IKEA

❝By doing what you LOVE, you inspire & awake the HEART in other❞

Tattoo Info:

I made this tattoo in end of 2011 after spending almost 2 years within the company, I had just past my first year in IKEA Slependen Norway, I had finally find my passion in life, a passion by working for IKEA as a Visual Merchandiser within Communication & Interior Design department. I had 2 great Managers that supported my development and they worked and led me and my team by inspiration. I had entered  a company with endless opportunities, if I only show my willpower and work with passion I know I could go far and I reach high. 

My story;

My first experience of IKEA was during my studies in 2009, I was through half of my education for becoming a Visual Merchandiser and I got an internship for 2 months in IKEA Backebol in Gothenburg. I have always been fascinating about IKEA as a company and I have only hear good things about it. Swedes love IKEA and find it one of the best work places in Sweden, its been nominated to be one of the best employers years after year in the country. Many companies sees people with experience within IKEA as something very positive in their CV's since the recruitment process is long and its many aspects you have to fulfil for be able to work for them. I think I am a living example of that. My way in wasn’t easy and in many cases the way in is through contacts. IKEA is as a big Family, yes exactly that and that one reason why its so hard to get a spot there. Even for just have my internship for 2 months in Communication & Interior Design department I had to write a motivation letter and explain  why they should have choose me. After some luck and a good letter I got the opportunity to work with them for 2 months. 2 months without sleep, everything was so exited but also so tiring, it was hard work and no day was the same. From doing basics in the departments to hanging communication on the billboards of the parking to building xmas market at the self serve. The work in IKEA was so diverse and I had the possibility to try and see so many things. Normally in these kind of jobs in other companies you are the only one or maximum two person per store but here we had a team of around 20 people. Since I’m a social person and love having people around me, I found out very fast that I loved the work and the teamwork that came with it. My 2 months past incredibly fast and during that time a dream start growing in me. I had one year left in school and I knew there would be some trainee spot around Sweden coming up for IKEA the year after.

When my education came to the end we find out IKEA would only have 10 trainee places that year around Sweden, it had been 20 places the year before so it came as an little surprise, this would mean a bigger competition for all of us. We were around 100 people applying for this 10 positions, it was several interviews and tests to go through in this process. I remember a very special moment  during this time that would become very important to me for be able to enter this company, since my school had a partnership with IKEA we had the leader of this Trainee project coming out to our school to present IKEA as a company and explained the trainee program for all of us. I remember in the end of that day that I asked him “what does it takes to get into IKEA and work for Communication and Interior design department”? and I remembering the guy telling me “if you want to get in there , you will get there” by that said I knew it was only up to myself to get there, I would need to do my best and show my willpower how much I wanted this. I past all the test and interviews and the feeling I had through the process was good, I felt a good connection with this person I been passing the interviews with and I had got self-confidence and I did believe in myself, from that day I got that answer thrown in my face. I knew from that day it would only be up to myself to succeed in life by showing my passion and doing my best. When I one day a few weeks later received the email with the answer, “sorry, unfortuentleny you are not one of the chosen ones for this program” I wanted to fall through the earth, I was sad and I couldn’t really accept the answer, my feeling was that I had it in my hands… While reading it through several times I remembered the words “if you want to get there you will get there”, I replied with an email where I explained my feelings and I mention the question I had asked a few months earlier and the answer I had received by that time, I explained about my motivation, about my experience in IKEA and how much I really wanted to work for this company, this person really took the time to listen to what I had wrote him and a few days later he contacted me and said they was looking for visual merchandisers for common store planning in Malmo, he really wanted to help me some how. He supported me with contacts and put me in recommendation and I send my application. Some weeks pasted by and while I was waiting for the interview this guy one day called me up, it was end of summer and he called me to say that the girl that had been offered the trainee position in Helsingborg had said No since it was to far away from her home town, and since I had shown him my motivation and trying to get a spot he called me to offer me the position. During that phone call I couldn’t anything else than say Yes, I was waiting for an interview for common store planning but I knew the right way for me into the company would be the best through this program,  where I would be able to learn all within Communication & Interior Design, no pressure and with and salary to manage my living, I was thrilled and so happy in that moment. My inner strength and willpower of never give up had show result and at that time I knew that I would get far, I had a feeling and confidence within me from that day, I knew it was up to me to drive my development and only me who’s would be able to achieved my dreams and goals but with some support for sure.

