Category: career

Endless opportunities for women within the tech field

On a – for some – daunting path, Schibsted paves the way forward for women within
tech. The opportunities are endless for those who simply follow Engineering Manager
Réka Gazda’s advice “don’t limit your ambitions”.

Finding the perfect job to match your skill set is rarely a simple task. Especially when your
experiences and likings are split into two opposite sides of the spectrum. Réka Gazda
started off in Hungary with a degree in International Relations. By being a yay-sayer and
grasping opportunities all over Europe, she ended up as one of Schibsted’s most recently
hired Engineering Managers.

– I took a very non-traditional path into the tech field. Thanks to my English skills I was
introduced to a job as a technical writer for Ericsson. From there I progressed to Project
Manager for smaller teams, and later was transferred to Madrid as Project Lead to take on
responsibility for new software releases and coordinating multiple sites, she says.

No matter where you come from or what you strive to do, a strong support system can help
you take the next step. That is why Schibsted started Shetech – a community made to
empower women within the tech industry. The initiative sprouted from a company internal
idea, but has now branched out and welcomes all women with an interest or the urge to
continue to revolutionise the tech field.

When an old friend reached out to Réka about a job opportunity as an Engineering Manager
in Stockholm, Sweden, her interest was caught. The deal was set after her dual needs were
met: to coach and develop her team as well as being able to make and implement decisions.
Starting in August 2021, she became one of the newest members and pioneers within
Shetech.

– I was able to bring my talent to the company and to be my full self. We all care about each
other, dare to question things and really live the company value of “being the fearless force
for change”, Réka says.

The tech industry is largely male dominated and sometimes filled with prejudice that might
hinder women from taking a chance within it. As one of the largest media houses, and home
of digital consumer brands and marketplaces in Scandinavia, Schibsted wants to change
that and encourage women to a new way of thinking.

– There are many opportunities within tech at Schibsted. We are constantly looking for new
talents, and we offer special internships for curious minds. There is no specific mould you
need to fit into. We always focus on your strengths and are never afraid to question things. If
you see a job that speaks to you, but where you feel the requirements are too high – apply
for it anyways. Don’t limit your ambitions, Réka says.

A journey of knowledge sharing

In Schibsted we have over 5000 brilliant employees who each have a unique competence and valuable experience. In order to become better, we need to share this knowledge across units and experience levels! One way we do this is through our internal mentor program. We have asked two previous participants, Ida Kristine Norddal, Senior Product Manager, and her mentor Christian Printzell Halvorsen, EVP Nordic Marketplaces, to share their experiences with us. 

Christian finds it really rewarding to see other people grow and develop, therefore he did not hesitate to sign up as a mentor when the timing was right. 

“I had high hopes, but didn’t know what to expect. I have been part of both good and not so good mentor programs in the past. Luckily this one turned out to be really good! As you grow as a leader, I think it’s important to learn from several others, not just your direct manager. A mentor program like this gives you fresh perspectives and an opportunity to reflect”, Christan says.

Ida, on the other hand, was looking for a senior “sparring partner” that she could have interesting conversations and share knowledge with. She hoped to learn more about both herself and her mentor, with the aim of getting a clearer view and understanding of her continued career development. 

The program started with a kick-off meeting with all mentors and mentees, where they got an introduction to mentorship by Charlotta Wikström and the Learning Lab team, Schibsted’s global Learning and Development department. Then it was up to them! Ida and Christian met for a 1-hour meeting approximately every month that Ida (as the mentee) was responsible for setting up and preparing some agenda points.

“In our meetings, we discussed the topics of strategy, leadership, communication, and being able to navigate a complex organization like Schibsted. We’ve also touched upon how to handle stressful work life and very concrete topics like the one-touch email rule.” Ida says.  

They both agree that the learnings definitely went both ways. Even though their roles are very different, they found many similarities in how they managed and led their different parts of Schibsted. The different topics they discussed made Christian reflect on his own leadership and what he has learned over the years. He also got to see other leadership challenges in other parts of the organization. 

“I found it interesting to reflect on how leadership is contextual, but also how some principles work equally well when leading Nordic Marketplaces with more than 1000 employees as when leading a much smaller team.” says Christian. 

One fundamental learning Ida is left with is that the key to new career opportunities is in your own ability to “raise your hand”, and the patience to collect the experiences and results that will help you take the next step.

“Being “forced” to reflect on your own work and development on a continuous basis, and having the opportunity to discuss that and get input from an experienced leader, have both helped in giving me a better understanding of my strengths and what it is that energizes me, as well as a broader, Schibsted perspective to my daily work.” Ida says.

