Our alumnus, Tarik Selimović, graduated from Computer Sciences and Engineering at IUS in 2022. Despite the fact that he has just graduated, his amazing success story has already made us very proud.
You can read more about it below!
My name is Tarik Selimović and I’m an IUS Alumnus. My sister Aida graduated from Genetics and Bioengineering at IUS and is now doing her PhD in Sweden. The first compliments about the professors and the University came from her. I wanted to get educated in the IT sector, of course, because it is an industry that is constantly growing and, in my opinion, it has the most significant potential. Computer Sciences and Engineering is broad enough to include all the topics that intrigued me and thus, IUS was the perfect choice for me.
Even before I got my degree, my business ideas started to develop and one of them became a five-digits value brand. Norse Souls idea was a print-on-demand business model. At one moment, I got inspired to share everything I learned with others, so I shared my knowledge via Instagram, and the followers started to pour in. When the number of followers grew, I started thinking about how to monetize it and that is how my business was born. I developed it by myself, started from scratch and in the end, it became one of the biggest Viking clothing brands in the world. After my most successful year, I sold my business to an investor from the Netherlands.
In terms of how IUS helped me achieve my goals, I have to emphasize that IUS professors are its main asset. With so much will and such a nice approach, they train each student, not only for their career path, but also for life. IUS teaches you soft skills, hard skills, and management, so that all segments are balanced. They gave me space for all extracurricular activities as long as my knowledge met the criteria. If I could, I would enroll in IUS again precisely because it broadened my scope of interest.
I really pushed myself to grow, learn and achieve what I want on my own. My father, whom I always mention as my role model, taught me to be my own biggest supporter, rock, and encourager. The struggles I fought were my own and I did not rely much on the people around me. I knew I was strong enough to accomplish anything I set my mind to. There were difficult moments and invested effort without great results, but every such period gave me an incentive to look for reasons and learn something new. My ultimate goal to succeed was my motivation and what others call spite, turns into a driving force for me. I did not frolic in the shallows, I dove right in.
My advice for current and future students is that, in the final year, you will have first hands-on experience through the mandatory internship course and that will be your tangible contact with the labor market. After that, so many doors will open for you. Use every opportunity to talk to people. And please be fearless, do not hold yourself back, believe that you can succeed, and believe in your ideas. Feel free to contact me for advice or a conversation on LinkedIn, Instagram, or on the street.
