My name’s Divi and I’m an industrial engineer with a Master’s in International Business. As part of PROEXCA I was offered the chance to work as an export manager for a foreign company with an interest in the Canary Islands and to my great surprise that country was Norway and the company intraHouse.
My first thoughts were about the cold and cost of everything, but after almost eight months here I can safely say it’s an incredible experience…living amongst the fjords, the midnight sun, the sensation of the Viking era, the glaciers, climbing the Preikestolen, walking in the mountains, fishing, cruising along the coast…all this makes being in Norway a very enriching experience, cold and expensive, or not!
I feel very fortunate to have landed at intraHouse, especially now as in addition to making some of the best mobile technology available today, we are also helping foreign companies establish a business on the Canary Islands. Since I arrived in Ålesund, the home of intraHouse HQ, I’ve received lots of support. My colleagues have bent over backwards to make me feel at home and I thought the Norwegians were cool and distant! It’s great to be a part of a truly international team. Bridging those cultural gaps really makes you grow as a person.
Before intraHouse my knowledge of the tech world was limited, and now I’m working on all sorts of projects including market research, sniffing out opportunities, design and communications, and I’ve even been welcome to contribute my ideas to some projects and they’ve been taken on board.
The whole experience is hugely beneficial. It really opens your mind and helps you appreciate other cultures from direct experience, which is the best. I recommend it to anyone who gets the chance to try! The next PROEXCA candidates who join intraHouse will have the opportunity to go to Silicon Valley!