Marketing and communications manager

Briefly explain what you do for a living.

I’m responsible for communications and marketing at Nurminen Logistics. Nurminen is a Finnish publicly listed company that offers logistics services and international transport solutions between Europe and Asia and in the Nordic countries. My work includes all of the company’s communications and marketing, from work community communications to financial communications and brand building. I work closely with business operations and sales, as it’s important for the communicator to have a good understanding of the customer and view of the business as a whole.

How have you ended up in the profession of your choice?

When I was studying Russian language and culture at the university, I knew that I wasn’t going to become an interpreter, teacher or researcher, which are the traditional career options for language students. I’ve always been interested in international trade, so I consciously chose to minor in communications and business.

After my studies, I almost ended up working in banking and finance, but my summer job at the Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT) made me more interested in an international operating environment. I started working at Valio as a marketing assistant in international industrial sales, which gave me a good start in my career.

After that, I worked in event marketing at media companies for many years, but I was longing for a more international environment. Nurminen Logistics interested me as a workplace already during my studies. The company’s story, which began in 1886, is unique, and I get inspired by it over and over again. When I saw that they were looking for a communications specialist, I knew my chance had come. I got the job, and here I am now.

Describe your typical working day or week.

My workdays vary greatly, and there really isn’t a typical workday. For example, my day may start at our terminal where an international filming crew has arrived to conduct a TV interview. After that, I may do tasks related to investor communications. At the end of the day, I analyse the success of a marketing campaign and think on actions that should be taken based on the results. The next day I may be on a plane to a logistics trade fair in Kazakhstan.

What kind of work environment or working hours do you have?

I mainly work at our office in Helsinki, but my work also involves meetings with our various stakeholders and presenting the company at various events and international trade fairs.

I usually work during office hours, but the nature of the work sometimes requires flexibility. I follow the news and social media also in my free time, as communication situations where you need to react quickly and regardless of the time may come up.

What kind of competence or qualities are required in the profession?

A generalist with good interaction skills manages in this profession. You must be able to motivate and support both your own staff and customers. Essential competencies also include business understanding, strategic thinking, big-picture management and good digital skills. The work involves a lot of writing, so you also need to have good general knowledge and the ability to produce interesting content.

Problem-solving skills, creativity and the ability to tolerate pressure and changing situations are also required. It’s good to be genuinely interested in what is happening in the world around you and consider how it affects the company’s operating environment. It’s important that you are interested in your work and that you are able to inspire others as well.

What is the best thing about your profession?

The best thing about my profession is its diversity and variability, as the work is not boring in any sense. As an extrovert, I also like being able to work with people. I like writing and I’m a visual person, so I get to also express these aspects of myself.

What are the downsides of the profession or what seems challenging?

The fact that the work is hectic and the job description is versatile is both an advantage and a disadvantage. For example, when you should focus on writing a demanding stock exchange release, you would like things to remain calm, but it doesn't always work out like that.

What would you tell a person considering the profession of a marketing and communications manager?

It’s worth investing in achieving sufficient basic competence through both work and education. It’s a good idea to start at a lower level and learn gradually, as making mistakes at the beginning of your career is still allowed. Don’t hesitate to go out of your comfort zone, as that’s the only way to develop yourself. When considering your own career development, it’s a good idea to aim for your goal systematically and persistently and to look far into the future. You can’t get everything right away, but in the end, hard work is usually rewarded.

I would also say that the logistics sector is certainly more interesting than its reputation. The sector has very interesting and versatile international trade tasks for skilled people.

How do you see the future of your profession?

Throughout the world, the COVID pandemic prompted organisations to wake up and see the value and strength of communications. Today, we live in an operating environment that is constantly changing and unpredictable. As a result, the importance of communications has increased.

Sustainability and responsibility also play an increasingly important role. I believe that this will also affect the work of communications specialists. Competence in foreign languages is also useful at this work: the more competence, the better.

There’s always work for skilled people. A person who is prepared to modify their job description as the situation changes often finds their place. The future is more open in many ways, and you don’t need to settle on one path. Instead, you can try different positions.

Photos: Ville Lehvonen