Mohamad Tahmasb Leverages Academic and Professional Experience to Find New Paths

After nearly a decade of professional experience in Law and Human Resources, Mohamad Tahmasb chose to leave his native Iran for the Netherlands, seeking quality of life and new career opportunities. In 2022, he began pursuing an MBA in International Management at Wittenborg’s Amsterdam study location. 

"I wanted to keep expanding my knowledge and have the opportunity to work for an international company in a diverse environment. This inspired me to search for study programmes abroad," he says. 

This was not Mohamad's first significant professional transition. In Iran, he earned a bachelor's degree in Law and a master's in International Law. Following his studies, he worked as a legal advisor for six years before moving to a role as a Human Resources generalist and recruiter, a position he held for five years. 

"Law and HR share common ground, particularly in labour and employment legislation, so I realised I could transition to that field because I enjoy working with people. Recruiting and hiring for various organisations can be both challenging and exciting. Moreover, the HR field is very dynamic nowadays." 

While searching for higher education institutions in the Netherlands, Mohamad found that Wittenborg had several advantages over other schools. These benefits included study locations in both Apeldoorn and Amsterdam, as well as multiple student intakes throughout the year. 

Relocating to the Netherlands required Mohamad to face challenges such as finding suitable accommodation, managing the cost of living and adjusting to the cold, windy and rainy Dutch weather. Despite these difficulties, his studies at Wittenborg offered him the opportunity to deepen his business knowledge and develop essential soft skills, including communication and presentation abilities. 

Through his MBA programme, Mohamad managed to obtain an internship in HR at Canon EMEA. This experience not only broadened his knowledge but also led to a job offer from the multinational company. “Internships are crucial for students, as finding a job without internship experience can be difficult. These experiences allow you to learn new things and enhance your skills, while also gaining insights into the job market and understanding company cultures,” he says. 

Currently, Mohamad holds the position of European Customer Support Coordinator at Canon, being engaged in duties related to business operations and order management. His role involves overseeing the processing of orders from significant clients like retail websites. Therefore, he collaborates closely with the Sales, Finance, Demand Planning and Logistics teams. 

"The skills I acquired at Wittenborg have been very helpful to me, particularly in intercultural communication, interpersonal skills, problem solving and creating presentations. I apply these skills regularly at the company, as we engage in daily meetings with various teams," he explains. 

Concerning his future plans, Mohamad says he intends to gain experience across various departments within the company to understand all aspects of international business. Ultimately, however, he is committed to pursuing his dream of advancing his legal career, particularly in the areas of compliance and data privacy law. 

The graduate advises current Wittenborg students to become knowledgeable about all aspects of business and management, covering areas like procurement, marketing, sales and logistics. Additionally, he underscores the importance of developing IT skills and mastering software tools like Excel and Power BI. 

WUP 17/06/2024 
by Ulisses Sawczuk 
©WUAS Press 

"On top of that, it's a good idea to begin learning Dutch as early as possible. Although the vast majority of people in the Netherlands are fluent in English, around 60% of jobs require you to speak Dutch. Therefore, knowing Dutch will certainly be a bonus and can help with your employability," he concludes.