In Schibsted we are always looking for new knowledge and new talents. Right now we have over 170 open positions in 5 countries. Take a look at our career page here.

Creating impact through great ad products

Liv Eckhoff is Director of Ad Products at Schibsted. Her team consists of engaged professionals with a diverse range of backgrounds and strengths. They use their combined creativity and technical finesse to create ad products attractive enough to finance and maintain good, independent journalism for the future.

– When we talk about ad products, it’s easy to forget the larger picture. Nevertheless, the solutions that emerge from our team make a huge difference on several levels, says Liv Eckhoff.

The Ad Products team have recently been developing a platform for self service called Admarket, as an answer to the self service ad solutions provided by giants like Facebook and Google. Admarket makes it possible to buy advertisement space across Schibsted’s platforms and media, such as Aftonbladet, VG, Finn.no and Blocket without having to speak to a salesperson.

– We’re not here to compete with players like Facebook or Google on an international level, but here in the Nordics we are more than keen on being a safe and user friendly alternative for the thousands of small and medium businesses who are dependent on great advertising space. At Schibsted, we provide a safe context for advertisers and through our work with Admarket we make that context more accessible for all businesses.

Solutions that create impact
Schibsted’s ad space delivers millions of views across the Nordics every day, and through solutions like Admarket, the UX and product specialists in Liv’s team are making a true impact. Not just for advertisers, but for society:

– We’re motivated by the idea of challenging the titans of the industry, not only because we love creating great products and great user experiences, but because how we finance our media outlets matters. When we develop solutions that move money from international companies to Schibsted, we often move money from noneditorial media to Norwegian and Swedish news outlets and critical journalism with a strong editorial presence. We all want a society built on trust and transparency, and it is truly fulfilling to know that we as a team can contribute to that, says Liv Eckhoff.

“The product culture are both ambitious and curious”

The product managers at Schibsted set the bar high, benchmark themselves against the best in the world, and are never done learning new things. And they most certainly inspire and support each other.

“A decade ago product wasn’t very well-understood and only a few teams were empowered to own business results and their roadmap. Schibsted has come a long way in this area, seeing the fantastic work being done in product teams across the company.”, says David Gill, CPO for the Recommerce vertical in Schibsted Nordic Marketplaces). 

He describes the product culture at Schibsted as both ambitious and curious. “When I meet product managers across the company, they inspire me with the high bar they set for themselves. They compare themselves with the best product managers and teams in the world.”

“The difficulty of both identifying the right problem to solve, and solving it in an excellent way, is a great way to grow.”

Great responsibility, great rewards
In his role as CPO in the Recommerce vertical in Schibsted Nordic Marketplaces, David has varied working days where he meets teams across Schibsted. The teams are responsible for loved marketplaces, and all the work associated with these. The fact that the company puts such high trust in the product development teams is important, he thinks. “Schibsted has strong leadership principles that favor employee autonomy and entrepreneurship, generous learning and development budgets, and an ambitious growth framework.”

Allowing teams to work across brands – and across countries – at Schibsted, gives the company an advantage, says the Finnish CPO. “Each brand tends to be a mix of local brand-specific technology and UX, combined with shared solutions. This is great because it allows both brands to be fast and experimental while creating a strong need to share both learnings and tech with colleagues in other parts of Schibsted.”

Having worked at Schibsted his entire career, David Gill can’t recommend the company enough to potential candidates. “I’ve had 10+ job roles, lived in 5 countries, and I am continuously being given the trust and support to grow with the company. We are a company with a rich history with a disruptive eye to the future, full of humble, smart and nice people. If that sounds like you, I cannot think of any reason not to come to work with us.”

Want to hear more from David? He recently guested the Schibsted Talks podcast – listen to the episode here!

See all jobs within product here.

I’m surrounded by so many talented people

Freedom combined with real accountability is part of the reason why Agnieszka Lasyk is happy to be a part of the Schibsted family – even after eight years. 

Agnieszka is Director of Engineering at Schibsted Tech Polska. She believes that the room the company gives people to try out new things – even if they might fail – is a key strength. 

«The tech culture at Schibsted is inspiring and motivating, but also supportive and allows for learning from mistakes or failures. We trust in each other’s competences and we have a lot of freedom linked with real accountability, which I think is great.»

The teams in Agnieszka Lasyks department are responsible for delivery and maintenance of products and platforms that enable Schibsted to maintain a premium position on the advertising market. «People are really into learning new technologies and trying them out. We have modern tech stacks and we actively work with limiting the tech debt, making sure the solutions we develop are up to date and future proof.», she says. 

