
1 August 2024
Hi colleague! Marina manages Wibergsgården and enjoys the human interaction
Marina Åström is a trained teacher, but works with the overall responsibility for Wibergsgården. In her spare time, she enjoys living in the cottage that has become her permanent home.
Hi Marina! What do you do at work?
"I am employed as a service assistant, and have the overall responsibility for the university's activities at Wibergsgården where we have about 4,500 guests per year. We have bookings throughout the year, but the last two months of the semesters are the busiest as it is fully booked all weeks. Otherwise it is booked three to four days a week. I actually do everything that needs to be done at Wibergsgården. I'm responsible for keeping the business running smoothly with bookings, customer contacts, orders and on-site service at the events. I'm also the one who cleans the house, changes curtains, light bulbs and other fixes that need to be done. When I am not needed at Wibergsgården, I jump in with Local Service."
What is the best thing about your job? What challenges are there?
"The best thing is meeting all the people. I regularly meet people from different parts of Luleå University of Technology, but also external visitors from both Sweden and other countries. It is important to show respect for the guests and to provide the service that is right for each person. You have to have a sense of that in this job. One of the challenges is that sometimes it's a bit lonely. I manage myself and have the best overview of the business. At the same time, I enjoy it because it gives me the opportunity to think and develop the business for the better. I really enjoy my job."
How long have you been with us?
"I'm in my tenth year and have had the main responsibility for Wibergsgården for the past eight or nine years."
What is the best thing about working at Luleå University of Technology?
"It is a free workplace - freedom with responsibility - where the managers trust the employees to do their job without feeling that they need to control all the time. I appreciate that."
Tell us a little about yourself
"I was born in Piteå, but have lived in Luleå since the age of seven. A few years ago, my husband and I built a cottage in Furufjärden that we now live in permanently. I have two adult children and one grandchild. Before starting university, I worked as a teacher of Swedish and English grades 4-9 (I graduated at the age of 35), and before that I worked in the hotel and restaurant industry."
What do you like to do in your spare time?
"Our cottage plot is 2,000 square meters and we wanted to do something more with it than have a big lawn, so now we have brought in a gardening consultant to help us with ideas on how to redesign it. I'm looking forward to that! I'm crafty and like to do things like sewing, knitting and carpentry, but I also enjoy sitting down with a good book."
About Marina
Name: Marina Åström
Does: Service assistant and operations manager at Wibergsgården
Comes from: Luleå
Lives: Luleå
I like it here: I really like staying home, but I also like the archipelago and being out on the lake.
Link Wibergsgården:
https://www.ltu.se/internt/Tjanster-och-stod/Boka-och-bestall/Lokalservice/Wibergsgarden External link, opens in new window.
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