Linn Helen Gundersen, CRO Specialist

"There are many marketing companies in the North, so I'm not forced to look for jobs in the bigger cities"

Testimonials

Linn Helen Gundersen, from Norway, works as a conversion rate optimization (CRO) specialist. This means that her job is to help people improve their websites. Her priority is to balance the needs of the users with the needs of the business she’s helping.

At first glance, her academic background in literature seems wildly different from the work she does now. However, she uses the research and critical thinking skills she developed and applies them to CRO.

She finds that the biggest challenge she faces is understanding what customers want. Sometimes they might say one thing, but after digging deeper she finds an answer that wasn’t so obvious.

Asked about working life in Groningen, Gundersen says there are many marketing companies in the region. This means that one isn’t forced to look for opportunities in the bigger Dutch cities only.

Her job requires her to speak Dutch, but learning it is not impossible.

“I think Scandinavians have an advantage when it comes to learning Dutch. Within a few months I could speak it almost fluently. After a year, people were surprised to hear I wasn’t Dutch! There are still words I don’t know. Sometimes I make grammatical mistakes but people understand me, so that’s the important part,” says Gundersen.

Gundersen did her utmost to surround herself with Dutch people when she first moved to the Netherlands. She also recommends attending startup weekends because they’re a fun way to meet a lot of new people and businesses.

Take the first step

If software engineering or being a CRO specialist in the North are job options you’re considering, start by having a look at which companies operate in the region. Check what they’re offering and also understand what you can bring to the table.

Didn’t spot a vacancy for the position you’re hunting for? Keep in mind that you can send an open application to a company you like – it’s a method which has proven successful for some!

Article and interview by Christoph Schwaiger. This article was originally published in The Northern Times.

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