“We are almost all software engineers, so the majority of the day is spent on defining problems, solving them, and coding.”

She is happy that Schibsted offers a wide range of both inhouse and external training, and invites inspiring people and organizes various events such as the Product & Tech Festival. However, it’s the input she gets from skilled colleagues that makes the most impact. «I think a key to a great learning culture is the people who work in the company – eager to share not only their knowledge but also about books worth reading, videos worth watching or articles they just read. I have always felt that I am surrounded by very skilled colleagues, which for me personally was, and still is, a huge motivating factor for my personal development, especially in the technology field.»

A positive and supportive culture
Agnieszka says they invest time in increasing both knowledge and skills. «We embrace learning as part of our daily work. We mentor our younger or less experienced colleagues and organise internship programs each year. There are many forums for knowledge and experiences sharing, and everyone who decides to run a presentation or workshops gets a lot of credit and support from others.», she says, and continues: «It’s a safe environment to develop and grow because people aren’t judgemental or jealous – on the contrary, they give a lot of kudos and appreciation for accomplishments and help.» 

Her team also invests in getting to know each other. «Every day, there is time for a coffee chat, virtual or face to face, and occasionally a team lunch. We also like to socialize, so we go out together or play some online games from time to time. We have a lot of fun together and I think amazing people are what makes Schibsted so special!»

“The trainee period was one of the highlights of my life”

A conversation with a former Schibsted trainee at a career fair gave Mari-Marthe Aamold what she calls a “career crush” – a crush that has turned into a lasting love affair.

– I had been curious about Schibsted and the trainee program for a long time when I reached the end of my studies. I can recall a conversation I had with a Schibsted trainee once at a career fair where the curiosity turned into something more similar to a teenager’s crush type of admiration: I really wanted her job, and I really wanted to be her friend. That had to be a winning combination for a workplace I remember thinking, she says.

Now CFO and general manager of the Schibsted news brands Stavanger Aftenblad and Bergens Tidende, that first infatuation has definitely not died down. And her time in the trainee program is still one of the highlights of her life. 

– The experiences, the people I met, all the cool things I got to test and try, goals that I set for myself, and the people that helped me along the way. The group of trainees that I shared the two years with are in themselves probably the biggest highlight. They were both colleagues, lunch friends, some of them roommates, and have become just really good friends. A fellow trainee summed it up quite beautifully at the end of the program when called us «friends that are colleagues, but foremost friends».

Great mentorship

It was not just the other trainees who were a great support and help during the trainee period. Having a good mentor has also been essential in her professional development, Mari-Marthe believes. 

– I once heard a TED talk where the speaker claimed that people that had mentors early in their careers tended to be more successful afterwards. I do not remember the name of the study nor the TED talk, but after having a mentor, and being able to both learn from him, and discuss my own situations and dilemmas along the way, I have no issues believing it can be true. 

The most important learnings

Mari-Marthe is grateful she got such a varied and at times challenging time as a trainee. With four different placements during the two year traineeship, she gained valuable insight in the company – as well as new skills she benefits from in her current position. 

– Being able to experience different situations during four placements was a kickstart to both working life and Schibsted life, and a great way of learning about the different facets of the company. Being the new guy or girl is always a little difficult in the beginning, but it sure was easier the fourth time when I had picked up a thing or two about what could make me more effectively become a part of the team, she says and continues:

 – But the learnings I have found most useful in my current position are probably the ones I did about myself.  What motivated and inspired me, what made me want to skip lunch and work on a Sunday, what gave me energy – and what drained it. 

The former trainee has no issues recommending applying for the trainee program.  – If you want to work within the media, technology, innovation, the trainee program is probably the best kick-off to your career I can think of. 

Read more about the trainee program here

”I understood what I wanted to do in the future.”

Head of Expansion at Lendo Sweden, Michel Dahlberg Traore, thinks the trainee program is the best way to test who you are as a business person – and he doesn’t hesitate to recommend the program to potential candidates: – It’s a no-brainer!

– To me the Schibsted Trainee program had what I was looking for. I wanted to work for a fast paced tech company with many ongoing initiatives that would allow me to learn from the best. I also wanted to have the opportunity to travel and see how business is conducted in other cultures, he says, and continues: – I wanted to get my hands dirty with real projects, not just becoming a slide producer.

The experiences he gained during his time as a Schibsted trainee is knowledge he draws upon every day. – I am currently launching Lendo in new markets around the world. My day to day ranges from people management to product management and sales, and the trainee program was definitely key to building a strong foundation in these disciplines.

