Joining the Kiitorata programme has certainly been one of the best decisions I have made. My traineeship period has included many good experiences, but challenges, too. At the end of the day, it has been a good and rewarding feeling to overcome these challenges. Of course I have, at times, had to have some understanding after switching jobs from a small tech company to Finland’s largest financial services company. OP has a different corporate culture, and its large size means dealing with certain realities. However, I was able to overcome these challenges and I have a positive impression of the traineeship period as a whole!

I have worked with analytics-based portfolio management together with hardcore experts. There are experts in my team with different backgrounds, the common denominator being a strong mathematical competence. My co-workers have been really helpful and they have helped me out regularly with small problems and grasping larger wholes. Often we have booked a meeting room where I have received private tutoring on a new and interesting theme. Although my co-workers have more work history behind them, I have been happy to notice that my suggestions of how work methods and tools could be further developed have been accepted with an open-minded attitude.

During this period, my duties have included conducting research on how text material is utilised in the automatic prediction of equity returns. I have had a front row seat to quantitative investment and the procedures related to it, from drawing up return expectations to applying risk models. I myself have had the chance to work with extensive international data material, and to get to know and utilise the latest research related to the field. During these six months, I have learned a lot of new things about technology, but I have especially gained competence in the sector. In addition, working with one single large project for six months has inevitably improved my softer skills. My project management and organisational skills and skills in communicating results are in much better shape after the traineeship period than when I started here.

Definitely my best trainee programme experiences have to do with the people I have worked with during this period. The other trainees and the colleagues I work with every day have created a positive atmosphere where it is easy to believe in the meaningfulness of one’s work. I am confident that that the network I have created during the trainee programme will carry far into the future.

The Kiitorata programme has provided me with an excellent opportunity to try out my competence and to get a whiff of the skills required in employment. In addition to my work, meetings with experts and representatives from OP’s management have shed light on potential future trends and made it clear to me that the end of studies most certainly does not mean the end of learning. In order to succeed at OP or anywhere else, you have to be bold enough to try out new things, be prepared to develop yourself continuously and to believe in your potential.

Niklas, Data Analyst Trainee