Victor Guillon – CCO Trainee

What made you apply for the trainee role at Telenor Sweden?
– As I was finishing school, I still had a hard time figuring out what I wanted to work with. I felt like there was much more I needed to discover and explore before knowing where to dive in. I then started researching about trainee programs and I quickly came across the one at Telenor Sweden. The idea of following a top executive, working closely with a management team, and getting involved in projects of my choice and interest was a unique opportunity I just couldn’t ignore. I read through the different interviews from past trainees and I was quite amazed by the diversity of people that had joined the program here. For me, this said a lot about the company and its culture. I wanted to meet and find out more about Telenor – so I applied!

Give a brief summary of the role you have – what is it about?
– I am the CCO Trainee in our Channels division. Channels is the face and voice of Telenor when it comes to interacting with customers. We are responsible for all our Stores, Customer Service, as well as sales through our External Retail partners. Beyond sales and service to our customers, Channels is also a hub where innovative projects are carried out in order to improve the way Telenor operates in every sales channel.

– Two months into the Channels Trainee role, my missions and tasks have been quite diversified to say the least. One important task is setting the agenda and helping our CxO lead the weekly management meetings. I get to learn a lot about how the division operates and get valuable insights into how strategic decisions are made. I also get to follow my leader in the different meetings he participates in, and often help him prepare material for his presentations. Additionally, I´ve been able to participate and contribute to projects important for Channels and Telenor moving forward. This is what makes the Trainee position so rich – you can combine high strategic overview with a more detailed angle on how projects are carried out. As a result, I’ve been able to meet and work with very experienced and competent people from whom I continuously learn from. I’ve also been very fortunate to travel to our multiple sales channels around Sweden, which has helped me get a better understanding of how we operate. Looking forward to telling you more about it after you apply!

What is the best of being a trainee at Telenor?
– For me, the best thing about being a Trainee at Telenor is that you have the power to explore. You can reach out to anyone in the company, take an interest in any area you want, and there will always be people to guide you and help you grow. Not being tied to a specific agenda or specific deliverables gives you this incredible opportunity, but it’s also what makes it quite challenging – what you make out of your Trainee year is entirely up to you. People will help, but they will not tell you where to go.

What are your biggest challenges so far as a trainee?
– I would say my biggest challenge so far is to know where to focus my attention. Having the ability to take an interest in so many different areas and contribute to such a large variety of projects can make choices difficult. I’m also starting to feel that I need to prioritize my time better, as more and more things are coming my way.

What career opportunities, short term and long term, can you see that the trainee program can give you?
– In the short term, the trainee program will help me kickstart my career in the right direction. Exploring the company during this year will help me understand what I’m interested in and what I want to work with moving forward. Previous trainees are currently following very promising paths and are well viewed throughout the company, so I have to say that being part of this group helps a lot as well. In the long term, I can see the contacts and the network created through the trainee program open many future career opportunities.

What makes Telenor a good employer? Give examples.
– For me, Telenor is a great employer for three reasons. The first is the challenger mindset culture, where Telenor isn’t afraid to try new things. I am impressed to see how Telenor has embraced the agile way of working on a company-wide level, and it is constantly expanding and improving. The second is the diversity of opportunities and paths you can take throughout your career. I’ve had the chance to meet many people who’ve been on incredible journeys here at Telenor, some going from being sales representatives in stores to working at headquarters on exciting projects, or others coming from different Telenor BUs abroad to Sweden and vice versa. Anything is possible here, which makes it really exciting for all of us. Finally, it’s the trust Telenor puts in its young talents. You see so many young people here (many of them ex-trainees) taking on important leadership roles, sometimes in areas they have no prior experience in. This for me shows that Telenor believes in its employees and is not afraid to take on the challenges of the future.

What would you say to someone considering applying for trainee next year?
– What do you have to lose? Come meet us, talk to us, and learn more about what makes Telenor and the trainee position unique. That’s only possible if you apply, so don’t miss your chance!