendly teachers, low hierarchies, and an open atmosphere. I made friends with fellow students and excellent connections with the staff, especially thanks to my activity in the Euroculture programme’s board where I acted as a student member during my semester at the UG.

The analytical thinking and research skills I acquired in Groningen are also skills that are an essential part of my current work where you need to stay on top of complicated work plans and legislative processes and do research on big institutions’ functioning. During my studies, I also specialized a little bit on equality and women’s rights issues by writing essays almost exclusively on these issues, and the topic has been directly linked to the job that I have now.

How did you experience your student days?
Were you an active student? All in all, Groningen was the ideal city to study in and I wish that I could have stayed for longer. Apart from the great academic experience, I miss the city’s energy and vibe, cute cafes, cheap vegetables, and delicious cheese at Vismarkt, bike trips to Hoornsemeer, and my friends and roommates that made the time in Groningen as much fun as it was. And who wouldn’t miss the UB! Long library sessions with friends are maybe the thing I miss the most from my study days.