Summer Roadies 2018 Edition

Oh, do it
Oh, do it
Do it
Do the hustle, do the hustle

Pinja Hokkanen, Aalto University, School of Science

I’m Pinja, a 5th year Information Networks student at Aalto University. My studies have been a mix of various fields, but since I had a bit of previous experience from digital marketing I joined the MarTech team. I worked on several projects varying from intense growth hacking to planning and optimising clients' digital campaigns.


Why Columbia Road?

I noticed Columbia Road (CR) quite soon after it was established, and thought “Hey they’re using a really cool flower design on their caps — and also seems like they're doing interesting things with an extraordinary team spirit”. I wanted to apply back then, but didn’t think of myself as a developer or a designer. When the MarTech summer position opened I applied instantly.

What did you learn during the summer?

So much it’s hard to even tell! I thought I knew something about MarTech (I used to work in the “field”), but the start of the summer was a deep dive into the MarTech skill-set and I still learn so much every day. Also, I’ve learned about working in different industries with actual clients and business problems, which has been very fascinating.

What are your plans for the future?

I work part time at CR, but during the autumn I’ll focus on our student association’s board and my bachelors thesis.

Anything else on your mind?

I’d heard so much positive things about CR that I had quite high expectations — and CR exceeded them! Best thing is to work with these talented, open and loving people, and get inspired by them. It was also nice to be trusted and given a lot of responsibilities, since even though it was surprising at first, it made me grow a lot.

Tomas Järvinen, Aalto University, School of Business

I’m Tomas, and I’m currently finishing up my studies at the Marketing department at Aalto University. I joined the MarTech team and got to work on a number of projects ranging from simple search engine marketing to setting up analytics & tagging frameworks for our clients.


Why Columbia Road?

I had heard about CR a while back in a more developer-sided context, but even then it felt like the atmosphere at CR was something I’d enjoy. Back then the MarTech side of things wasn’t a focus at CR, but recently that has changed, and once I saw that CR was also looking for MarTech people, I decided to apply.

What did you learn during the summer?

A whole lot on the actual grass-root level related to MarTech: SEM, SEO, SMM, analytics and tag management to name a few. Most of that stuff can’t be learned at school or from a course, it has to be learned by doing. Also, working together with designers and developers is a great way to not only build team working skills, but also perspective on how the bigger picture works.


What are your plans for the future?

I’m actually already continuing as a full-time employee as school’s not taking up my time!

Anything else on your mind?

For me, Columbia Road has offered a lot of opportunities to improve my skills in my field, but also chances to step out of my comfort zone and work on things that I have never done before. A lot of it comes down to being proactive when new projects pop up, but there’s always help and support coming from other Roadies if needed.

Otso Sorvettula, Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture

I’m Otso. Currently I’m finishing my master degrees at Information Networks and at Media Lab. At Columbia Road I’ve had versatile roles from service design to web design and development.


Why Columbia Road?

After founding a company I wanted to work at consultancy with focus on design. At Columbia Road I found a great group to work with and versatile projects with interesting clients.

What did you learn during the summer?

My biggest insights have been about understanding and answering client needs.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m continuing part time at CR as a designer while finishing my studies and doing occasional gigs and exhibitions as a media artist.

Anything else on your mind?

Still have to put more work on my karaoke skillz!

Lam Ngo, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences

My name is Lam. I’m a final year Bachelor's student from Haaga-Helia, majoring in Software Engineering. I joined Columbia Road in May 2018 as a developer. I had a chance to join a multinational software project using modern technologies from day one.

Why Columbia Road?

Columbia Road inherits great culture value from Futurice, but with a smaller size where I can get to know everyone, and a growing potential for which I can make an impact.

What did you learn during the summer?

Besides the technical skill sets, working in a cross functional team taught me how to work with others who have different backgrounds, from designers, developers, project managers, to clients.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m working part-time to finish my studies and will start full-time after that.

Anything else on your mind?

Working at a multinational consulting business, no two days are the same. Everyday I learn something new from my colleagues, clients and especially Columbia Road’s learning opportunities.

Niklas Sivaro, Aalto University, School of Science

I'm Niklas, a fifth-year Computer Science student at Aalto University. I joined Columbia Road this April, and for the past summer I've worked as a software developer on an ecommerce project relying heavily on microservices.

Why Columbia Road?

I'd been to a couple excursions to the office, and had a couple friends working at CR who recommended the company. The aspect of combining tech and business and focusing more on creating value than lines of code was something I was interested in.

What did you learn during the summer?

As my first software development job, I've learned a lot about processes, workflows and of course, technologies. Perhaps the most important thing I've learned is that we should always strive to create things that bring value to the customer instead of just making cool, shiny things that might not result in any actual change.

What are your plans for the future?

I'm working part-time at Columbia Road while continuing with my studies.

Anything else on your mind?

Columbia Road has been an amazing opportunity for professional and personal growth. You're surrounded by talented people who are always willing to help you with problems if they've got time -- and the karaoke scene is great!

Miika Kanerva, Aalto University, School of Science

My name is Miika, I’m a 4th year student at Aalto University majoring in Computer Science. I joined Columbia Road in April 2018 and I immediately joined a project as a developer. I worked the past summer on one project with technologies such as React, NodeJS, Elasticsearch and Kubernetes.

Why Columbia Road?

I had been interested in CR for some time before joining and had heard good things about the company. What really interested me was the (small) size of the company and the good atmosphere that I had heard about.

What did you learn during the summer?

This was my first development job, so I learned bunch of things. The main things that I can list are: working with a real customer, working with a modern technology stack and thinking about what actually creates value for the customer instead of doing fancy things that don’t really bring any value.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m currently back at school to finish my Bachelor's degree and starting Master’s.

Anything else on your mind?

So far Columbia Road has been the best company I’ve worked for, the people are amazing and really supportive. Also, the weekly breakfast is a small, but very great thing that I personally enjoyed.

Juho Heikkilä, Aalto University, School of Science

I’m Juho, a 5th year Computer Science student at Aalto University. I joined Columbia Road in May 2017 and have worked here since as a developer. I have been working on several projects varying from building webshops to developing AI-powered customer service tool.

Why Columbia Road?

Columbia Road caught my attention after a few of my friends from school started working there. I heard good things about the company and the great working atmosphere, and I knew I would get to work with talented people.

What did you learn during the summer?

Probably the most important thing I’ve learned is to have more critical mindset when developing software. Instead of doing something “just because”. I’ve learned to more often think about the reasoning behind the decisions and what value they can bring to the customer. On top of that I have been able to learn and work with several modern web technologies.

What are your plans for the future?

I’m currently working part-time as I’m back at school finishing my Bachelor's degree.

Anything else on your mind?

Columbia Road has given me opportunity to work with amazing people and get more experience as a developer. And made me do karaoke, which I guess is a good thing.

Application period starts early October — Stay tuned!