Alumnus Jesús Manuel Castro Félix: It is important to develop skills that help working with all kinds of people

Would you shortly introduce yourself?

My name is Jesús Manuel Castro Félix and I am an alumnus for MIB (Master’s Programme in Management and International Business). I am originally from Cúliacan in México but I have lived in Finland for the last 7 years.  I work as a solution manager for the CRM systems in Elisa.

What inspires you at your work?

My team, our corporate culture and my work tasks are the main sources of inspiration. My team is made of very skilled people who value communication, teamwork, and spending time to learn from each other. We value face-to-face communication over just sending emails to each other.  This helps to really bond with the people in the team, and increases collaboration.

Elisa’s corporate culture is based on customer orientation, responsibility, and renewal, and it is result oriented. In addition, Elisa invests a lot in personnel training. It is motivating for me that my supervisor is always encouraging me to enroll in trainings that I am interested in. That helps me do my job better.

My work is a mix between business and technology. I am responsible for the CRM system on which the ordering and customer service process are built, and my job is to help develop our CRM with the best available technology to better serve Elisa’s customers.

What characteristics are the most important in order to succeed in your job?

I would say communication and continuous learning.

Especially face-to-face communication is very important when we face complex problems that need people from different teams to work together. Good and efficient communication reduces misunderstandings and helps people get faster on the same page. In addition, good communication helps manage expectations from top management, team and customers.

Knowledge of new technologies, such as CRM, devices, IoT, and marketing automation, is essential for success. I have to constantly learn how new tools work and try to use them to improve Elisa’s users experience.

What is your fondest memory from the time when you were studying at MIB?

My best memory was participating in the MIB trip to Copenhagen in 2013. We were like 25 students who went together, and we visited a few Danish companies. I actually met many of my current best friends on that trip.

Another good source of memories is the membership in the Board of the MIB association. As a member of the board, I was able to influence the MIB programme, the activities of the University student union AYY, and to represent the MIB students’ interests.

What were the most valuable lessons you have learned from your studies?

I learned that studies do not provide any magic formula or process for solving all the problems at work. Studies only provide tools, such as frameworks, theories, and case stories that we can use when we face challenges in work life. However, we need to learn how to use those tools and how to combine them to fit the problem at hand.

I would also encourage everyone to learn from people around them. No one has all the answers. Especially technology related knowledge changes constantly and we need to keep up with the change. Therefore, we need to learn in a smart way. At the university, professors are a great resource for students and they can advise us in the learning process. Other students are also a great resource for learning.  However, it is up to us, the students, to be proactive in maximizing our learning.

Finally it is all about people. No matter what I study or what kind of job I have, the only certain thing is that I will be working with people. It is therefore important to develop skills that help working with all kinds of people. It is good to take the time to get to know the people around, to understand them, to learn from them, and to share knowledge with them.

What would you like to tell prospective or existing MIB students?

Always be curious! Don’t be afraid of asking questions or trying new things. University is a safe place to make mistakes and to try new things. I would also encourage students to challenge the professors and to ask them many questions.