Insights into co-ops: Marko Tot completed his co-op with FC Dinamo București

Marko Tot is a junior majoring in International Business at RIT Croatia, and recently completed a co-op with Dinamo București, one of Romania’s top football clubs. With a lifelong passion for sports, nurtured by his football coach father and his own experiences as a basketball player, Marko found a connection between sports and business. “Sports success is comprised of everything: tactics, stamina but also strategic thinking and ability to navigate different challenges. That is where I detected a connection to my major and sports’ similarity to its complexities and opportunities”. Marko’s co-op with Dinamo happened spontaneously. One day, Marko was having a conversation with a company representative who was impressed by him and offered him a position in their firm in Bucharest. “Dinamo București is one of the biggest clubs in the country, with a huge fan base and a huge following. But as I said, both sports and business are a challenge. I was up for it and it turned out perfect”.

Financial analyst for the premier football club in Bucharest

During co-op, Marko worked as a financial analyst. “Financial courses I took at RIT Croatia were really useful in helping me adapt and navigate through new and challenging situations,” says Marko highlighting financial management, and financial accounting as the most useful courses. His responsibilities consisted of supporting various operational financial activities such as cash flow analysis, financial forecasting, documentation, pre-accounting operations, and budgeting – to Marko that was the most interesting and fun part because “sports budgeting varies from the “classical” one in the other firms, as it depends highly on the performance of the team, which can go both ways”.  Marko notes that the lessons learned at RIT Croatia have proven to be useful and applicable in the real world. “I can just imagine what else I am going to learn in the time coming”.

Mastering new skills

Upon Marko’s arrival at Dinamo București, he encountered several challenging situations. One that stood out was the need to do almost everything in Romanian. From documents to data, everything was in Romanian, which was an obstacle at first. “I speak Italian so it made it somewhat easier because they are similar to an extent, but something that required my full focus initially. Now, I can say that I am fluent in Romanian business vocabulary”, says Marko.

The most rewarding aspect of Marko’s co-op is the ability to adapt to new situations and challenges, learning how to cope with stress, and meeting tasks that need to be completed by certain deadlines. Dealing with different people within the company and seeing how everyone cooperates to achieve long and short-term goals set by shareholders is also a rewarding feeling. “Good game tickets were also a bonus”, says Marko.

Falling for Bucharest

Some people need time to adapt to new places, but Marko instantly fell in love with Bucharest. According to Marko, it is a vibrant city with a lot to offer. “The energy is great, the culture is similar to Croatia, and the growth opportunities make it an ideal place for anyone looking to explore, learn, and find their path. I still miss Bucharest to this day”. If you are thinking about studying abroad, Marko’s advice is to go for it. He believes that the only way to grow as a person is by stepping out of our comfort zone and embracing new challenges. He explains that in those moments of uncertainty, one can discover who they are, their strengths, and what they are capable of achieving.

Marko fondly remembers the last game of the season. Over 30,000 people came to watch the game in the National Arena in Bucharest. Everyone was nervously waiting to see how everything would unfold. A moment Marko will never forget is the club winning and him running onto the field to celebrate the win with players.

Navigating future decisions

Even if Marko is uncertain about his future, he knows that opportunities, such as co-ops, are valuable in helping him discover what a student wants to do with their life. “I have always known that finance would play a role in my career, but this experience showed me how much more fulfilling it can be when combined with something I truly love, like sports. Finding a way to merge these two would be fantastic”. This was Marko’s first co-op which gave him a lot to think about regarding his next steps. He is still weighing the decision between pursuing his next co-op in the sports industry where he has already found passion, or stepping into an entirely different field to broaden his horizons and explore new areas. “Staying in sports would allow me to build on the knowledge I have already started to develop while trying something new could give me an entirely new perspective and skills that would further round out my experience”.