Monika Rautio ended up studying in the Master’s Programme in International Marketing Management at LUT Business School by chance. After high school, she applied to several places, and the doors to LUT opened on her first attempt. For Rautio, originally from Vantaa, Lappeenranta was within easy distance.
"At that stage, I had no idea what kind of university LUT was," she laughs.
Throughout her studies, it has been clear to Rautio that she would focus specifically on marketing. In her master's studies, she chose digitalization and business analytics as her minor. According to Rautio, skills in data management and analysis are highly valued in the working world, and her minor has helped her accumulate a great many concrete skills.
"The international marketing management programme is of high quality and has also gained international recognition. Even the more challenging data analysis studies fell into place, although mathematics has never been one of my passions. Discussions with senior students also helped in choosing my minor."
Getting the most out of studies, both in and outside lectures
Rautio has been particularly satisfied with the level of teaching at LUT, especially appreciating that the teachers really know their subject and want to stay up to date on the latest trends. Lectures deal with current topics, and teachers eagerly participate in discussions.
"You can see that the teachers want to teach in the best possible way. I also appreciate how much they listen to feedback from students and often make concrete changes to courses based on suggestions for improvement."
Rautio takes great pride in her studies at LUT. For her, they represent innovative, self-developing, and sustainable expertise. During her studies, LUT has expanded the range of studies it offers and clarified the school’s direction. This has also solidified the community spirit within the school.
As an example of LUT's sense of community, Rautio highlights the school's recreational activities, in which she has also participated. There are plenty of clubs and organizations centred around various themes, allowing you to meet both older and younger students.
"We’re not that competitive here; instead, we want to learn together and support each other's learning. We’ve had many good discussions about the contents and themes of the courses. This is an ideal place for students who want to add to their study experience by engaging in activities outside the classroom."
Marketing studies offer a variety of professional skills
Currently at the final stages of her studies, Rautio is working in digital marketing for an international company. Her studies have been beneficial in many ways, but she has noticed a special need for her international skills.
"The company operates in international markets, focusing especially on North America, which by nature and size is very different from the Finnish market. My internationalization studies have equipped me to understand these differences. Additionally, my programme is in English, and I have worked a lot with international students on group projects. This has helped me better understand different cultures."
The study projects Rautio found especially interesting were ones where she got to work with real companies.
"I've learned how to pinpoint areas that a company can genuinely improve. You can look at a company's budget and available resources in theory, but when you have human contact with a company representative, you also need to think about how you say things. You have to be able to express things diplomatically."
Rautio believes that in the future, marketing professionals will need to master a wider range of skills. It may no longer be enough to be able to write marketing text or have a visual eye; skills will need to extend farther. The way to achieve that is practical work.
"Nowadays, trends are much shorter-lived, and with digitalization, new ones come faster.
If you want to stay on top of what’s happening in marketing, you have to be ready to develop yourself and continue studying even after graduation.
You need to keep up with changes and adapt to them."
The girl from Vantaa fell in love with Lappeenranta
Rautio has thoroughly enjoyed her time in Lappeenranta. The community spirit at LUT Business School has been a significant factor that has kept her in the city longer.
"People often move away after completing their bachelor's degree. However, I’ve liked living in Lappeenranta so much that I also wanted to complete my master's degree here."
She particularly recommends Lappeenranta to out-of-towners who are looking for a change. Good public transport connections make it easy-access for people from places like the Helsinki metropolitan area.
"It has been really nice to see how effortless it is to come here from my old hometown."
Rautio also praises LUT Business School – especially the school's versatility and good spirit.
"I think this is Finland's best business school! Both students and staff members are really motivated and want to continuously improve. There’s a real spirit of collaboration here."
