Tiina, Internship in Human Resources

Could you tell us a little about your internship project at Vaisala?

I work at Vaisala’s Human Resources on career and development paths. My job is to describe Vaisala’s internal career and development paths - both as an HR tool and to help with the career planning of other Vaisala employees. In addition, I also arrange and take part in HR’s routine tasks, such as training.

What made you interested in the Giant Leap internship program?

When looking for internships in human resources, I saw Vaisala’s video presentation on a recruitment site called monster.fi. On Vaisala's web pages, I found information on the Giant Leap program, and became increasingly interested in the company. Vaisala’s international coverage and approach, company values, steady stability and market position make my internship in Giant Leap all the more interesting.  The very existence of the internship program serves to signify Vaisala’s receptive and respectful stance towards students and fresh graduates.

What is your educational background? Do you feel you could apply your skills and knowledge during your time at Vaisala?

I study Management and Organization at the University of Oulu’s Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. As minors I have applied economics, general economics, mathematics and French. The theoretical frame of reference of my studies has been a great help in the planning of career and development paths and approaching matters analytically.  The human resources project offered to me through Giant Leap matched my studies so well that I decided to write my Master's Thesis on the same subject once my internship is complete. This is a genuine win-win situation: Vaisala will get a solid scientific foundation supporting its career path models, and I'll be able to cap off my studies with banners flying high!

What have you learned from the internship?

During the summer I learned a whole lot about how to put my acquired university knowledge into practice. I have been able to get a truly panoramic look at the entire range of HR functions, how HR works both in theory and practice, and how Vaisala operates as an organization. I feel that Giant Leap has really lived up to its name!

How would you describe Vaisala as an employer to students who are seeking an internship?

Vaisala offers a versatile selection of internships for students in different fields. The Giant Leap program’s projects are ones where students can truly make a difference while harnessing their education to rise to the challenge and learn new things.  In my experience, Vaisala really pays attention to the intern’s ideas and wishes, which makes Vaisala an excellent choice for internships.