Marija Mizinova: The place to be

The place to be. This is how Marija, bank operations specialist at SEB, describes her job 2 years after joining the Tax team of Sub-Custody Operations in Riga.

Her story with SEB goes back to her study years at Stockholm School of Economics in Riga. Guest lectures, career and internship opportunity days, where our colleagues discussed what it’s like to work at SEB and opportunities we offer, left a lasting impression on her, so when the time was right, she took a chance and applied for a position. The rest, as they say, is history, and Marija agreed to share her story with us.

To give you an impression of Marija as a person, during our chat she never stopped smiling and you could see a spark in her eyes, that is so infectious that makes you want to smile back naturally!
 

How did you find your way to SEB? Or did it find you?

Well, I always had the impression that SEB is a prestigious place of work. All the experiences I had with SEB in my study years, my alumni and friends working here, all of that contributed to my decision to apply for a position. I was considered for a position by three different departments and ended up in the Tax team as a bank operations specialist.  

So, did the reality meet your expectations?

Before I started working here, I thought of a bank as a strict all suit-and-tie working place where I as a young employee could not make an impact. What I got was quite the opposite and in two years my team has become my second family, where I feel heard, appreciated and where I belong. I am not afraid to express my opinion and I see that my actions make an impact, which is a good feeling. We work hard, but we always have time for a laugh or occasionally a prank. It makes you want to go to work every day!

Did you also get pranked?

Yes! One time my team put my favorite cup in the jelly, so when I came to work, I found my cup on a plate in frozen jelly… you can imagine my surprise!

Many of our colleagues may not be aware of what Tax team does. Can you tell us more about that?

The Tax Team assists clients with all tax-related questions like adjusting tax rates, filing reclaims to tax authorities as well as solving more complicated cases on the international level. We work closely with our Nordic colleagues to ensure that all taxes are correctly withheld and reported to authorities. 

I would say that our daily procedures are very diverse, which makes the work interesting because many cases require an individual approach. 

Close relationships between departments are key to efficient problem-solving!

You mentioned your study years at SSE Riga. What was it like?

The educational approach was very forward and long-term oriented. We had experienced guest lecturers and many opportunities to learn about economics not only from the books but through real recent examples in Latvian market.
The study time was intense, but the school also organized great parties, so after intense semesters we could really celebrate our achievements and feel proud of ourselves.

What would you say were the biggest takeaways from your study years at SSE Riga?

I think the learning process taught me the basis of work ethics and all the guest lecturers and events gave a good overview of career possibilities I could take in the future. I also learned to take responsibility for my actions and to prioritize, which is important for my work in SEB.

This sounds like a solid foundation to start with. Can you give us a glimpse about your future?

I do not know what the future holds, but I am looking forward to it! I am thinking about international career possibilities, and I am glad SEB has those opportunities I could take in the future, when I am ready.

I really appreciate the human side of the company. The internal culture is amazing and that is something that makes you appreciate all you have.

More about Operations department