“Even as a complete newcomer, my opinions and ideas were taken into account straight away.”
Who? Tommi – trainee and software engineering student at Tampere University of Applied Sciences. Designs and builds application user interfaces for products in the engineering industry. Joined in spring 2019 through Bootcamp, Bitwise's summer programme for software students. Tommi tells the story of his summer in his own words.
“Even as a complete newcomer, my opinions and ideas were taken into account straight away”
The academic year was coming to an end, and as a young computing student it was time for me, too, to dip my toes into the job market in my own field for the first time. There seemed to be plenty on offer in Tampere, but a few companies had already stuck in my mind from various excursions and guest visits. Some, like Bitwise, had stuck through their social media presence. So what kind of outfit is this Bitwise, really?
I sent out about a dozen job applications. The day after I applied to Bitwise, our HR lady Katja confirmed she'd received my application, which doesn't seem to be a given when you're job hunting. The interview invitation came fairly quickly, within a couple of weeks.
Before Bitwise, I'd already been to several job interviews. So the worst of the nerves were behind me, and even as a greenhorn I had some idea of what to expect from an interview in the software industry. Whatever nerves I had left disappeared very quickly when Bitwise's Niina welcomed me in a cheerful, relaxed way. Overall, I came away from the interview with a really positive feeling.
Then it was time to start work. First, the most important things were taken care of: a Bitwise hoodie, a coffee mug with my name on it and a work laptop. After that, I started getting to know my project and my colleagues. After a short induction, I could explore how the project was built on my own, at my own pace. I could pick up my first task as soon as I felt ready. My approachable colleagues made sure that anyone who asked always got help.
The work started to feel like my own very quickly, and the rest of the project team welcomed me as a newcomer extremely well. It was even surprising to find that, in the software industry, someone as new as me would have their opinions and ideas taken into account straight away. Being interested in usability, I also joined the company's internal group of UX enthusiasts, and through it I got to take part in a few other projects in the company too.
Bitwise's premises and facilities, with their billiard tables, various competitions and activities, made sure I could also clear my own cache now and then alongside work. And although I'd got used to things like lunch benefits in previous jobs, the speciality coffee machine downstairs and the company's lovely “Company Granny”, now known as Mother Sunshine, more or less made up for it with her almost daily treats in the middle of the day.
Growing as a developer continues alongside my studies
The summer has been mostly about work (which I've been able to do in peace, without any outside distractions), various Bootcamp training sessions and events, as well as company-wide and team events. The Buzz Team, made up of volunteer Bitwisers, makes sure there's plenty to do alongside and outside work, and our in-house sauna offers a great setting for activities and events. On top of the Buzz Team, anyone is free to organise happenings in the company, so since not everyone is into floorball or the running club, as a new Bitwiser I got to put together a company team to play Counter-Strike in Kanaliiga.
I still have a year of studies left, even though, admittedly, working interests me more. Above all, the summer has taught me that sitting in a classroom you don't learn anywhere near as fast as you do on the job, with constant constructive feedback from more experienced colleagues. There hasn't been a single day when I didn't feel I'd made progress. I'm gradually getting better equipped to become a more complete software developer. Right from the start, it was also made clear that anyone who wants more responsibility will get it, once they've got a good handle on their own area and become more familiar with how software projects work. Over the summer, I've also realised that working and being at work can be genuinely fun, even if there are the occasional moments of frustration that come with the territory. Luckily, those moments are shared with awesome colleagues, who've taught me that you really don't need to, and shouldn't, take everything too seriously.
Luckily, I don't have to step away from work completely and I can keep growing as a developer, because I was offered a contract to continue alongside my studies, with a very flexible approach. I'm excited to see what the future holds for me as a Bitwiser!