Anton Sulkava is a software developer at Profium who has been involved in renewing and testing the company’s products for over four years. He started at Profium alongside his studies, and his responsibilities have grown over time.
“I started at Profium as a trainee while I was still studying. When I graduated, I moved into a full-time position, and lately my responsibilities have increased especially in customer work,” Anton says.
Today, Anton works as part of Profium’s product development team, where the structure of workdays varies a lot. Some days are filled with meetings, while on others he can focus on one specific task. Often, however, he needs to switch between tasks quickly and solve many kinds of problems throughout the day.
Collaboration and problem-solving
Profium’s teams work closely together, and according to Anton, this is one of the best parts of the job. He describes Profium’s work atmosphere with three words: pleasant, fair, and cheerful.
“There are rarely days when you work completely on your own. We have a close-knit community, and collaboration is a daily part of the job, especially with newer employees,” Anton notes.
Anton also finds interaction with customers an important part of what makes the work meaningful: “Engaging with customers is important to me—when the customer is happy, you know you’ve done something right.”
The journey from student to professional
Anton found his way into the IT field quite naturally. Mathematics had already been his strength in high school, and his interest in logical problem-solving eventually led him to Aalto University’s School of Engineering and to programming. Over the years, Anton’s responsibilities have expanded, and today he needs to be able to understand large, complex entities.
“In this job, you need to think in terms of the big picture. When you make a change in one place, you have to consider how it affects the rest of the system. It requires creative thinking,” Anton explains.
The best parts of the job
When Anton is asked what makes the work rewarding, he answers simply: “The best part is seeing concretely that things work well. It creates a sense of accomplishment.”
He also has fond memories of moments shared with colleagues. Anton says his favorite memories involve team days and summer events: “It’s nice to meet people from different offices and spend time together.”
Finding balance comes naturally
Anton keeps work and free time separate without difficulty: “When the workday ends, it ends. I don’t usually think about work during my free time, and that works well for me. Sometimes the days are longer, but I don’t mind.”
In his free time, Anton spends time with loved ones, exercises, and enjoys the outdoors.
“I go to the gym, and in the summer I sometimes run. I also spend part of my free time with my dog. My cocker spaniel Asse takes up a surprising amount of time, but it’s a nice counterbalance to work,” Anton says.
A simple guiding principle: think holistically
Anton believes that the biggest advantage a software developer can have is the ability to understand complex systems: “Perhaps the most important skill is thinking on a large scale and seeing how different parts interact dynamically. That helps build better solutions and succeed in software development.”