Tough selection process with great rewards

Dahlberg Traore experienced the selection rounds as quite demanding. But once he was accepted and met his trainee colleagues, he was happy to have been through it. – I made some amazing friends within the trainee group, he says.

The mentorship provided through the program was also greatly appreciated. Dahlberg Traore is still in contact with his mentor on a regular basis, and he finds great value in the contacts he made through the two year as a trainee. – I built a really strong network within Schibsted. As a former trainee you will have a lot of great contacts that will give you hints on what is bubbling if you are seeking new opportunities within the company.

Future oriented program

Schibsted’s trainees get to contribute to real projects from day one. This was a useful experience for Michel and he is happy that the program was so future-oriented.

– I had two years of operational expertise that gave me learnings I knew I would use in the future. At the start I thought two years was a bit long, but it flew by. The highlights were some of the positions I held that really made me understand what I wanted to do in the future.

Although he was highly motivated throughout the traineeship, Michel Dahlberg Traore admits he had days that were challenging. – I would say it could be hard at times, not knowing exactly where in the world I would be in the coming spring or fall. That said, it is truly a privilege to be able to test four different full time roles.

The former trainee recommends applying to the trainee program and the Schibsted way of working. – I would say that Schibsted lives up to being a hungry and ambitious company, while having a Scandinavian working culture that puts people first, he says.

My placements in the Trainee program:
• Product Manager, Leboncoin, Paris
•  Strategy Manager, Schibsted ASA, Oslo
• Product Manager, Aftonbladet, Stockholm
•  Investment Manager, Schibsted Growth, Stockholm

Read more about the trainee program here

”To try and fail is key to learning”

”You could not ask for a better entrance into the professional life.”
For Schibsted trainee Karsten Gutterød Hauklien, the journey so far has involved stepping outside his comfort zone, broadening his perspective and being given responsibility. He thinks the opportunity and acceptance to try, and sometimes fail, is the key to learning.

Gutterød Hauklien joined Schibsted as a trainee in 2019, with prior experience from both communication and journalism. Now on his fourth and final placement though the trainee program, he is happy he gave it all in the application process and secured himself a golden ticket.

– Thinking back, it’s incredible how much I’ve grown in areas where I would rate myself poorly two years ago. The trainee program gives you the opportunity to discover what truly motivates you, both in general at work and which business areas or functions spark a fire in you.

The soon-to-be alumni applied to the Schibsted’s trainee program to be able to combine his passion for media and technology with his desire to create products that excite people in their daily lives.
– However, I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do, and I wanted to learn more. The Trainee program sounded like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gain experience from different roles and business areas and develop my skills, he says.

His final gig at Schibsted – at least through the trainee program – has led him to collaborate with multiple disciplines on a big project for E24.

– Right now I’m leading a team of in-house people and contractors in E24, developing a financial platform. That involves financial experts, developers, lawyers, designers, salespeople and more. A lot of moving parts, but it’s really exciting to see the progress we’re able to make together.

Fair and thorough selection process

Through the process from when he sent his application to getting the traineeship, Karsten Gutterød Hauklien felt he gained some new insight on himself and his career goals.

– After the last interview, I thought to myself: “Even if I don’t get the job, I have been given every opportunity to show who I am”. I actually learned quite a lot about myself in the process: How do I contribute to make the best possible teams, what are my current strengths, and which areas should I try to develop further going forward?

He has no hesitations in recommending the Schibsted Trainee Program.

– If you like working in teams to achieve great things, and you want to develop yourself through training, feedback and new experiences, this is the place for you. Along the way you learn loads of new skills, establish lasting relationships and become more confident. Could you ask for a better entrance into professional life, he says.

A company that puts people first

Being able to take chances is one of the best things about joining team Schibsted, Gutterød Hauklien feels.

– I think the biggest advantage is the opportunity and acceptance to try and fail. That’s a fast track to learning things at lightning speed, or learning it at all. In addition, you get a rare 360 degree holistic view of Schibsted as a company.

Schibsted is a company where the greatest achievements come from collaboration between the brands, he says and continues:

– Schibsted is a place where you work in teams and collaborate across functions and brands – using each other’s competence and experience. Who wouldn’t want to work in a place where everybody is keen to help each other?

To say Karsten Gutterød Hauklien is won over by the Schibsted way of working would be an understatement.

– I haven’t heard of anywhere else where the work itself is so cool, while the company still is focused on you being able to have a comfortable work-life balance.