IKEA Helsingborg, SWEDEN 2010-2011;

I left my life in Gothenburg a month after, I got myself a little apartment in the heart of Helsingborg. A new city, new job and an apartment for myself. It was hard to leave Gothenburg behind with my boyfriend but I also saw this year as a year when I could focus on myself and on my job. Working as a Trainee was exited and super interesting, I got a year within Communication and Interior design department, the new store in IKEA Helsingborg had only been open for a month so it was the perfect moment to start since almost 50% of the store coworkers was new. During my first 2 weeks I went through an introduction program where I had to spend time in all all departments around the store. It was a good introduction program since I got the time to learn from everyone and the importance of all the different functions. I was amazed how this big organisation worked and how all came together in the store, between the different functions and most of all how the work and act upon culture and values. I had heard many talking about how good IKEA made people feel at work, about the values within the company and how they use them in the everyday life at work. I felt so grateful for being part of this company and for be able to learn everything. During my first 6 months I got the opportunity to dig into deep in the function of Communication and Interior design, I did all from implement activities, fixing displays in Markethall, painting walls to do seasonality in the room sets. During this 6 months I find out that my passion was in the visual merchandiser job, I loved the diversity, the action and fast changes within their roles, so after my half year follow up talk I decided to focus and go into this role. I had another 6 month to practise, to plan and implement small projects in the store. I had also during this year possibility to take time to learn from guidance, manuals and trainings across the functions. The year past like an blink of an eye and I really had loved to stay in the store when the time came to the end. I had created many new friends from all over the store, in the city, I had my gym and I loved living next to the sea but the store only had one position free and we were 2 trainee within the team. I had a feeling that I was the one they gonna let go since the other guy had more experience and on top of all he was a guy and there is not that many guys within this function in Sweden, maybe not true but that was my feeling when they told me I had to look for something else. I knew when I took the place in Helsingborg that I may be open to move somewhere else after that year, that I also had to be open for international positions. This was a program made for learn all basics within Com&In and to be able to transfer grow and transfer the competence within the country as global. 

IKEA Slependen, Oslo NORWAY 2011-2014;

I got the opportunity to move to Oslo, Norway after sending my application for the role as visual merchandiser. Norway was looking for several VM’s at the time and since I for many years before been reflecting that Norways may be a place I can move too, it came as good opportunity for me and for P it wasn't a problem either. I remember I got an surprice during my first phone interview since I first by then realised I had to past it in English, I didn’t had a clue while applying I would speak English in Norway so the phone interview came as an chocked since I wasn’t prepared at all. The interview felt shit, my English was so bad by the time and my stomach feeling was bad after our talk  but a few days later they called me up and invited me for an look and see trip, a week after I took the 8H bus trip to Norway, I had a friend living there at the time and I decide to have a night over at her place. The interview and day went well, 2 English speaking managers, one from Hungary and one from Belgian, 2 very inspiring persons. I remember one special test from that day, I had to draw myself, where I was today, within 1, 3 and 5 years. By that exercise I knew I was in the right place, it all was about me and my development. I don’t remember exactly but I think I got confirmed the same day that I had got the job. I returned to Helsingborg and start preparing my movement. After a month of organisation and preparation I moved on my own to Norway, P my boyfriend came first a month after. The first week was hard, everything was new, I was living temporary in the woods outside the city, the winter had just started and the language was difficult since all was on Norwegian and English. I remember I struggled the first 3 months before I really was settled in, I was happy it was another girl starting in the same time as me since we started to became friends. Making friends in Norway is quite difficult, people are not that social and most of time stay within there groups of friends, they can be openminded but to make friends its more difficult. After a few months I started to hang with a couple of girls from my team, we were almost all from Sweden but there was 2 of them from England and Germany. We was a very diverse team with mix culture what I loved, within a team of 20 we where presenting 5 different countries so base on that we spoke English 80% of the time in our team. I didn't liked it from the start or it made me nervous since my English level wasn’t that good at that time but by speaking English most of the time I learned, I progressed and I came to love it, it made me feel confident and I became stronger as a person, it was not only good for my work, also for my traveling.

I stared with responsibility in Lamp and Decoration department of market hall, I remember I had wished for the decoration  department. From day one I had my own responsibility, I had to do my morning rounds everyday within my department and work upon priorities made upon sales. I created a good collaboration between myself and my 2 other function sales and logistic. I loved the team work and the responsibility I had, the feeling of everything you did within that department was because of me and my skills. My first year in IKEA Slependen I learned a lot and you more time and you more projects I had you more I find out what I next wanted to do. I was full of team spirit and I had trust from my managers, I think they saw the  passion  had for my job… after a year during an limited edition project I got I find out that I loved working with activities and campaigns, I also drawn that part of my development the year before during that interview day, a goal I had put myself to achieve within 3years. After the implementation of a collection called True Blue I went up to my Com&In Manager and told him that I had dreams to become Activity Leader, I wanted to challenge myself and take on that responsibility as soon as possible if that position one day would be free. It didn’t went long, only a few months until he asked me to take the position, the current leader had been offering the ID manager role so it was free and open to take. I never at that time thought it gonna go less than 2 years to achieve that goals, I was by that time so happy for the opportunity I got.  I really loved being activity leader, the work within the store and within the team. It was a challenging position but even today I think it's one of the most creative and exited ones, it's a mix off everything, planning, implementation, creativity and leadership. I had past a year or so when my Com&In Manager came to tell me he had find an international project for me, I had ask him from the beginning that if there any day with pop up any kinds of project I wouldn’t hesitate to go. He had already sent several people within the team across the world and that day its was finally my turn.  By this time I had broke up with P 4 months before after a 9 years relationship together and just moved together with a new  guy from work. It was a lot happening around me during this time and it was a difficult period for me to handle. I was very confused, I was crazy in love but I had was also so sad and felt so much guilt  for my ex boyfriend. I felt that the project came in the right time, a time for get away and reflect and think of myself. It was a built up project for the new market hall in IKEA Matochinos in Porto, Portugal. I had never heard about this place and a knew nothing about Portugal. While googling it I became amazed how beautiful and romantic city looked like.

