my career - Emmi Keränen

From International Business Studies to Export Coordinator

My name is Emmi Keränen and I am originally from Tornio, Finland, but currently living in Helsinki. I work as an Export Coordinator at a rapidly growing global company called Medix Biochemica in Espoo, I’ve been working here for 2,5 years now. My degree programme at KAMK was Bachelor's Degree in International Business and I graduated in December 2020.

Unexpectedly to Study at KAMK

I found out about KAMK through an online advertisement. I ended up at KAMK a bit unexpectedly through secondary application round. I hadn’t considered studying in the UAS, but it turned out to be a great option for me. Studying at UAS is very practical and you get to do many projects and assignments and not only study from books and then do an exam.

One of the best things about my studies at KAMK was my student exchange to the Netherlands. If you can do an exchange, I highly recommend it! Another thing I enjoyed the most was the international environment, I got to meet so many people from different backgrounds. Studying and doing projects in a group of students from different countries and cultures has definitely improved my interpersonal skills.

Through the Summer Internship to a Permanent Position

I started at Medix Biochemica as a summer trainee, but after the summer they extended my contract and eventually gave me a permanent position. My main work task is handling the order to delivery chain. I receive orders, process them in our system, create the shipping documents and communicate with the customers and internal stakeholders. Sounds simple, but as the customers are located all around the world, they have different requirements for their import processes, which can be challenging at times. Some of the most important skills needed in this job are good communication skills, being able to prioritize the work and being precise and detail oriented. 

During my studies, practical training was the key for me. That experience helped me to land my first summer job in an accurate field, which then helped me to get my current job. The courses helped me to gain business knowledge in general and to develop my practical skills, for example in marketing, business communicating and IT programs.

Study Experiences at KAMK

KAMK is a quite small university, which comes with many advantages. The campus is compact, so it’s easy to find the class rooms. One of the student accommodation blocks is at the campus, which was very convenient especially in the winter. In addition, the campus is very close to nature, and there are great possibilities for outdoor activities. 

At KAMK it’s easy to contact the staff and teachers and to get help whenever needed. I also liked it when the group sizes in lectures were not too big, if I had any questions, I could always ask and get an answer. Also, if I ever had situations where I needed a bit of flexibility with my studies, we always found a solution with the KAMK staff and teachers.

Tips for New Students

Practical training is a great opportunity. I did two practical training periods in two different fields & companies, 3+3 months. It was a bit more than required, but I found it extremely helpful. Take some time to figure out what kind of company/field/job would be interesting to you; it will benefit your future. Don’t think about practical training as something you just need to get over with.

Be active in your job search: contact the companies, ask questions, and be interested to make sure they’ll remember you when they start going through the applications.

Many employers consider Finnish skills as an advantage or even a requirement, so knowing a bit of Finnish will be helpful. My advice is to attend to KAMK’s Finnish courses.

My last tip is to finish your studies before moving to full-time working life. I started working before finishing my studies and it wasn’t that fun to finish my last courses and write my thesis while working full-time.

Best wishes,

Emmi Keränen

Bachelor's Degree in International Business 2020
Export Coordinator at Medix Biochemica