What is your role at Mylab? When did you start?

I started at Mylab in May 2020 as a Test Engineer, and by the beginning of September I had started in the role of Release Train Engineer (RTE), working within the SAFe framework. I drive the “release train”, which means that I monitor the progress of product development as a whole and ensure that the development teams are working in a synchronised fashion and in line with agile development models. My duties also include release management, so I am responsible for deciding when to release a product’s new version packages.

What is your educational background, and where else have you worked before you came to Mylab?

I am just one project short of having my Bachelor of Engineering in Information and Communication Technology from Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK). I set off on an ICT career with a degree in ADP from a commercial institute, and completed an ICT engineering technician’s degree along the way. My career started at Nokia Oy, which is where almost all fresh graduates who had studied ICT applied to at the time. After many co-determination negotiations and a transfer to Tietoenator, I decided that it was time to look for something completely new. I started working at Ambientia, which is located near my hometown, and mainly spent my time software testing and in customer training. After a couple of years of that, I left to search for fresh challenges and started work as a test manager at Tietokarhu. In the course of my several years there, I pursued my long-term dream and served a year as a peacekeeper in Lebanon. After I returned, co-determination negotiations were knocking on the door, so I moved over to the Legal Register Centre for a test manager’s role, where I stayed for four years before joining Mylab.

What made you choose Mylab?

My former colleague in the Legal Register Centre hinted that there was an opening for a test engineer. Although I saw the role as being a downgrade from my prior role, after giving it some thought, I found myself excited about the idea, and sent in an application. Despite the fact that the transfer caused many big changes to my life, I have not for a moment regretted joining this company. Quality control is in my blood, so I enjoyed working as a test engineer, but the role of development train engineer was a nice bonus.

How have you enjoyed working here? Has the job met your expectations?

I have enjoyed it very much! The only thing that has bothered me is the restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, something very much out of the company’s control. If we were in the office more, I would have more of a chance to get to know my co-workers better. Mylab has a strong team spirit, which I also try to embody, and it has had a positive impact on my staying motivated at work during times like this. Mylab’s culture of having open conversations is a positive characteristic in a company: it means that people have the courage to speak frankly, and that too has made me feel more at home. The work has certainly met my expectations, and my responsibilities have been what I was anticipating, but because I am not too good at saying no, I have been assigned extra duties as well.

What do you do in your spare time?

I have been involved in different sport teams throughout my whole life. Of course, since coronavirus, group hobbies and cultural activities, such as going to the theatre or concerts, have all been put on hold. I try to keep in shape regardless, to keep my mind limber and to feel good. I often go roller-skating or running, and I find one of the best methods to get rid of stress is wandering around the woods – that feeling when you can just enjoy listening to the silence of the forest without any sense of urgency.