I left for a  months project to Porto, the experience over there was amazing, From the first day I find my place and I loved the time there. The people, the food, the culture, work, all was amazing. I remember after only a week in the project the VM Manager in the store came up to me and offering me a position within the team, an offer I seriously took in consideration and was reflecting over for some time and it was an offer that would affect me for long time after but I did say No to the proposition. The experience in Porto was amazing and I started to realise I wanted to spend more time abroad for project and the hunger to see new places and explore new cultures within my job. When my weeks got closer to the end they asked me if I wanted to prolong my project for another month, I was so in love in that place so I contacted my Managers homes and they allowed me to stay for another 3 weeks. My time in Porto was really amazing, it's such a beautiful and cozy city, but it is in the same time little spooky with a lot of empty and dark buildings but near the river is what the magic happens. I made so many new friends during that project, friends that would come to stay in my life forever. It's amazing to be part of a project like that, so many motivated and passionate people, and this is why I love working in this company so much, the passion and interests we share for home furnishing and team work. During our free time we explored the city and night life, we ate plenty of good food and explored cultural things, a time I wish I could return to over and over again. I also experienced one of the best moments with my parents during this project. I had never spent time on my own with them but that would come to be the first, they had booked a 2 weeks trip at the same hotel I was staying at. They arrived after 2 weeks into the project and we past all evening together and at the weekend we explore Porto together, we had find our favourite fish restaurant near the sea that we returned to over and over again, a special and valuable time together. My new boyfriend by the time also came over for visits me but it was still difficult for me to focus on us and what I really wanted in life for us...

When  I return to Norway and to my work in Slependen it was with mix feelings. I had got such a boost of feeling for Portugal and about everything happening there, it was kind of depressing coming back, since I was back with my new boyfriend. We both past difficult moments in life  and honestly I don’t think any of us was good for each other at the time. We were both hurt and needed comfort but the 2 of us wasn’t right for each other I believe now. This story between us have really thought me something, to never walk from one relationship in to another one without healing from the one before. I was very fragile and all I could think about was how lonely P felt, I was living his and my pain at the same time, something very difficult by the same time taking care and loving someone new, I was honestly fucked up. In all this my parents had just start to drink again and I past a hard time with my family, it was everything at the same time. It was when I hurt my back at the gym and ended up in ambulance I realised I was really burned out, exhausted from everything going on in my private life, for first time in life my private life touch my motivation for work, nothing was motivated anymore, my passion was gone. I became sick leave for a bit more than a month and went back to Sweden for reflecting and recovering at the countryside at my little sister place. It was a tough month with lots of reflections about all and nothing, during that time I realised I had to came back to Norway and do a change, I needed somehow to break free from the bubble I was I living in. I came back to Norway with the knowledge that I would need to break free from my relationship, it wasn’t healthy for me and it brought me down but it was an hard thing to do since I was so passionate about this guy in the same time. It was the first time in my life I had felt a passion and attraction like that for someone, it was hard to resist and my mind came and went over and over again for several months. After seeing an announcement of IKEA Backpacker program at work a few months later, I took my decision to break up, but since we still shared the apartment I  decided to stay for the next months. I applied and I past several interviews for this program, I saw it as an opportunity to see an explore the world within IKEA, it wasn’t the same kind of project that I experienced before this was a program made for explore different function and drive your own project abroad in another country, an possibility to grow and become a future leader/ manager. 

When the day came with the news that I was the chosen one to represent IKEA Norway I was happy to tears, I had just past an very hard period and was still dealing with some heavy stuff so the news came in the right time.  It was time to leave the situation I was sitting in, my motivation for my current job was gone since months, all this because of a love affair with a guy from my store. I really learned from that mistake, to not mess your private life with your professional life, tough something very common within IKEA but for me it has shown me not be a good idea after what I had experienced. It was finally time for me to take the big step out in the World, to stand on my own feet for the first time in many years. It was time to take on a new challenge and time for me to grow both personal and professional, a year full of adventure, learning and growing. A year that would come to change my life forever.

❝The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are❞

// Isabell