My placements in the Trainee program:

• Editorial Business Developer, VG+, Oslo
• Strategy Manager, tori.fi, Helsinki
• Business Developer, Dine Penger, Oslo
• Project Lead, E24, Oslo

Read more about the trainee program here

From trainee to CEO

When Ida Barth Thomassen entered the Schibsted trainee program in 2007, she knew that she had a great journey ahead of her. Today she is the CEO of one of the key media brands in the Schibsted portfolio. Working on real projects, having good mentors and building a strong network, are just a few of her highlights from her traineeship.

During her two year period as a Schibsted trainee, Ida Barth Thomassen connected with people that have been key to her career. She thinks the chance to work at four completely different companies and create your own professional network within two years, is really unique.

– I think that my professional network, and people in general at Schibsted, is one of the main reasons for why I have stayed at Schibsted for such a long time. Of course, in combination with great career opportunities and highly skilled leaders that I look up to.

She recalls her time as a trainee at Schibsted as being a part of a community. – I really enjoyed being a Schibsted Trainee for two years. We got to meet so many interesting and skilled people, work with different brands or projects, travel to other countries and at the same time being a part of a community of other great trainees in the exact same situation.

Professional selection process

Ida Barth Thomassen’s career at Schibsted started when she filled out the application form for the trainee program. She remembers the selection process as tough and demanding, but professional.

– The application process was very professional and thorough. I remember being interviewed several times by different types of people from various brands at Schibsted. We also got cases to solve, which I still today think is the best way to test a candidate during a selection process.

Curious about how to apply for the Schibsted Trainee Program? Read more about the application process here 

Great mentorship

It’s the people, the great support system and the willingness to lift others up that Barth Thomassen values the most at Schibsted – both when she was a trainee and now.

– When I was a trainee, having a mentor was reassuring, inspiring and very helpful. My mentor guided me on several occasions, and it was always good to have a dedicated person that you could be completely open with and ask for advice.

The feeling of having the support of those around her didn’t vanish once she finished the trainee program. – I´ve always been encouraged to seek new and exciting opportunities within Schibsted. And the fact that you not only have the chance to move between companies, but also being recommended and encouraged is of great value. You will discover that there are many various career paths in Schibsted, and I’m certainly not done with my path.

– It’s a unique career opportunity
The former trainee, now CEO, is proud and happy to be a part of a company that encourages growth in their employees. – Schibsted is a good workplace because of its innovative culture, way of doing business, the people and all the exciting brands. Not only will you meet interesting colleagues, but also make friends for life. And you will learn so much about the media industry that you will not find elsewhere.

Ida doesn’t hesitate to recommend the Schibsted Trainee Program to potential candidates. – I encourage others to apply for the trainee program, because it’s a unique career opportunity and you will probably end up having a really meaningful job. Not only in terms of innovation, business management, learning and people, but also because you get to work with products or solutions that really mean something to most people in their everyday life.

My placements in the Trainee program:
• Aftenposten
• Aftonbladet TV
• Svenska Dagbladet
• Schibsted Group

Read more about the trainee program here

Dare to ask – the reason you should join too!

I started Schibsted’s mentorship program with the hopes that I would start building my own network of contacts and prepare myself for my future professional career. However, I was not prepared for the exciting journey I was about to embark on that included so much more than that.

The topics that my mentor and I discussed go beyond the professional field. We go beyond just a few tips on how to apply for a job and how to find the right role. We also discussed how you know what you want to do in life and what has made you the person you are today. Stuff that you don’t really discuss with your friends on a daily basis, but something I found it important to reflect upon.

To have a vision
Early on my buddy explained that it’s OK not to know exactly what you want to do as your profession and that it can change as your life takes its course. On the other hand, what is important is that you know where you want to start and have a vision.

Make mistakes
A scary topic to talk about, but indeed very important. As my buddy shared a mistake in his career, explaining how a mistake doesn’t have to define your career or you as a person made me more comfortable trusting my own path. A mistake can be something that throws you in a new direction and gives you new, important insights. This is something that can be applied to life in general.

Preconceptions about the working life
Something that has been in the back of my head is the preconception that when you start working or begin your “adult life,” your free time disappears. It was a relief to hear that this is far from the truth, it could really be the other way around, and that it is an exciting time in life.Apparently, having kids is the real culprit. Jokes aside 🙂

Dare to ask!
Do you have questions you want answers to but don’t have the courage to ask anyone – apply for Schibsted Connect. It could be the start of an interesting, giving relationship, which I am really glad I got to be a part of. I am convinced you would feel the same if you take the plunge and apply!

Text was written by Jasmine Almer
Schibsted Connect, student buddy, 2021
Uppsala University, Master in Information Systems

Read more about Schibsted Connect here