Best player off the field

As a newly qualified professional, fellow students are your largest and most important network. In fact, this network would prove to help Martin land his dream job. He met an old student friend at a BI-reunion and she recommended Martin for an exciting position in Norsk Toppfotball (NTF).

Can you compare football and marketing?

If you want to succeed as a footballer, it's not enough to be strong, fast and skilled in technique. You must also have the ability to understand the game and predict your opponent's strengths and weaknesses. You also have to be able to stand out from all the other players – to surprise on the pitch. These are the same skills Martin uses in his job as marketing manager:

"It's a profession where you can be both creative and analytical."

Martin's passionate interest in football gives him a good understanding of the target groups and the stakeholders he works with, and for. His job is to make the clubs in the Eliteserien and OBOS league, that is top divisions, as attractive as possible. Among other things, this means creating good experiences for the spectators, making sure that sponsors are satisfied, and keeping the media interested.

"Having the opportunity to combine a burning interest in marketing, branding and communication with my favourite hobby, means that the job I have now is about the closest I could come to my dream job."