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Alumni:
Kate Plaskonis, Marketing manager at MINE
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She sent out her CV to about 300 different companies and organisations, without a single reply. Kate Plaskonis started questioning her own skills, and whether it was even worth staying in Sweden. But after receiving a tip from a friend about contacting MINE, her luck changed.

Kate came to Sweden from Ukraine in 2013 to study a Master in Welfare Policies and Management. Two years later, she decided to stay for love and today she lives in an apartment in Malmö with her partner, is mother of little Vincent and head of marketing at MINE – southern Sweden’s largest network of diversity-savvy companies and public organisations.


What does MINE stand for?


MINE stands for Mentorship, Inspiration, Networking and Education, and it is on these four pillars that the organisation is built.


How did you get the job at MINE – what led you there?


After being on parental leave, I felt it was time for me to develop and change employers. I was sure that my two completed study programmes, four languages, experience in international projects and in the private sector in Sweden would help me quickly land a job on the Swedish job market. But things didn’t go quite as I had planned. I didn’t receive a single answer to my close to 300 letters. It was depressing and awful. I began to question my skills and my ambitions. But then a friend told me about MINE. They gave me an amazing reception and after a week they offered me an internship. Less than a month later they hired me and since then I have been part of a fantastic and very inspiring team.

What is the most important and meaningful thing about what you do today?

Helping people and teaching companies/organisations about norm-criticism and diversity work.


On 13 September the LU alumni network hosted an after-work seminar on sustainable lifestyle and development where you gave a talk – what was it about?

I talked about the global sustainability goals and Agenda 2030 on behalf of the UNDP (United Nations Development Program) where I work as a volunteer.

What is your favourite memory of being a student?

Breakfast meetings with my fellow students.


What will you be doing 15 years from now?

I would like to start my own community project in Ukraine, and work to promote exchange of knowledge and experiences between Ukraine and Sweden. I believe we have a lot to learn from each other.

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