by Alex Went, on 24 July 2017 17:54:14 CEST
Katerina Haskova graduated with a BA (Hons) International Management in 2013 and took her MSc in International Management in 2015. Since then she has worked first as a Junior Brand Manager at Jan Becher Pernod Ricard and now as a Brand Marketing Specialist at Plzensky Prazdroj (Pilsner Urquell).
Katerina, you studied in France before coming to Prague College. Did living abroad influence your decision to study International Business, or was it some other reason?
Since I was little, I travelled around the world with my parents, so I was brought up in an international environment. I decided to study International Business because with globalization, most companies have become international and no longer operate on a local scale. It is crucial to understand how business is done across different cultures, and Prague College taught me how to implement various practices, and successfully manage my international projects.
What was the highlight of your work at Prague College?
Of course, marketing principles and practices was one of my favourite courses as I have a passion for marketing, however, my research project and Dissertation was my biggest challenge. For my Bachelor’s diploma I researched neuro-marketing used in IKEA, and for my MSc diploma, the Purple Ocean Strategy. I am thankful for the support I received from my professors regarding my research, and the fact that I could work on a project that I am passionate about. I still use the learnings on a daily basis at work.
Since leaving Prague College you've worked in marketing for Becherovka and now Plzensky Prazdroj. What have been the most challenging and most satisfying aspects of your job?
When you begin to work for a large corporation, many rules and guidelines are in place, and you are expected to apply them on a daily basis. At Becherovka, I was fully responsible for our digital communication and PR. On one hand, it is challenging because you are fully responsible for the company’s image and credibility, on the other hand, it is very satisfying to see your project come to life and be successful. Marketing is a combination of analysis and creativity, and I have truly found my passion in this domain.
In your graduation speech in 2013 you said that humans are by nature curious and never stop learning'. What is your next personal goal or objective (in work or otherwise)?
As a curious person, I have the need to constantly learn and work on myself, therefore, my goal is to do more travelling in my free time, discover new cultures and see new things. Career-wise, I would like to continue to develop my strategic and marketing skills and work on projects I have no experience with as challenge is a big motivation for me. Of course, in a couple of years, I would love to see myself in a marketing director position and manage my own marketing team.
And finally, what is the single greatest lesson you got from Prague College that you still use every day?
That all projects take time, and nothing can be rushed. If you want a project to be successful, you need to dedicate your time and put all your energy into it. All of my projects went through stages of brainstorming, testing, verification and discussion, and that is the key to success.
