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Career Report2011

“An education at KTH will give you a challenging job, the skills it requires and

a high salary.”

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An education at kth Royal Institute of Technology will give you a challenging job, the skills it requires and a high salary. That’s what we’ve learned from asking recent kth alumni about their careers and working lives. Despite the economic turbulence, 94 percent of 2008/2009 graduates have accepted a job offer since leaving kth. One in ten has achieved a managerial position and no fewer than 45 percent provide leadership to others as project leaders and supervisors.

At kth we believe that it’s our mission to make sure our students find good jobs and are well prepared to make a significant contribution to Swedish and inter-national business. Therefore our programmes need to provide the skills they require. It’s gratifying to note that 93 percent of those surveyed believe their education met, in whole or in part, the expectations of their employers.

When we asked our alumni what the best part of their education was we got interesting responses. One important factor was the scope of the field of study, with its emphasis on the future and career opportunities. Other positive comments mentioned the freedom to choose courses, the stimulating environment and the fact that there are many good, engaging teachers. The possibility to study abroad and the clear links to industry and business life are also highly valued.

kth is an international university that competes in a global market. This became increasingly evident in 2011 when Sweden introduced tuition fees for students from outside Europe. Career Report 2011 confirms that kth is seen as a strong inter-national brand with excellent educational standards. A degree from kth is not only internationally recognised but also highly regarded.

Sophia HoberDean of Facultykth Royal Institute of Technology

Career Report 2011 is based on a survey conducted in spring 2011 that was sent to 4,146 KTH alumni who graduated in 2008/2009. Results are based on responses from more than 1,900 Swedish and international civil engineers, architects and bachelors of science in engineering.

Word from the Dean

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A future of possibilities

Meeting challenges and building careers.Despite the global economic turmoil, 94 % of 2008/2009 graduates accepted a

job offer within two years of graduation. Of those who are not yet working, many have chosen to continue their studies.

When 2008/2009 alumni were asked if the education they received at kth prepared them for the professional challenges they faced after graduation, an astonishing 93 % said yes.

accepted a job offer within two years of graduation

say KTH prepared them for professional challenges

77 %93%

94%

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KTH graduates in high demand

It’s as simple as this: KTH alumni get jobs.More than half of 2008/2009 graduates (56 %) had a job lined up even before they

graduated. A further 21 % accepted a job offer within three months of gra duating. These offers often came about as the result of professional connections that the

students established during their time at kth. Almost a quarter of students got in contact with their current employer through the personal network they built at kth.

56 %

21 %

9 %6 % 5 % 3 %

Before graduation

< 3 months

3–6 months

6–12 months

>12 months

returned to the previous job

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Emil Mattsson, architect, co-founder of Satellit Arkitekter

Being an architect gives me the opportunity to create the footprints we leave in history. After graduating from kth’s Degree Programme in Architecture, I worked for five years for a major architecture firm before a colleague and I decided to start our own business. Today we work with both corporate clients and private commissions. Some of these projects include architectural conservation which is something I find both fascina ting and inspiring. I have the luxury of being able to choose to work only with projects that interest me.

I completed my education at kth by studying project management and real estate economics. This gave me a broad base of knowledge. All the knowledge you need to succeed can be found at kth and as a student there you get to choose your own way forward.

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A ticket to your dream job

A KTH degree lays the foundation for a great career.After graduating from kth, 67 % of alumni were offered the jobs they wanted –

including roles as project leaders and project developers, managers, consultants and designers.

The survey also shows that kth alumni find their work personally rewarding and meaningful, and say it gives them the opportunity to realise their ambitions.

You will find kth alumni working in a wide range of areas and industries, from bridge design and mechanical engineering to computer programming and more.

7out of 10 graduates

have their dream job

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KTH has a global reach

A degree from KTH gives you the opportunity to explore the world.kth alumni can be found in all corners of the world, with 20 % of 2008/2009 graduates now working outside of Sweden.

68 % of kth students consider their education to be well-suited for an inter-national career. This is a significant increase from 2009 when the figure was 59 %.

The figure is even higher among international students: 79 % believe their education is well-suited for an international career.

The international focus is readily apparent to students studying at kth: more than half (53 %) of the 2008/2009 graduates gained international experience as part of their degree and 27 % of respondents believe that this helped them get their current job.

79 %of international students 

believe their education is a competitive advantage in the 

global job market

78 %would consider working

outside Sweden

68 %believe their education  

is well-suited for an inter-national career

53 %have studied 

abroad 

27 %believe that studying outside Sweden helped them get their current job

20 % are currently working outside Sweden

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Sophie Egeby, production leader at Sandvik

Mining and Construction

Production is an area that fascinates me. There’s a lot of variety and the impact of any changes you introduce can be significant.

At kth I studied Mechanical Engineering with a focus on organisation and leadership. During my time there I had the opportunity to take up an international internship with Sandvik in China. My job was to analyse a production planning system and it proved to be an invaluable experience.

Today I work as a production leader with responsibility for an entire production line, which is very exciting. I believe that internatio nal experience is really important in order to grow professionally and I hope to have the opportunity to work abroad again, maybe in one of the 130 countries where Sandvik operates.

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Solmaz Shokatloo, project manager at Ericsson Research

I’m a project manager for a fixed-line research project at Ericsson. My role is primarily to lead and motivate the team and ensure that the project reaches its objectives on time and on budget. It’s an area that I find very exciting.

