Be open-minded about the opportunities that come your way, there is always a chance they will lead you to something great!
Into the unknown
I studied at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology. I chose this program because it was something I’ve never done before, a jump into the unknown. My mom had a great influence on my choice, if it wasn’t for her, I most likely wouldn’t pursue this path. I worried that my background might not be suitable and I didn’t know how to code. Looking back, this seems a bit silly because learning skills is precisely why people study. But my mom allayed my concerns: talking to her, I realized how happy she was with her job and everyday tasks. She has been my role model and inspiration throughout my career ever since, I can always talk to her and to my brother who is also in IT.
I decided to give the tech a try and revisit my decision in one year if I wanted to continue on this path. Ultimately, I enjoyed my studies a lot and never regretted this choice. Another person and I were the only ones starting these studies without much prior knowledge or skills, others knew more about the subject. Nonetheless, I didn’t feel left out, and studying with others was one of the best things. We had a small class that stuck together and everyone was very encouraging. Of course, I also loved the profusion of things to learn and try out, as IT is not only about computer games as I used to think.
Taking first steps in the working world
My first job was as an Intern at CGI, or Logica back then. I was working at the helpdesk during my studies and a bit after graduation. In this role, I mostly helped one client and their end users. The things I could do for them were a bit limited, and more often I transferred the requests to other specialists.
After this, I continued to work at the service desk at Elisa, and while essentially the role was similar to my previous one, this time I had more flexibility and freedom in helping the users. That was one of the biggest milestones in my career because I had to dive deeper into the technical side and learn a lot of new things, especially in the Windows environment. My colleagues were very supportive, especially, one person, who encouraged me to keep going and eventually helped me realize my potential in working with people. He sparred with me to prepare for a new role within the company – Junior Service Manager. That was another milestone where I took a more managerial turn in my career. I was the intermediary between technical departments on our side and the client’s side, facilitating the communication and knowledge sharing between parties. After about a year, I dropped the Junior from my title.
Noora Myyry, People Lead & Delivery Manager, Knowit
Intrigued by Cloud and the next career steps
After some time at Elisa, my former colleague switched to Knowit, or Cybercom back then, and invited me to join. I declined the invitation twice but the third time was the charm – I joined the company as a Service Manager and a Delivery Lead afterward, curious about Cloud technology. The company focused on developing solutions together with the clients, making sure the architecture and security processes accommodate their needs, rather than offering something ready-made. I enjoy this proactive approach and co-creation process.
After several months, I took my maternity leave and started thinking about the next steps – what am I going to do when I return to work? I felt the need to move on and learn new things. An opportunity presented itself: my colleague, who was the People Lead, got promoted, so her position freed up. I discussed my aspirations with her and she encouraged me to apply for her former role, sparring with me to prepare. The role felt quite natural as I enjoy working with people and having 1 on 1 discussions.
When I came back from my maternity leave, I combined the old role and the new one. It was helpful because I could do things that I already knew how to do, and also gradually move forward with the new responsibilities. To prepare for the role, I used some internal documents, as well as courses from our service provider. Naturally, I felt a bit insecure at the beginning but what helped me in this role was having a role model. I always try to treat people the way the former People Lead would do.
I also took an Emotional Intelligence Training course that lasted one year and was valuable not only for my career but also for my personal life. We could practice the new skills and discuss what we learned and how it turned out in groups, that was very helpful.
The mentee becomes the mentor
My People Lead role is about the personal development and well-being of the employees. We have an internal CV bank and one of the tasks that I do is polishing the consultants’ CVs. It can be challenging to identify your own strengths and highlight them. So now I have become a mentor who helps colleagues unlock their potential as sometimes it is more visible from an external perspective.
Another responsibility of mine is to make sure that people develop their skills and stay up to date with the trends while there are no client projects.
As a People Lead, I also need to help my colleagues adapt to the changes as the tech industry constantly changes. About one and half a month ago we had a big organizational change and my approach is to create an open atmosphere where people can share how they feel. And if someone is struggling, I make sure to dedicate more time to this person and we can talk through the worries and concerns.
Not everything always goes as planned
Some time ago I had something like a burnout, when acquiring new skills and learning things didn’t bring me as much joy as it used to. That made me focus on well-being even more: everyone needs to find their ways to unwind and recharge. For me, it is a long walk.
Knowit as a workplace
Ever since I joined Knowit in 2018, I enjoyed it and haven’t thought about leaving the company. Every time I express I want to learn something new, people around me always support my ambitions and help make it happen. The organization has quite a flat hierarchy so it’s pretty easy to open up about your aspirations and concerns. Even though the company has grown a lot, we managed to keep the culture and atmosphere intact – everybody is welcome to talk and express themselves.
Encouraging more girls and women to choose tech
Speaking from my experience, it is very important to provide examples to youth of all the possible career paths. If I didn’t have my mother as a role model, I wouldn’t have imagined myself working in the field. But now I realize there is no need to be very technical to work in tech, we are still working with people. The industry offers many opportunities for different people, and it is ok to not have a technical background to join.
Be open-minded about the opportunities that come your way, there is always a chance they will lead you to something great!
And having a mentor is also a very good idea.
Favorites
I like listening to podcasts as a way to relax, so they are usually non-technical. One of my favorites is Tuplakääk.
