Trainees get to develop their professional skills in a dynamic business environment and Verkotan gets to benefit from new approaches and fresh perspectives that the new and enthusiasts’ trainees bring to the table.

This spring has been unusual and due to the current situation, and our sales and marketing team has been working remotely. Now as we all have returned to the office, our trainees will tell you how the remote work has been, how it was to start a new job from home, and how the summer at Verkotan has been so far.

Who are you and where are you from?

Emma: I’m Emma. Originally, I come from Tampere, but I have been living in Oulu three years now. I have just ended the first year of my master’s studies in marketing at the University of Oulu. Also, this is my first summer at Oulu!

Oona: My name is Oona and I am 24 years old. I am a Master’s student in Marketing at the University of Oulu. I am from Rovaniemi and I have been living in Oulu for four years now. I started working at Verkotan in the autumn of 2019 alongside my studies and after this summer I will start my final year as a marketing student.

Andreas: My name is Andreas, I am from Oulu, born and raised. I am studying Industrial Engineering and Management at the University of Oulu and nearing the end of my Bachelor studies. Most recently I worked at Nokia’s Oulu Factory.

How long have you been working at Verkotan and what was it like starting a new job remotely?

Emma: I started working remotely at the beginning of April. I would be lying if I said I was not a little nervous when starting a new job remotely. But it turned fine, and everything went smoothly. Communication is incredibly important in remote work and it surprised me how well everything went and how easy it was to communicate with my colleagues without meeting them face-to-face. This connected world enables many things and working efficiently remotely is one good example.

Oona: I have worked at Verkotan for almost a year now. Working at Verkotan has been a very student-friendly experience and I have been able to work remotely from day one, although I still preferred coming to the office and being able to communicate with experts and colleagues face-to-face. My work requires a lot of communication also within the team and I was surprised how well and efficiently things at Verkotan worked out despite the unusual situation. I enjoyed returning to the office as working face-to-face with the colleagues brightens up my day.

Andreas: I began working in May and worked for the whole month remotely. Although I could reach my colleagues immediately by phone or telecom, I did not need to interact with them all day long, and working on my own gave me a sense of being relied on and independent. Working remotely did not noticeably make my job harder or easier, although moving back to working directly at the office did require slight adjusting.

What made you apply for a job at Verkotan? How has it been so far?

Emma: Challenges. I thought this would be a great opportunity to challenge myself, gain knowledge about the high-technology industry, and learn more about sales and marketing activities. So far, all these expectations have exceeded. I like Verkotan’s do and learn mentality and people are always open to our new ideas. I think that a global young company like Verkotan is full of opportunities for an employee to learn and grow in a dynamic and fast-changing environment. Also, at Verkotan I do not feel like I am a trainee. We are able to do our own decisions and have responsibilities just like other employees.

Oona: Verkotan stood out to me as an exciting, fast-growing company with an ambitious vision for the future. I knew that working in a rapidly changing startup environment would provide me with the possibility to participate in a wide range of marketing activities and learn what it takes to succeed in the field of technology. I also knew that I would get to challenge myself and have diversity in my day to day work. A lot of improvements have been made in the marketing sector and we have boldly tried new things. Verkotan’s decision to invest in digital marketing has given us a chance to see and understand the effects of marketing on the business as a whole. At Verkotan anyone can make an initiative and you do not need to be part of the management to make suggestions and get to implement them.

Andreas: I wanted to expose myself to new things and get out of my comfort zone. Working in our Sales and Marketing team has given me a good view of how an SME business operates and given me an understanding of business-to-business sales/marketing activities, as well as allowed me to see the wireless testing industry.

What have been your responsibilities while working at Verkotan?

Emma: No day is the same and tasks vary a lot. I have had various b2b sales tasks like contacting potential customers, but also a lot of digital marketing tasks. With Oona, we have been working with Verkotan’s social media marketing. Also, I have been doing SEO and writing articles to our websites, creating newsletters, and taking pictures. And of course, reporting the results of marketing campaigns. To put it briefly, it has been a lot of daily and monthly marketing activities and brainstorming for future marketing. We have also been working with a global market research project. A lot has happened during the past three months.

Oona: The tasks have varied a lot and they are overall very versatile. My responsibilities have included customer acquisitions and sales actions, managing websites, doing search engine optimization, creating marketing material for newsletter, social media, and different virtual and non-virtual events and fairs. I have been reporting the results of the digital marketing performance and working together with our other trainee Emma on a market research project. One of the most interesting projects has been to participate in renewing Verkotan’s website to clarify the message, brand, and offering. In short, I could say that my responsibility has been from the beginning to increase the visibility of the company mainly through digital marketing activities.

Andreas: Sales and marketing. My usual workday consists of carrying out various sales and marketing tasks, such as contacting potential customers, handling orders and inquiries, and creating marketing materials for our website and social media channels. I get to mostly manage my own projects, while consulting our experts and executives as needed.

What are your hobbies and passions outside of work?

Emma: Usually my next stop after leaving the office is the gym. Lately, I have also become acquainted with Oulu’s running trails. I travel home to the south to spend time with my friends and family always when possible.

Oona: Outside of work and university I like to train at the gym. I also like running, especially in the forest. When there is time for a longer trip, I like to go hiking. There are great national parks in Finland and the Nordic counties. I have a strong interest in new ways of working in the online world and on my free time I often find myself exploring new innovative brands from the depths of the internet.

Andreas: In my free time I try to move and exercise for my own delight. I work out at a gym regularly, and lately, in these coronavirus times, I have taken an interest in biking. I am also moved by good music, and when I am by myself, I tend to spend most of my time with headphones on, listening to something upbeat.

From here you can read about previous trainee’s experiences.

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Verkotan is always seeking enthusiastic specialists in the wireless industry to be part of our team. If you are interested in working here, send us an open application!