Fotini Karkabouna: BA Hons Sociology, 2002

Fotini Karkabouna

BA Hons Sociology, 2002

“I am currently working at ABB SA, in Greece and in particular at the Spares Department. ABB has a global network and therefore, over the 3 years I have been with them, had the chance to work with people from lots of different countries and units.”

One of Fotini’s fondest memories of the University of Luton was its multicultural environment which she really enjoyed. She made many friends with people from all over the world and believes this has made her more open-minded.

Fotini loved her course and was really impressed with the department as a whole and the lecturers who taught her. They offered Fotini a whole new vision of the world and helped her gain a deeper understanding of cultural relations.

Fotini chose Luton because it has an airport close by with direct flights to and from Greece, where Fotini is from.

“The University is in the middle of the town which was really friendly to students. Luton is small enough to meet your friends every day but big enough to maintain your anonymity and your privacy.

“Although I studied to become a sociologist, I have decided not to continue in this field. However, my degree has definitely help me develop lots of competitive skills for today’s job market such as IT skills, methodical thought and a better understanding of social and work relations.

“Since leaving Luton I have taken advantage of my good English and worked as a translator for several companies. I then attended a number of accounting and business seminars, in the hope of entering the business and commercial sector, which is more competitive in Greece. I became a junior accountant for a local company in 2004, and moved on to ABB in 2006.

“My ambition for the future is to attend more business seminars and maybe a short course in business administration in order to boost my skills further. At the moment I am happy at ABB and I hope to continue my career within this company.

“I love travelling, and since 1999 I have travelled for at least one month
every year, all over the world. My last trips were to Tanzania and Lapland.

"Finally, I got married in July 2008 and have been enjoying being married
ever since."

Interview updated in February 2009.