Alumni provided advice to business students who will graduate soon

Graduating soon with a master's degree and facing the final leap to working life. Many recent graduates are pondering how to deal with the new stage in their lives, whether it is possible to make any career plans and whether they already possess enough knowledge and expertise.

This spring, the Aalto University School of Business Career Services again organised the popular career event in which the alumni of our school talked to future master's graduates about working life and encouraged them to find their place in the world of work.

Mikko Rummukainen, Partner and Director of Vapa Media, already has more than 10 years of experience in digital marketing.

’I was a good student, but when I started in my first real job, I soon realised that I was not so good as a professional’, he said. ’I wanted to learn what everyone else was already talking about’.

Mikko advised students who are about to start their careers to always look for tasks that they genuinely like, but also to remember to be patient. Things do not happen instantly, but little by little, when students have the courage to follow their own path and are open to learn about matters they find personally interesting.

Do not strive for a position, but head boldly towards what you will learn most from

’Do not plan too much, you´ll never know!’ was the advice given to our students by Outi Sivonen, Head of People Development at Finnair, which is a partner of the School of Business.

She advised those soon graduating to think carefully and in depth about what it is they themselves want to focus on in the future and bring these matters up in particular in situations such as job interviews.

’Attitude and passion are the key words when you are looking for work. The employer wants to know what you intend to do and what you want to bring with you to the position that you are applying for. If you manage to communicate these points successfully, you will stand a good chance’, Outi summarised.

Transformation of industries changes career planning

An essential part of the Life After Graduation event is the opportunity for the companies and the students to meet face-to-face after the so-called formal part of the event. This year, there was a lot of discussion at the companies' stands about the unavoidable transformation of industries. Graduating with a degree in a specific major subject no longer determines what kind of work one can apply for in the future. The multidisciplinary nature of Aalto University therefore also fascinates employers.

’As a company, we are no longer able to increase our business on our own, but need a broad-based and multidisciplinary approach. That is why we are here today’, summarised Sanni Suominen, Senior Specialist at Wärtsilä.