From Tartu to the USA: How the BBA programme shaped my leadership journey

Internship story of a BBA student Oskar Johannes Jõgeva

I chose the BBA programme for two simple reasons. Mainly, it was the fact that the program is part of the international curriculum in English, meaning that after graduation, I will have seemingly more opportunities for work from a global standpoint. Secondly, it was the structure which allowed me to learn about business, entrepreneurship, and economics all in one.

My study experience in Business Administration at the University of Tartu has been amazing. I can’t imagine myself studying anything else. I like how the university develops my proactivity, time management, and taking responsibility for my academic success. I feel that the programme is well-structured, keeping a pleasant balance between individual and group work, and ensuring each student remains accountable. On the academic side, I have gained valuable knowledge in various fields of business, management, and leadership. Besides that, I feel it’s also important to mention all of the wonderful events and opportunities I have gotten to experience that are connected to the programme.

My internship in the USA

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Some call me crazy, but I love saying “yes” to all the new challenges I find valuable, regardless of the time, place, or difficulty. My internship in the USA began with a phone call from a stranger asking if I wanted to attend a presentation about a leadership and self-development program for students over the summer. And next thing I know, I was in the USA selling books door-to-door. I did it because I saw the immense value for character building, sales skills and self-development opportunities, and also because they told me it wasn’t going to be easy. That’s what I live for.

The internship was very simple, but not easy. In the spring in Estonia, I had to attend meetings about sales, success drivers, and the internship process in general. During the summer, I was selling educational books and apps door-to-door. I had a tight schedule and long work hours, averaging over 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. On Sundays, we held group meetings and enjoyed various cultural activities, as well as the amazing food. At the end of the summer, we had a week-long leisure trip to New York City. After the first summer, I decided to return for a second summer, this time from the perspective of a student manager.

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I literally feel like I gained more during this program than I would have in 5 years without it. I gained an unforgettable experience, a network of growth-minded people who are destined for success. I learned a lot about myself, my strengths and weaknesses. I greatly strengthened my skills in sales, communication, leadership, time management, critical thinking, confidence, discipline, goal setting, management, and I could go on. It helped me become a person who isn’t afraid of challenges, one who sees failure as an opportunity for growth, and a person who will persist until they succeed.

I applied the knowledge and skills from my studies. Since the program included a large volume of sales, management, and leadership courses, all of which were of great help. For example, having knowledge about customer behaviour and pricing models from the marketing course helped a lot. Additionally, in many group projects, I consistently demonstrated my ability to be a great team player and get along well with other team members. In many presentations in my curriculum, I was confident to communicate with strangers and express my opinion on a given topic.

“Doing anything is better than doing nothing.” I have been asked what the best thing is to do besides university studies. The straight answer is that there isn’t a single best thing to do - everyone’s different. Whatever suits and interests you the most is what you could and should do. If you want to own a business, improve your confidence, communication skills and get out of your comfort zone, I would recommend going to the USA to sell books. If you like chickens, go do an internship on a farm. The point is, do what you love and love what you do.

Our reward trip to Egypt

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