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Software Development

Career story, Pauli Aho: Feet on the ground, head in the clouds

Pauli Aho is an experienced software developer whose years in the field have given him perspective to appreciate his current job description. Pauli is currently involved in the insurance provider If’s projects, but in his free time this talented and positive professional can be found trekking, playing floorball, bouldering and going on culinary journeys that lead him to good food and various types of whisky and beer.

Fascinated by the inner workings of PCs since his teenage years

Pauli’s journey to where he is now began with gaming and fascination with the inner workings of machines. However, it wasn’t always clear that Pauli would end up in his current profession.

“Computer games were the reason I became interested in computers at an early age, and when I came across my first PC, I started reading operating system manuals. I wanted to know what DOS could do and spent a lot of time learning its various commands. Later, when I was trying to decide where I’d like to study, I still had no actual idea what programming really was. Nevertheless, that was the path I chose, and the path I’m glad I’m still on.”

Competence development is a privilege

According to Pauli, Vincit constantly promotes learning and development. The company has a unique training organization, Univincity, that supports on-the-job learning and offers a range of courses, educational programs, small groups and opportunities for self-study.

“I have a fairly extensive knowledge of various programming languages due to my previous experience. C# is the language that I use the most. I’m also familiar with JavaScript, C++, Delphi and Java, but my point is that at Vincit everyone has the opportunity to learn new skills. I used to work in a firm that developed an algorithm-based tool for Electronics Manufacturing Services. For ten years, the job was a lot of fun and took me all over the globe. However, my learning path seemed too narrow for my taste. And as luck would have it, that was when Vincit, an interesting new company, happened to land in Turku. Our paths crossed at just the right time.”

Never mind the pats on the back – hooray for team success!

Vincit pays a lot of attention to a good workplace atmosphere and living by the company values. The nature of the business means that a lot of effort is put into finding a good match between the competency profiles and wishes of different people and the clients’ projects, so that the various project teams can take maximum advantage of everyone’s skillset.

“We tackle challenges together and share our experiences. The fact that we get to develop things and by doing so make people’s lives easier is mind-blowing. The recognition and pats on the back you get for completing a project are nice, but it’s really all about the success of the whole team. That’s the thing that makes you feel like a winner and gives you faith in your ability to achieve even greater things.”

The means are there, the rest is up to you

Pauli says that the way Vincit’s working environment has been designed makes it easy to concentrate on the everyday grind without having to worry over the little things.

“When you’re surrounded by open, genuine and truly nice colleagues who happen to be top experts in what they do and also willing to help you, there’s really nothing to complain about. All the elements needed for achieving success and feeling good about your work are there. People here are constantly asking how you’re doing and whether you need help or a sparring partner for a project, presentation or even more personal stuff. The whole thing’s really well thought out – the rest is up to you and how you approach and do your job.”

Where does the path lead next?

Pauli recently visited the Lemmenjoki ja Urho Kekkonen national parks to marvel at the breathtaking beauty and colors of nature in its fall glory. The next leisure trip destination is yet unknown, but professionally the direction is clear.

“I’m going to hone my professional skills in cloud services, because that’s the direction where we’re obviously headed now. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop finding new approaches to things that I already know. Keeping things fresh is what keeps this work, not to mention life, interesting.”