Elif Asimoglu Bodin 
Business Manager FMC
CEO Trainee 2016-2017 

What made you apply for the trainee role at Telenor Sweden?
First of all, Telco is an interesting industry to be in due to its fast paced environment and the changes it is going through. What made me interested in Telenor Sweden in particular was the fact that it is an international company with great values. I thought it was a great fit when read the values on company`s webpage and I was proven right when I was at the assessment day.

Please give me a brief summary of the role you had – what was it about?
I started as CEO Trainee. It was about learning as much as possible about the industry, company and most importantly leadership. I worked very closely both with our CEO Patrik Hofbauer and former CFO Kaaren Hilsen, supported them in their daily work and with the deliverables to different stakeholders. In addition, I was involved in projects that I found interesting.

What was the best aspects of being a trainee at Telenor?
As a trainee at Telenor, I had the opportunity to follow the top management very closely, which gave me the unique insight on the key strategic questions and challenges in Telenor Sweden. Like I mentioned in the previous question, I learnt a lot about the industry and the company, as I needed to collaborate with many people from different departments. This was one of the best aspects in terms of expanding my network within the company. Another one is the strong trainee community we have in Telenor, which made me feel welcomed from day 1.

What was your biggest challenges during your time as a trainee?
I think one of the biggest challenges was the lack of flexibility during the days as I followed two leaders with busy calendars.

What career opportunities, short term and long term, can you see that the trainee program can give you?
The trainees at Telenor get a good understanding of the business and gain valuable perspective by working closely with the top management. These open up many opportunities both in short & long term. The best proof is the number of ex-trainees that are in key positions today, who have big influence on both day to day business and on strategic direction of Telenor.

What would you say to the person that is currently considering applying for trainee next year?
I would say that if you get the chance to be a Telenor trainee, you will learn a lot and have a lot of fun! You will also feel challenged at times – but you will absolutely have great opportunities in front of you.