Picture
Ella's lollipop

Blog: For a communications trainee, Imatra's power is vitality and light

Release
27.8.2019 16:23
I jumped from Helsinki's busy student life to a summer job in the province, which I really wanted.

I found the communications intern position online while trying to look for summer jobs in the field here and there, not only in Helsinki but also in the province of South Karelia. The announcement of the city of Imatra caught my attention right away, because somehow a young person from Lappeenranta had a positive image of Imatra and its vitality.

I wanted to put my full effort into the application, and luckily I was able to demonstrate my skills in the job interview as well - and finally in the communication work.

I always took this job seriously, but not really. I knew that without experimenting and throwing myself, I wouldn't be able to achieve anything new or exciting. The safe environment created by the supportive team made it clear from the start that this would be the right place to fulfill yourself without fear. With the support of the communication team, I think I was able to get into the flow of communication responsibilities very well, and in addition, I also managed to leave my own handprint in the work from time to time. The employees of Imatra communications are professionals who know the ropes in their hands.

Imatra wants to move forward. It was clear to me from the beginning, and I'm really happy with the confidence I got to use creativity when it's time. The basic framework of the city organization's communication as a source of information for the municipality must of course be fulfilled, but I think the freedom to respond to, for example, the fast-paced change of social media is at least as important a merit.

Even the most important lesson learned from summer work was understanding. As I familiarized myself with the work piece by piece, it was explained to me at every step what was being done and how to be done, but above all why it was being done. When setting out to do a thing like a thing, you have to remember the reasons behind it - especially when you work with information and an interacting audience. Actually, this is why the industry interests me; successful communication creates understanding, and people make choices based on that understanding.

The best things in life don't come easy. Traveling to work from Lappeenranta with two bus connections took almost four hours out of my day. The exchange of academic freedom with XNUMX a.m. wake-ups was, well, refreshing. In the evenings, I went to football training and game trips all the way to Varkaus. I even dared to sprain my ankle.

The new job was challenging and rewarding from start to finish, and the circumstances did not dampen my enthusiasm at any point. I wrote on my Instagram account that even though things are of course not always easy, two thoughts go a long way: the text easy peasy lemon squeezy on the lemon key chain hanging on my key chain all summer, and the words on the bracelet Pokka likes (coincidence?). A twinkle in the corner of the eye with the power of these can get by in many surprising situations.

The young old town of Imatra has enormous potential, which it was a pleasure to work on. I was able to photograph the theater, write information about the Big Band Camp, summer clubs and blue-green algae, as well as feel and convey the atmosphere of Imatranajo. Imatra's affairs became my affairs too. All in all, the work of a communications intern was a matter of my heart: I came to Imatra with all my heart, when I left, a part of it remains - and the rest is filled to the brim with everything good.

Ella Taavitsainen