Take time to explore your career opportunities

See your career as a journey 

It took years for me to find what I’m really excited about; the work I’m doing currently with learning and people development. I see my exploration and experiences from different jobs in different companies as a journey with plenty of learning experiences, which have guided me to my dream profession.  

When we explore and try different things in working life, we learn from ourselves. I realized that I like to have variety and social encounters in my job and need challenges. Based on those insights, I understood that I want to work in people development, studied a Master’s degree in Management at Aalto University and eventually found the job I have today.

Find a workplace that is aligned with your values

I believe it's important to find a workplace that’s aligned with your values, even if it takes some time. Take time to investigate the deeper values of that potential workplace that you're sizing up for yourself. While different companies might have similar-sounding values on paper, there are huge differences in how those values play out in real life. Ask around in your network and read how the company and its employees communicate on social media. If you are invited for an interview, ask about the culture and values. Concrete examples of how the values are lived in the organization's daily life should provide the necessary information. 

I've been positively surprised by how value-driven Solita is. Caring is one of our core values, and you can feel and see it in the culture from day one. For me, it's important that my employer cares about me as a human being and I can be my authentic self at work. I believe that finding a workplace where you can be your true self - with your strengths and weaknesses - is highly important. I also believe that people do their best work in a culture where there’s room to grow, learn, and take up new challenges. A transparent and open culture fosters growth and enhances team spirit.

Let go of worry and trust that everything will work out

People evolve and change, and so do our interests and values. Go after things that feel good today, and don't be afraid to change direction when you want to open a new chapter. Being open to different opportunities and listening to our intuition can lead us to great places. It's a good idea to look inside and take a little pause here and there to evaluate how you feel about what you are doing. 

For my younger self, I would say that there is no need to worry or to be afraid - you’ll find your place in the world. Exploration will always take you forward, and as long as you are open to possibilities, you will find the thing that excites you. And when you do, follow it.

Solita participates in Career Design Lab’s CoDesigner collaboration. CoDesigners help us co-create a sustainable future of work by supporting our students and alumni in meaningful career design and lifewide learning.