Building a career in the USA
It's a short leap from NHH to an international career, according to a new analyst in Norges Bank Investment Management in New York.
As a new employee in Norges Bank Investment Management in New York, she will help manage the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global. Vaishali Lara Kathuria (28) has just started what she considers her dream job.
- I work in the department that determines which countries the Government Pension Fund Global will invest in. It is a position with great responsibilities, and I am sure there will be many challenges, she says, eagerly.
Strategic educational choices
In 2012, Kathuria graduated with an MSc in Economics and Business Administration from the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH). Though the School campus is in her home town of Bergen, an international career was always the goal.
- I have always wanted to work abroad, and that is why I chose to study at NHH. While an economics degree makes it easy to work in any country, as a student at NHH you also get a lot of opportunities to form international contacts, she explains.
Kathuria used some of these opportunities when she spent a semester at the Bocconi University in Milan.
- NHH offers exchanges to the best schools abroad, and this is a good opportunity to get a foot in internationally.
Looking for challenges abroad
For Kathuria, it is obvious why a job abroad is more tempting than a job in Norway.
- The challenges are greater, people are hungry and sacrifice a lot. This work mentality really impresses me, she says.
Last year, Kathuria had an internship at the Clinton Foundation in New York, and she also worked part time for Morgan Stanley in New York. Despite her own high ambitions, she was impressed by the level of ambition among the young Americans.
- I met 21-year-olds who said 'I want to be President' with not an ounce of irony! If you said 'I want to be Prime Minister' in Norway, people would laugh at you. However, in the USA you're met with encouragement and support.
Expertise from NHH
In addition to her five years at NHH, Kathuria recently completed a Master's degree in International Relations at Columbia University. While there, she benefited from her time studying in Bergen.
- When I started at Columbia, I saw the benefits I had from having completed an MSc in Economics and Business Administration. At NHH, we learn to work efficiently, see the big picture and fill leadership roles.
Security will become more important
A useful degree from a school with a close-knit community is one of the greatest advantages to choosing NHH as an educational institution, according to Kathuria.
- You get to work with incredibly talented students and professors. That means that you push yourself and perform at your best, and additionally the solidarity among the students is life-long, she promises.
The economic outlook both in Norway and in other countries means that NHH is a safe investment, she thinks.
- While our generation has focused on self-actualisation, I think it will become more and more important to have a relevant education that can provide security in the labour market. NHH provides this security, she asserts.
Tiril Johansen Gudevold