Anniina’s story: From an average school pupil to earning a master’s degree and becoming a working life specialist

What will I be when I grow up?

As a child of the nineties, I answered that question in every friendship book, but I can’t quite remember what my answers were. In secondary and upper secondary school, I sat in the study and careers adviser’s office to discuss the matter, but I can’t remember what I said.

I ended up in general upper secondary school due to pressure from my family, since it was what the others had done. They believed that, after graduation, it would qualify me to follow any path. Furthermore, my average school certificate met the requirements for applying to Orimattila upper secondary school. After completing my basic education, however, I also applied to Salpaus Further Education in Lahti to study interior and clothing design, as I was interested in working with my hands and was good at it – unlike academic subjects. I can’t remember if they offered me a place or not. At the time, I believed that only people like Marko Paananen could get work as interior designers.

Work was a self-evident fact during my childhood and youth, shaped by watching my father on the farm and my mother in her various roles in the commercial sector. Perhaps this is why I immediately applied for work at a strawberry farm at the age of 15, and at an ice cream kiosk during upper secondary school. I didn’t particularly enjoy either job and only worked in both for one summer, but they provided me with valuable work experience and money for my own needs.

Although general upper secondary school emphasised that good grades would grant me access to further education and work, studying didn’t particularly motivate me. Reading and exams had always been a challenge, and I didn’t know what profession I wanted to pursue after graduation.

After upper secondary school, I applied for work in the retail sector because I enjoyed customer service at the ice cream kiosk. However, finding employment with a general upper secondary education proved to be challenging. In the end, I secured a part-time sales position at the Iittala outlet in Lahti through my father’s acquaintance. I enjoyed the solution-oriented nature of sales, where product knowledge was key to making successful sales. Additionally, I had the opportunity to use my creativity in setting up displays and training new employees. However, working part-time wasn’t enough to cover my living costs, and rather than applying for subsidies, I preferred to work more. Following a friend’s recommendation, I applied for a classroom assistant’s position at Liipola School, as it was accessible with a general upper secondary education, even without prior work experience. Although I hadn’t been particularly strong in academic subjects myself, and felt nervous at first about teaching them, I enjoyed the work. Soon I was able to substitute for a special needs teacher. I particularly enjoyed the fact that I could inspire pupils and foster their growth through my own actions. I had also noticed this earlier, when I introduced new employees to customer service tasks. This is why I became enthusiastic about applying for teacher training at university.

Due to my average school performance, I applied for teacher studies three years in a row. After the first rejection, I began to improve my chances of getting into the programme by completing basic and intermediate studies in education at the Open University. At the same time, I focused on developing my literacy skills. Finally, I was offered a place at the Department of Teacher Education in Rauma, from where I moved on to the master’s degree stage at the University of Turku. I participated in a student exchange in Manchester, where I improved my English skills and gained more work experience as a trainee teacher.

From a teacher to an HR professional

Towards the end of my studies, I worked as a part-time salesperson at Clas Ohlson, where I had the opportunity to continue with sales work, set up displays, and provide orientation for new employees. As graduation approached, I began looking for a teaching position. However, I had already realised during my studies that working as a teacher in a traditional school setting didn’t quite feel like the right fit for me.

My colleague at Clas Ohlson noticed the vacancy of an HR assistant at the main office in Helsinki. She said that there was a position waiting for Anniina in the main office. I hadn’t considered office work before, but when I read the job posting, it seemed like exactly what I wanted to do. What interested me about the position was the opportunity to work in the business world, plan training programmes, and train staff; areas where I had several years of practical experience, along with the theoretical knowledge gained during my teacher studies. A few weeks later, I was selected from over 300 applicants. I moved back to Lahti and started commuting to Helsinki by train every day.

This marked the beginning of my growth as a professional in HR management and the world of work. My fixed-term contract was extended several times until I was eventually offered a permanent position. My time at Clas Ohlson contributed most to my professional growth, as I had the opportunity to carry out a wide range of HR tasks and development projects within an international company, under a demanding yet supportive supervisor.

I became interested in training programmes that integrate recruitment, organised in collaboration with the TE Office and educational institutions. These programmes recruited unemployed job seekers and trained them for their new roles. I started considering applying for the position of a career coach, as it would allow me to apply my expertise in training and recruitment. However, I felt that my expertise, based solely on my experiences in the commercial sector, might not be broad enough. Therefore, I wanted to expand my competence in other sectors.

Despite my skills in recruitment, finding a new job proved challenging, as I wasn’t sure what job title I was looking for. I ended up browsing through all the job postings, and eventually came across one at a temporary staffing agency. The role seemed exactly what I was looking for, despite having to compromise on the annual leave and salary level achieved. However, it provided an opportunity to expand my expertise in the construction, logistics, industrial, and property maintenance sectors.

I particularly enjoyed providing services to companies and getting to know them. I began working closely with local employment service providers, as I had already found regional collaboration to be valuable during my time at Clas Ohlson. Through the collaboration, I got to know a range of actors and individuals, which helped boost both my employer’s brand and my own profile. My father has always said that good work is the best form of marketing.

Alongside temporary staffing, I decided to further my career coaching ambitions and applied for training as a study and careers adviser. However, it was difficult to secure a study place, as I had not worked as a teacher since completing my studies. At the same time, I applied for work as a study and careers adviser, and a job coach. As many as three different employers were willing to hire me as a job coach. However, after the interviews, I decided that the role would be too narrow for me, as I was accustomed to more diverse work. Nevertheless, the application process taught me that you should always apply if a job feels even remotely interesting. It also helped me better understand what kind of work I enjoy, allowing me to change direction.

From an expert in competence development to a working life specialist

After some time, I came across a job posting for a competence development expert in the business services of the Häme TE Office. I applied for the position despite knowing that my pay and annual leave would be reduced once again. However, the TE Office seemed like a natural next step, as I had spent years working with unemployed job seekers and with a company that partnered with the TE Office. The role also appeared to be a logical progression towards broader development work within society, something I had always enjoyed.

In this position, I had the opportunity to apply my extensive sectoral knowledge in practice. I also continued to engage in business cooperation and recruitment alongside competence development, while having the chance to collaborate more closely with educational institutions. In addition, I was able to learn new skills as a performer and challenge myself in TE-live’s studio broadcasts, the Bisnespod podcast programme, and during my interview in the MTV 3’s Huomenta Suomi programme.

At the TE Office, I realised that I would like to work in an educational institution in the future, to assist my clients at an earlier stage in their career paths. Last spring, I had the opportunity to become a working life specialist at Salpaus Further Education.

When I started in the role, I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be. In this task, I can combine the school and business worlds, competence development, and facilitating employment. At Salpaus, we have a saying: ‘Good luck doesn’t come from waiting, but from studying’. This sums up my career path, as every turn in my life has required the courage to take initiative and boldly change direction. In this way, I’ve come to know myself and found a job I head off to each morning with a smile on my face.

Anniina Kivimäki