The traineeship is a part of many degrees in higher education where a student can get in touch with work-life and learn important skills. My general and adult education studies at the University of Helsinki included compulsory traineeship so I needed to complete the training in some organization which would match my studies.
Consulting is a field that fascinates me because of many reasons. Shortly, a consultant is an expert within a certain field, who provides external support to the client company in their projects, which I found interesting. I saw that I have gained many skills and knowledge during my studies which I could utilize in the consulting field. So, I needed to find a suitable consulting company. Lucky me, I heard about Maya Consulting from my network and get to know the company more. I thought this could be a place where I could learn and improve my professional identity. I sent an application and got hired!
The 22nd of September was exciting. It was the first day of my two months traineeship. My Maya-mentor and I visited the office of Maya. I got my work phone and work laptop. I was introduced to the office and colleagues and got a warm welcome. My first impression was good and especially I was amazed by the sea view which the office has. I was highly motivated and eager to start my traineeship!
I need to confess; it was my first office job, so I needed time to learn how to be and work at the office. I decided to visit the office as much as I could so I would learn about office life and get to know my colleagues. For example, I needed to find a comfortable spot to work – a first little bit further from others, so I can observe how the office life is like. Eventually, I found my place from the middle of the office, next to other colleagues who liked to come to work at the office as well. Another example is, that I listened a lot what my colleagues spoke about their projects and work.
I was briefed on consulting work by my Maya-mentor. My main tasks were to develop an e-learning platform and change management for customers in the construction field. Along with developing, I had tasks concerning project management and stakeholder communication. Also, I got to know recruiting and colleagues´ project concerning e-learning courses. These were themes that I have learned about at my degree but now I could apply my knowledge to practice. Among all this, I educated myself by reading books and articles concerning both change management and Lean Management as well as consulting, recruiting, and construction fields. I can say, I learned a lot!
The atmosphere of the work community was warm and joyful. From the first day, I was considered as an equal colleague. My Maya-mentor checked how I was doing, and I could ask him anything. I also had colleagues’ support. At the office, we had good conversations about consulting and life. We smiled and celebrated together; for example, we had Maya´s Onsite Meeting, where we celebrated the renovation of the office and got to know each other.
Maya was a perfect place to learn and grow. My traineeship came up to expectations but at the same time, I feel like I want to learn and experience more about consulting. I see that Maya gave me eagerness and inspiration for my future career and I’m excited about what the next year will bring!
