- Name: Dasha Karpilovich
- Graduation year: 2016
- Study programme: Master of Arts (MA) in International Business Administration, specializing in Management and Leadership
- Workplace: Head of Marketing at Huawei Consumer Business Group
First corporate job: I did my Bachelor’s Degree in China studying mostly Chinese, its history, and economics. As I moved to Estonia after graduation, it was quite difficult for me to find a job as I wasn’t local. Gladly, I however managed to get a job as an Assistant Manager at Fohow Eesti OÜ which is mostly focusing on exporting and selling traditional Chinese medicine globally. I wouldn’t say that this job really kicked off my career but it was great for maintaining my Chinese skills and developing my understanding about organizations.
Current job description: As I started working for Huawei in 2017, knowing Chinese and its culture was definitely one of my key selling points. My career development has been really fast at Huawei, starting as a Sales and Marketing Assistant and already after three months moving up the ladder achieving a position as a Marketing Manager and soon also as a Baltic PR Manager at Huawei. Since January 2019, I have been working as the Head of Marketing for the Baltic region being responsible for marketing of B2C products such as smartphones, tablets, and accessories. Talking about the organizational culture of the company, being a high achiever is greatly encouraged at Huawei, however, it is better to stand out as team with a good group harmony than as an individual. So, a major aspect of my job is to focus on managing a team successfully to achieve our corporate goals.
Dream job: As I have only worked a brief time as the Marketing Manager, I would like to proceed in that position once returning from my maternity leave, in order to master the skills required in this position. Especially because the world around us and the field of marketing is changing at such a rapid pace that you have to adapt quickly. Therefore, it is possible to grow within the same position for a longer period of time than before.
Why I chose to study at EBS: I chose Estonian Business School because of its reputation, accreditations, and great Master’s programme in International Business Administration. I wanted to also learn general information about the international business world and ways how organizations are being managed.
The most important takeaways from EBS: EBS really determined my career and helped me to discover what I am really interested in. For me honestly, doing Master’s at EBS was such a great experience in terms of the professors and lecturers that I had in my programme, and the classmates who inspired me with their stories about working for famous Estonian companies. At first, I was just focusing on getting my diploma, but the programme gave me so much more than I initially expected, inspiring and motivating me towards building my career.
Personal motto: I don’t really like to use the words of some famous people and, therefore, I wouldn’t say that I have a strong personal motto that I live by everyday but some of my favorites are:
‘’Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity’’ - Seneca
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t - you’re right” - Henry Ford
Recommended reading:
The Culture Map by Erin Meyer
Sapiens - A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
Factfullness by Hans Rosling
Alumni career advice: Of course, it’s important to be a professional in what you do and obtain the necessary expertise and hard skills. However, to my experience emotional intelligence, adaptability and communication skills play even a bigger role in succeeding in the business world. Therefore, I would advise everyone to focus on mastering the soft skills to boost your career and become the best version of yourself.
