Who? Annika – Design Engineer, media technology engineer from the far-reached forests of Southern Ostrobothnia, currently from Tampere. Involved in frontend coding at Bitwise.
Started with Habbo Hotel
Annika started working at Bitwise at the beginning of 2018. She heard from an acquaintance that Bitwise had nice premises and good colleagues. “I checked out their website and realised that this really was a people company and not just management and subordinates! I’m not really in to the idea of traditional hierarchies in work culture, so there is a true sense of freedom here”, Annika explains.
Building websites was a hobby of Annika’s already at a young age. Her first encounter with the subject came while playing Habbo Hotel, and admiring the fan pages of other players. Soon she was building her own sites with the help of her big brother, and at the same time she developed her own skills. Annika’s choice of study was also obvious to her: “In lower secondary school, I was determined to apply for a vocational qualification in business information technology + upper secondary studies, although the study advisor slightly rolled her eyes at this option.”
Continuous self-development is still important to Annika, in the same was as when she learnt to code websites as a child. “I have my own projects in which I always aim to take on a new technology”, she says.
Annika describes herself as an introvert and enjoys an independent role at work, but she also appreciates good company: “I enjoy spending time alone, but sometimes its also nice to small talk about anything. I feel I am at my best in a smaller group, where I can get support and security from others, without being personally responsible for everything. I am not scared to ask for advice, no matter what the problem. If the role includes anything other than just coding, it makes it a lot more interesting. It’s awarding to make your mark!”
The employer must show appreciation towards employees
Annika expects flexibility and diversity from her employer: “I have designed user interfaces, influenced scheduling, tested, and whatever must be done during a project. Diversity in job duties is surprisingly refreshing, although coding is the main string.”
Being able to adapt work with leisure time and hearing employees is also important. “An employer should show that employees are appreciated. So it’s not all the same, if an employee were to leave. In addition, the opportunity to switch between duties within the company is a good thing”, she lists. Bitwise’s project cycle is facilitated by the fact that work is carried out at a personal office in Viinikka, in Tampere. It has been proven at an early stage that building a sense of community and sharing information works best in a traditional manner, face-to-face.
In addition to the project cycle, Annika also praises Bitwise’s entertainment side and leisure activities, at the moment the 5,000-piece Star Wars puzzle which can be found at the first floor. ”I have always liked puzzles, but to think you can go and find a place for a piece during a work day! And I never thought I would long for Bitwise’s yoga lessons after the summer, but here we are”, Annika lists.