Translating data into insights – two trainees share their experiences
How does Business Finland utilize its large pool of data? How are insights leveraged for the benefit of Finnish companies, from start-ups to large corporations? What skills are needed to succeed as a data analyst trainee? In this blog post, Heikki Autio and Markus Perämäki, our current data analyst trainees, will provide answers to these questions and share their experiences at Business Finland.
We've known each other before our time at Business Finland, as we were good friends during our school years in Seinäjoki. We both chose to pursue a career in the field of business and analytics and, unexpectedly, our paths crossed once again this year as we both joined Business Finland as trainees. This blog post introduces our experiences from our traineeships.
Working with data requires various skills
Heikki: I work in the Business Intelligence unit at Visit Finland. My team consists of the Head of Business Intelligence, three analysts, and me. We gather and analyze data from various internal and external sources, turn it into insights and presentations, and deliver it, e.g., to local entrepreneurs in the travel industry or Visit Finland's management.
The key skill to succeed in my daily tasks is the ability to communicate and visualize insights in a form that is easy to understand. In addition, advanced Excel skills and knowledge of Business Intelligence tools, such as PowerBI, have been extremely helpful.
The aim is to understand our customers better so we can target our funding services better.
Markus: I work as Customer Data Trainee in a unit known as Grants, Proposals. My main responsibility is to help in operative decision making, develop customer insights, and improve decision quality. My daily tasks usually include gathering, analyzing, and visualizing data from both internal and external sources. The aim is to understand our customers better so we can target our funding services better.
Even though my work is highly independent, skills in communication have been vital for being able to translate raw data into valuable insights. Like Heikki, I utilize tools such as PowerBI, Excel, and PowerPoint in my daily tasks, so any previous experience using these tools has been useful. Moreover, curiosity and willingness to extend your skills in data analytics is something I can't highlight enough.
Lessons for the future
Heikki: The timing of my traineeship has been excellent, as I've had an opportunity to participate in developing Visit Finland's roadmap for 2022–2025. I've learned that the opportunities created by a data-intensive society and leading with data play an extensive role in shaping the future of the travel industry in Finland. It's been interesting to be a part of this process and familiarize myself with the future of the travel industry.
Markus: During the past few months, I've had the chance to dive deep into the world of start-ups and SMEs. Analyzing our customers' growth paths and Business Finland's role in them has proven to be very interesting and educational. I can benefit from the skills and lessons I've learned throughout my career. During this traineeship, I've also found that I greatly enjoy working with data and that a career in data analytics is something I want to pursue.
Key takeaways from our traineeships
For both of us, our traineeships at Business Finland have helped us grow as persons, developed our skills, and broadened our network. The amount of responsibility trainees are given at Business Finland is exceptional. Here, we're considered as full members of the team, and we do tasks similar to the other team members. Despite all the responsibilities and independence, there's also lots of support behind every corner: The more experienced colleagues have been very helpful and provided us with tools, tips, and feedback to support our personal development. We've also been able to expand our professional network, which may be helpful in our future endeavors.
The amount of responsibility trainees are given at Business Finland is exceptional.
During our time at Business Finland, we've gained a lot of confidence about our expertise and its relevance in the modern business landscape. We're certain there are many interesting opportunities for experts who both understand the language of business and can work with the IT and analytics functions. Our experiences at Business Finland have prepared us well for these kind of tasks in the future.
If you're interested in understanding how Finnish companies operate and how Business Finland's services can generate value for their core business, we fully recommend Business Finland as a workplace.
Read more about work opportunities at Business Finland
This is the final post in the series of trainee blog posts we've published throughout the fall. Find the other posts here:
Creating Finnish Success Stories – Experiences From Ecosystem Traineeship
A World Of Opportunities: Peek Into Double-Themed Traineeship
The Age of Digital Design: Insight Into Interaction Design Trainee
Business Finland Becomes a Change Agent: Trainee's Experience of Working in Sustainability
Mission's Guide the Way to the Future: Traineeship at Business Finland's Strategy Unit