" I'm in the right place and hope I can bring new perspectives to the table, given my background as a health professional. The culture here is more caring, and I like having a good work-life balance."
Download Digital Workplace of the Future reportKatrine has worked in hospital, municipal and research environments. Katrine Skrede is now a project manager in TietoEvry, working on projects in e-health and digitalization of the health sector.
Photo: Katrine with her dog Saga
When she decided to make the transition from health to technology, she had several options. Her physiotherapy training, master's degree in public health science from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and experience in welfare technology made Katrine an attractive candidate for several large companies.
When she had to choose one of them as her new employer, she picked TietoEvry. IT and health will increasingly go hand in hand, and this is where Katrine believes she has a lot of offer.
- I feel I'm in the right place and hope I can bring new perspectives to the table, given my background as a health professional. I think the culture here seems more caring and genuine, and I like the focus on having a good work-life balance. That was decisive, in many ways, says Katrine.
Working hard and having a life outside of work doesn't have to be incompatible, according to Katrine.
- I choose a job I enjoy and that interests me. I sometimes work extra hours, but I think leading a meaningful life outside of work is important for relaxing and recuperating so that I can perform my best at work, says Katrine.
Katrine's expectations reflect the annual Universum report, in which hundreds of IT students answer questions about what makes a workplace attractive. For more than 10 years now, the work-life balance has been ranked top of their wish list.
In 2008, 58 percent of the students responded that this was the key factor when evaluating employers.
Award-winning speaker and author Annika Malmberg Hamilton believes it's because young people today are much more aware of the risks of stress and of how dangerous it can be to burn out.
- When I was young, I'd never even heard the word 'burned out'. I had no idea that working too much could harm my health. Working a lot is not in itself dangerous; the tricky bit is when you work a lot without setting time aside to recuperate. Working on something you don't enjoy can also drain your energy, says Annika.
Young people are today much more aware of the risk of stress - and how dangerous it can be to burn out.
Annika R Malmberg Hamilton, Swedish author and speaker
Annika Malmberg Hamilton has written several books on how to have a successful career. She believes it's important to work hard, but also that you take the time to recuperate.