Stories from the Road: Emma and Oskar on growing from graduates to senior consultants

What is it really like to grow into a consultant at the early stages of your career? At Columbia Road, no two journeys look the same. We sat down with two of Columbia Road's talented senior consultants, Oskar and Emma, to get their take on their roles, unexpected challenges, and what makes Columbia Road a unique place to grow.

Oskar Sandås

Software Developer & Senior Consultant 

Quick facts

• Start at Columbia Road: 2021 as an Associate Developer while finishing his studies
• Study background: B.Sc. Computer science and M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering and Management from Aalto University
• Current role: Consulting for several clients and responsible for the overview of Columbia Road’s projects in the continuous development & maintenance phase

What do you do at Columbia Road?

I describe my work simply as helping "build and keep the lights on in web shops," but of course, being a consultant is so much more.

What drew you to a career in consulting?

I initially chose consulting to gain more client interaction compared to my previous in-house role, which I had worked in during my studies. I was also intrigued by the challenge of everything that goes into maintaining a successful client relationship, which also led me to take on a more salesy role over time.

In what ways have you grown as a professional during your time at Columbia Road?

A surprising aspect of my time at Columbia Road has been the growth in my sales mindset and confidence. I actually used to consider myself an introvert, but consulting has transformed me into a more outward-facing and socially confident professional.

I’ve also become comfortable with taking on new technologies on the fly, making my skillset more versatile. My industry-specific know-how has also increased with every new client I’ve worked with.

What has challenged you as a software development consultant at Columbia Road?

I find renewing webshops to be particularly interesting, especially when dealing with large, mature organisations. The challenge often comes from the numerous stakeholders and the complex project management that needs extra attention.

From a technical perspective, I sometimes need to dive into the low-level server-side coding to fix bugs, which is always an adventure. Naturally, if something in a webstore is broken, this comes with the layer of time pressure that challenges any developer.

What achievement at Columbia Road are you most proud of?

Recently, I’ve gotten to lead two major webshop renewal cases for clients that I worked for at the very beginning of my journey at Columbia Road. I take pride in the trust I built with these clients over the years, which is what also made them reach out to us when the time was right for a larger renewal. This, to me, is the essence of becoming a trusted advisor – nurturing a client relationship in a way that makes it easy for the customer to choose us again.

Any advice for new developers who are interested in consulting?

In digital sales consulting, a solid understanding of full-stack web development is really important. Several projects will challenge you both on the frontend and backend, and having a good grasp of the fundamentals allows you to pick up new technologies and tools quickly.

I also think that building confidence while staying humble will take you far as a consultant. Sometimes it means faking it until you make it, but there will always be colleagues who can support and teach you. Trusting your colleagues to do their job and learning to ask for help when you need it will take you a long way.

What consulting myth would you like to bust?

Consultants are sometimes perceived as arrogant outsiders who come in and tell people how to do their work. The reality is very different. We most often work as a seamless part of the client’s own team, doing hands-on work as well as more strategic advisory. Our approach is to foster long-term client relationships, which means that our consultants may be part of the client team for months or even years in some cases. This allows building trust and a deep expertise in each client's domain.

If consulting was a video game, what would be your special ability?

I’d say context switching. During the same day, I may be in contact with several clients and take part in internal projects and discussions, which has made me really good at focusing on the task at hand.

Emma Björkqvist

Senior Marketing Technology Consultant

Quick facts

• Start at Columbia Road: 2022 as a Consultant in Marketing Technology shortly after graduating
• Study background: M.Sc. in Economics from Hanken School of Economics, with a speciality in marketing and finance
• Current role: Consulting for two clients in different industries

What do you do at Columbia Road?

As a martech consultant, I help companies get the most out of their CRM and marketing automation tools. My role is really about bridging the gap between technology and business goals, making sure the tools are set up in a way that supports different teams comprehensively, improves customer experience, and ultimately drives growth. To put it really simply, I help people who work with CRMs to do their job in a smarter, more efficient manner with the goal of selling better.

What drew you to a career in consulting?

I wanted to work in as many industries, businesses and projects as possible, while still getting in-depth experience in my field. Consulting has allowed me to do this as Columbia Road has a wide range of clients, and no project is quite like another.

In what ways have you grown as a professional during your time at Columbia Road?

My very first project at Columbia Road was a valuable learning experience, a true bootcamp to consulting! I took so much away from that project, such as learning to adapt my communication style depending on who I’m discussing with. In my role, I work with clients and colleagues with varying technical backgrounds and personalities, which makes this a really useful skill.

Over the years, I’ve received excellent support and mentoring from fellow Roadies, which has both deepened my technical understanding and made me a skilled consultant. The relaxed and trusting atmosphere at Columbia Road has also played a big role in my professional development. From day one, I was entrusted with considerable responsibility, which empowered me to confidently manage projects independently.

What achievement at Columbia Road are you most proud of?

My most significant achievement has been gaining confidence as a consultant. These days, I feel secure that I can tackle any challenge and successfully lead a project to completion. I know there are always people around me who can lend a helping hand whenever needed. Along the way, I’ve also built genuine friendships at work, which makes the successes feel even more meaningful.

What has challenged you as a CRM consultant at Columbia Road?

As much as I love to learn about new industries and yearn for new projects, I sometimes find myself hesitant to rotate out of a long-term client relationship. As you become familiar with the industry, concepts, and technologies, and form great relationships with the client-side people, it can make it hard to leave the team to take on a new case and a new challenge.

What type of person would thrive at Columbia Road?

Someone who has a hunger for learning and wants to get hands-on in the work from the get-go. Combined with the community-oriented environment, this is a great way to learn.

What consulting myth would you like to bust?

I've found that common consulting stereotypes, particularly regarding poor work-life balance and rigid hierarchies, don't apply at Columbia Road. People here are ambitious regarding their work, but still work to live and not the other way around.

It’s also common to think that consultants "know everything", when in fact consultants are experts in finding solutions, even when that requires some research and learning.

If consulting was a video game, what would be your special ability?

Wearing different hats for sure. Depending on the situation, I can be an automation designer one day and a change manager the next. That’s also what keeps me engaged in this work – I learn new things all the time.