I studied software engineering in Pori in the embedded systems program. Before we even graduated, almost the whole class was working for the same company. I felt that it was easy for students to find a job, too; you just needed to be well prepared for the interview and have reference material about your skills.
I also spent a year in Ireland as an exchange student. The courses lasted there all year, and it really allowed me to dig much deeper into my studies. The teaching staff was also good, especially our C ++ teacher was top-notch. He had practical experience of working life, so he was able to tell which pitfalls we are going to step into, what is important and what is not. It was a great fortune to learn from a teacher who cared about the students and the teaching.
From trips abroad to family life
After the exchange, I returned to Pori. Back then, embedded systems were hot stuff, and people used Symbian phones. I worked for ten years on various mobile phone projects.
The experiences that have grown me the most in my career include assignments abroad. The time traveling was financially productive and offered unique experiences, albeit quite heavy. On long missions, you always created a new social circle, and on returning, you learned to adapt to the old gang again. As my family began to grow, it seemed natural to settle down.
Nowadays, I spend most of my free time with my family, mostly on shared hobbies: our children play football, and I coach my son's team. I also play floorball, go jogging, and mountain biking whenever I have time. At one point, I was interested in wellness matters all the way from the diet, and over time, they became second nature that also helps me cope at work.
Code and work community development
I ended up working at Digital when my colleague applied for a job at Intopalo, which is the current Insta Digital, and asked if I would agree to act as a referrer for him. After putting in a good word for my co-worker, I was asked whether I would come for an interview as well. So it happened that we were both hired.
It took me a while to get used to the self-managing way of working, grasp that no one was telling me what to do next. I feel that after this I have grown out of being just a coder. When I realized how important it is to match people with a suitable work environment, I have taken part in recruiting C ++ programmers by participating in interviews or looking at the coding assignments. I have also participated in the development of our recruitment practices. It's great to be involved in finding new colleagues.
Taking part in recruitment also got me interested in other tasks that develop the organization. For example, I have participated in sales with bid preparation and recognizing customers' needs in projects. I currently work in a growth coach role alongside coding. I want to help other employees advance in their careers, and I find it rewarding to talk to people about what they do and their development aspirations.
