First of all, moving to Amsterdam as a first-year bachelor student seems like a big step! How and why did you end up choosing IBA at VU Amsterdam?
It was a combination of things: wanting to do something in the business sector, being interested in economics and strategy, and doing a programme that would allow me to specialise. That’s when I came across IBA. The international aspect of the programme was also important to me. I come from a small country and town, so I wanted to get out into the world and meet people from various countries with different perspectives and cultures.

I also knew I wanted to study in the Netherlands. I knew some people who had moved here and studied at VU Amsterdam, which was really helpful. And because IBA was one of the few programmes in the Netherlands that offered that international perspective in business administration, I was able to really pinpoint my choice.

Was the international part of the programme what you had imagined?
Yes! I felt there was a good 50-50 mix of Dutch and international students. During my first year, my circle of friends consisted mainly of international students. You’re all new to the city, so you really bond over that. But when I started to join different committees and the study association Aureus, I really connected with a big group of Dutch students as well. I believe that joining associations is a must as an international student. I got to meet a lot of great Dutch people and get to know more about the local culture and language. Amsterdam is also a great place for international students. I was really fascinated by what the city had to show for itself – just because of how international it is.

And now you have moved back to Lithuania and work for KPMG. How did you get started there?
I chose finance as a specialization in my third year, because that was the sector I found most interesting and suitable to my career goals. I decided to not pursue a master’s degree and move back to Lithuania. I wanted to really put in to practice what I had learned. Because I attended so many career events during my studies, I knew KPMG as one of the Big Four companies. They were looking for a summer intern, and I applied for the audit team. I was hired pretty quickly after that. I’ve been there for more than half a year now, and the transition from studying to working full-time has actually been pretty smooth!

You work for the audit team. What exactly does that entail?
Audit in its purest form is a way to provide independent assurance or a third-party opinion on financial statements and data. We then provide this, for example, to shareholders of the company or creditors, like banks. It really focuses on high responsibility and forming accurate and well-supported judgments through data testing.

I really enjoy the investigative aspect of it, especially developing an analytical understanding of financial statements across a wide variety of projects. What are the risks? What can we learn and how can we adapt going forward? Putting the theory of my studies into practice has been great. Being in the audit team has given me a way to apply my knowledge and learn even more.

Finally, do you have any advice for upcoming students?
It might be an obvious one, but: do your best! I know there are a lot of students that want to move to a different country and first figure out the social life. But, put in the effort in the exams and assignments as well. It really makes you stand out.

I also went on an exchange in Norway for half a year, even though I already moved abroad. I would highly recommend that as well. It was still an eye-opening experience for me. Having to start from scratch, again, I got to know myself much more. And having started from ground zero twice, a new environment is never really that scary to me anymore!