It’s always been my dream to work at a large international company and when I was offered a position at Ericsson after being a nominee in the kth competition, the Future Female Leader Award, I was thrilled. My ambition is to work in several different areas of the company and continue to grow as a leader. My education in kth’s Degree Programme in Microelectronics gave me the skills needed to succeed – not least the ability to see things in context and a determination to get results.

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KTH graduates lead the way

KTH is preparing tomorrow’s leaders. A degree from kth generates opportunities. Our alumni accept jobs at senior

levels in industry and a majority of them take on leadership roles.Only 2–3 years after graduation, more than half of kth’s 2008/2009 graduates

(45 %) report that they are working in leadership roles. More than one in ten (12 %) say they have a formal management position in their current job.

Since graduating in 2008/2009, 14 % of men and 7 % of women have been appointed to managerial positions.

12 % have management positions

45 % have leadership roles

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A wide range of professionals

KTH alumni work in many different fields. Almost a third of the 2008/2009 graduates have chosen to work as consul tants.

Meanwhile around a quarter (23 %) have decided to pursue research in high-tech industries.

A significantly higher proportion of women (37 %) than men (29 %) have gone into consulting. The numbers are reversed when it comes to research and tech-no logy; it’s a field that still attracts a higher proportion of men than women.

Infrastructure-based services including communication, energy utilisation, financial transactions and transportation – attract 11 % of kth gra duates while one in ten goes into research/teaching.

32 %Consultants4 %

4 %

5 %6 %

5 %

10 %

23 %Research  

and technology

Infrastructure-based services

Research/ teaching

Public administration and interest groups

Trading and brokerage

Process industries

Other manufacturing industries

Other

11 %

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Alexander Björneheim, group manager at Epsilon

I’m a group manager at the consulting firm Epsilon. It’s my responsibility to match the right engineer with the right assignment in order to meet our clients’ requirements. This gives me the opportunity to work with some of the largest companies in the automotive, energy and telecom industries. I really enjoy the challenge of finding the engineer with the right set of skills for a specific assignment.

After I graduated från kth’s Degree Pro-gramme in Electrical Engineering I worked for a couple of years as a Java developer and then spent six years at Scania as a project leader and team ma nager. kth gave me a solid career platform; it enabled me to quickly understand a client’s business and earn their trust. Thanks to kth, I have a position today that’s both fun and stimulating.

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Louise Lindqvist, development engineer and test

manager at Electrolux

At kth I studied the Degree Programme in Design and Product Realisation with a focus on industrial design. After graduating I joined Electrolux, working to develop the next gene-ration of vacuum cleaners. This is an ongoing process and we’re constantly experimen ting with several new concepts simultaneously.

As a test manager, my responsibilities include planning and organising the various tests that the products have to undergo. In particular, I focus on the user-friendliness of our designs. It’s my job to ensure that they are as intuitive and easy-to-use as possible.

Product design has always been my dream and kth was my obvious choice. I think it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The training I received there has given me the opportunity to work with exactly what I wanted.

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An education at KTH is rewarding

A rewarding salary is among the many benefits of a KTH degree.A kth degree is a proven investment in the future. While a good salary is just

one aspect of a rewarding career, it’s an important one and the median pre-tax base salary for 2008 graduates currently stands at 31,000 sek. For those who graduated in 2009, the figure is 29,900 sek.

Graduates who studied Industrial Engineering and Management earn the highest salaries on average. Factoring in bonuses and other earnings-related pay, monthly salaries can exceed 50,000 sek.

A kth degree also enables alumni to advance in their field. The survey shows that since graduating 32 % have changed job once, 14 % have changed job twice and 7 % have changed job three or more times. In addition to enhancing career satisfaction, changing jobs typically increa ses salary.

Pre-tax earnings for 2008 graduates, median, 25th and 75th percentiles

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KTH is a clever choice

Given the chance, our students would choose KTH again. If they had the chance to do their studies over again, more than three quarters of

2008/2009 graduates – 77 % – said that they would choose kth. And more than 60 % of those who studied Industrial Management, Computer Science and Engineering, Civil Engineering and Urban Management, Engineering Physics, Civil Engineering and Information and Communication Technology said they would choose the same programme.

Half of the respondents say they believe that a kth degree will get you a better job than a degree from a comparable university. When this question was asked in 2007, the level was at 45 %. This is a proof of the value of a kth degree and it tells us that kth students increasingly feel that their education lays a solid foundation for a future career success.

of graduates would choose KTH again over other universities

believe a KTH degree will get you a better job than a similar degree from other universities

77 %50% 77%

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“I really don’t think that I could have made a better choice.

In addition to what I learned from my programme at KTH

I built a great network of friends and professional contacts. This has

enabled me to pursue a career that I thoroughly enjoy.”

KTH alumnus

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ABB Accenture Aix Arkitekter Combitech Connecta ELU konsult Ericsson Fastighetsbyrån FMV (Försvarets Materielverk) Fortum Försvarsmakten Grontmij AB IKEA Karolinska Institutet KTH Royal Institute of Technology Lantmäteriet Nordea

Reinersten Sverige AB Sandvik Scania SEB Siemens Skanska SWECO Svensk Fastighetsförmedling Vattenfall Vectura Veidekke Westinghouse Electric Sweden White Arkitekter Volvo WSP XDIN The ÅF Group

Employers that hire most KTH students

KTH CAREER REPORT 2011Production and layout: FamiljenPangeaPhotograph portraits: Kristofer SamuelssonPhotograph other: Håkan LindgrenPaper: Scandia 2000

www.kth.se/int