Two years ago, Mirva Samuelsson would be called to help in emergencies. Now she works at OP as a Developer and a messenger of the agile and self-managed method. How did a healthcare professional end up in the IT sector, and what do these roles have in common? 

Mirva Samuelsson found her passion to help others at a young age – encountering people and making them happy made her feel empowered. After general upper secondary school, she became a practical nurse and started working in different units of the City of Helsinki.

‒ I worked with the elderly, in home care, on emergency visits and in outpatient clinics. Nursing staff was in high demand, and I wanted to try out everything.

Mirva enjoyed working in the nursing sector: she had wonderful colleagues who were fun to work with, and authentic encounters with people were heartwarming. Still, the daily work was stressful. The idea of a career change began to take shape.

Kiitorata programme accelerated the career change

Samuelsson had her first contact with the world of software development when the City of Helsinki prepared for the implementation of a new patient data system in 2021. Mirva became her unit’s Apotti support person, and she discovered that she enjoyed playing around in the test environment. When her Software Engineer partner suggested that she apply for IT studies, Samuelsson was sold.

‒ I thought, let’s try something completely different ‒ it was time to leave the nursing sector behind.

Mirva was accepted on to a Bachelor’s programme in information technology at a university of applied sciences, and that same autumn in 2022, she was selected for OP Financial Group’s Kiitorata trainee programme.

‒ It felt awesome, since the number of applicants was really high. The Kiitorata programme was an excellent route to employment. I had the chance to ask questions and develop my skills. I had a wonderful mentor, with whom I still work.

After the traineeship, Samuelsson started working at OP as a Developer. A new career had begun.

A fast career track thanks to a supportive work community

Samuelsson’s career development has been dazzling. She switched from nursing to coding in one year and has kept up the pace in the IT sector as well.  Within a short time, her work responsibilities have increased so that her role in OP is now changing as well.

‒ Currently I split my time between working in my own team and in duties at the tribe level. In my team, in addition to programming and planning, I am also in charge of promoting the agile and self-managed method at work. At the tribe level, I help supervisors with organisational tasks; I plan events, participate in projects and provide support when something new is being implemented. My job is immensely diverse.

Samuelsson praises OP’s agile and self-managed method of working and the open atmosphere.

‒ I pretty much get to plan my own schedules, which enables me to wear these two different hats.

Samuelsson, who specialises in software development, completed her Bachelor’s degree in two years, which is a magnificent accomplishment for someone who works full time. The super student says that this pace is possible if you are willing to spend your leisure time on completing the degree.  

‒ I haven’t the slightest idea what the wild student life might be like. My secret is efficient time management.

Samuelsson also lavishes praise on her employer’s positive attitude on studying: in addition to participating in the Kiitorata trainee programme, she was able to complete her thesis at OP in company time.

‒ Without my employer’s encouraging attitude I would not have graduated so fast.

Carving a personalised career path 

Samuelsson believes that her experience in the nursing sector improved her organisational skills and gave her nerves of steel.

‒ I have seen death and been in resuscitation situations that did not end well. Thanks to all the thinking I have done, nowadays I have a very healthy attitude towards work. My colleagues at OP find it amusing when I tell them that nobody is going to die even if some things do not get done.

Samuelsson has noticed that she tends to slip into the familiar role of helper as an IT specialist as well.

‒ Doing so is a strong part of my identity. When our roles at OP were in a flux, I volunteered to help supervisors by assisting in organisational tasks. Here one can create a personalised career path.

The new IT specialist sees plenty of possibilities in her new career and wishes that the career continues to include both problem-solving and helping people. Samuelsson gives thanks to her motivating supervisors and OP’s culture of competence development.

‒ OP wants people to accomplish things.