Alumni, Kristian Dobrev
A new addition to the blog this year is the alumni network. I have, and will continue to, interview several professionals who graduated from La Salle. Here on the blog you can read summaries from the interviews, and gain inspiration to where the degree obtained at La Salle can take you.
The first interview I carried out was with 26 year old Kristian Dobrev, who graduated in 2011. For now, Kristian works in his home country Belgium, but he is soon to move to Panama. He is self-employed in Axis 10 Sports Consulting Group, where he is the business partner of a former Manchester United player. When Kristian studied business and sports management at La Salle, he already knew that he wanted to pursue a professional career in the sports industry. Kristian has realized that the degree he obtained through La Salle has prepared him for the practical, multifaceted and international realities of working in sports business, and it has given him a holistic platform and environment through which he can learn, experiment and continuously develop. He also keeps in touch with other alumni from La Salle, which is something that allows them to follow each others' career development and to share business advice.
Before Kristian graduated from La Salle he was sure that he wanted to work with sports, but due to the broad scope of the industry and the challenge of breaking it down, he had not set out a certain preferred career path. Now Kristian really enjoys his job; he finds the industry, as well as the mission and the potential of the company, to be very exciting.
As Kristian is self-employed, he typically works from home. This gives him a lot of freedom, but he has to stay motivated and focused at all times. During a normal working day, his tasks are often related to exchanging emails and phone calls, and to carry out market research and marketing activities. Another important part of his job is to attend events and to network.
When I asked Kristian if he had any advice for the students at La Salle, he first answered that they should follow their hearts, not the money, and try to find their true interests or passions. Kristian also believes in the importance of being open-minded, and open to new challenges; to invest in one's own career, and to be willing to sacrifice. He also advises La Salle students to get involved through volunteering, to try internships in different companies and industries, and to attend conferences. They should ask, listen and read. Students should stay focused, humble and patient. He also recommended to strive to be the best versions of yourself, to not get complacent and to place other people’s interests first.
If you want to know more about Kristian, you can follow him on Twitter: @kdobrev
or check out his LinkedIn profile: linkedin.com/in/kristiandobrev