Kaisu Pietarinen, who started at Fluent in the autumn as a marketing data analyst trainee through recruitment training, moved from the care sector to the IT sector a few years ago. In her opinion, the software industry contains a lot of opportunities, and it is good to approach different opportunities with an open mind.
Fluent’s team got new blood at the end of October, when Kaisu Pietarinen started at the company as a marketing data analyst trainee.
Pietarinen, who previously worked as a nurse, graduated from Karelia University of Applied Sciences with a degree in Business IT in the summer of 2024. A change of industry had been in mind for a long time.
“I worked as a nurse in a kindergarten, home care and long-term care department in both Joensuu and Helsinki. At some point, I started thinking about whether I would like to do something else”, Kaisu Pietarinen recalls.
In 2013, Pietarinen started expecting her daughter, and later another. In the end, seven years passed as a stay-at-home mom.
“My long-time dream came true in being a stay-at-home mom, but it wasn’t always just dancing with roses. I also started to feel that I wanted to challenge myself in a completely new way, and somehow through that I became interested in coding. I took one coding course, and I noticed that I do understand something about this”, says Pietarinen.
IT studies engaged
Kaisu Pietarinen started her IT studies at Karelia University of Applied Sciences in 2021, and finally completed her studies for four years in a compact three-year package.
“I really enjoyed my studies. I took quite a wide variety of courses, because I wanted to accumulate as many versatile skills as possible. In the end, I ended up focusing on digital business”, says Pietarinen.
Fluent does not get stuck in a rut, but rather develops operating methods all the time.
After seeing Fluent’s open recruitment training position, Kaisu Pietarinen says that she decided to apply for the position right away.
“Actually, the name of the company made me do it. Jarno Tukiainen recently visited Karelia to present Fluent’s operations, and I was left with an image of the company, that here employees are treated really humanely and not just as a resource. In addition, I got the impression that Fluent does not get stuck in a rut, but rather develops operating methods all the time”, recalls Pietarinen.
A new acquaintance with the maintenance industry
At Fluent, Kaisu Pietarinen has been able to perform data-driven analysis related to, for example, the maintenance of streets, roads and sports facilities abroad. The maintenance industry is completely new to her, so she has had much to learn.
“Fluent Outdoors was already familiar to me in terms of skating rinks and ski tracks, but otherwise our products are new to me. In the beginning, there was a lot of getting to know the industry and the domestic market situation, but now I’ve gotten in touch with more practical work”, says Pietarinen.
I easily get excited about many things and I like to learn new things. I think it’s important to be open to all possibilities.
As a counterbalance to work, Kaisu Pietarinen says that she spends time with her family and friends, jogging and reading detective stories.
Pietarinen says that the software industry already feels like her own.
“We’ll see where life and career ultimately lead, but I would like to expand my skills as widely as possible in the IT field. In the beginning, I looked at places with a fairly open mind, because I easily get excited about many things and I like to learn new things. I think it’s important to be open to all possibilities.”