Miona Aleksic
CIO/CTO Trainee

What made you apply for the trainee role at Telenor Sweden?
After graduating, it was important for me to find a company where I will be able to not only grow and learn, but also be able to take initiative and contribute from day one. Telenor’s trainee program is special because you get to work closely with a CxO. This gives you a lot of exposure to the highest level strategic initiatives which is invaluable so early in your career, so this was perfectly in line with my hopes and ambitions. For me it was very important to have an opportunity to work with a good team, to work with challenging tasks and to be able to work with things that have an impact. Telenor seemed like it ticks all the boxes, and that was definitely confirmed once I started.

Please give me a brief summary of the role you have – what is it about?
I am working with both CIO Christian Roth (who started as a trainee himself!), and the CTO Stefan Jäverbring, which means I’m involved with both IT & Networks departments. I find this super interesting, as the two departments complement each other in order to provide us with the services we have, but at the same time involve different priorities, approaches and way of work. IT is going through a great agile transformation at the moment, which is aimed at improving the way we work and collaborate with other departments, as well as the systems we use and services we offer. Networks, on the other hand, are continuously working on strengthening, expanding and modernizing our infrastructure which involves a lot of different stakeholders. Being involved with both departments gives lots of opportunities to get involved with any aspect of technology I find interesting.

What is the best aspects of being a trainee at Telenor?
What I am still amazed with is that as trainees we get to see firsthand how the decisions are made and implemented at the highest level. That kind of exposure so early in our careers is so valuable and it can really help us learn quickly, get to know the business very well, and later be able to find our place in the company. As a trainee at Telenor you get a lot of support from all sides, and you are able to develop a great network of people, starting from other trainees all the way to the executives. What I’m especially excited about is the fact that you are able to make your own way, get involved with anything you find interesting, and every trainee journey ends up being unique and reflects your own interests and initiatives.

What is your biggest challenges so far as a trainee?
As a Telenor trainee you of course work close with your CxO, but you are also encouraged to get involved with any other projects you find interesting. The biggest challenge is deciding on what you want to work with because everything seems interesting and exciting and involves great people. It takes a bit of mental effort and time management skills, to be able to prioritize, as well as choose and focus on the things that would benefit you the most.

What career opportunities, short term and long term, can you see that the trainee program can give you?
I think this is best illustrated by the network of former trainees here in Telenor. So many of them are leading exciting and innovative projects and are really transforming the company. A big part of their success is the trainee year because the exposure you get during that time really helps you get to know the company, the business and the industry, and from there, if you put effort and initiative, many doors will open for you within the company. Christian Roth, the CIO I am working with, is the best example of a successful career in the company, which started with the trainee program.

What would you say to the person that is currently considering applying for trainee next year?
No need to consider it further, just apply!