Turun Teknologiakiinteistöt gained a new employee in mid-February, when Piia Saanio began her work as a design assistant. – I immediately felt that I just have to get that position…
– I immediately felt that I just had to have that position, recalls the new design assistant of Teknologiakiinteistöt, Piia Saanio, about her first contact with her current job.
Saanio had seen the recruitment ad for Teknologiakiinteistöt on Facebook and was immediately excited about the job, as the job description seemed tailor-made for her.
– I thought that this is work I would really enjoy and that would match my previous work experience. As I got to know Teknologiakiinteistöt, that feeling only got stronger, as the website and social media gave a fresh and modern vibe. I also noticed that there were many young people and women among the employees, which is not very typical in my field.
Saanio is a construction engineer with a Master's degree from a university of applied sciences. Saanio, who enjoys crafts and painting, moved from Helsinki to Turku at the age of 14 and ended up as an engineer because of her artistry and love for her home region.
– After high school, I wanted to study something academic that would also involve visual and creative work. I considered applying for architecture or interior architecture studies. However, neither field could be studied in Turku, and I didn't want to move away from here. Through a friend's mother, I was introduced to the construction industry, so I decided to apply to study to become a construction engineer. I thought the degree would be one that would enable a wide range of diverse job opportunities for me in the future, Saanio says.
Here, people are allowed to work in their own way, employees are trusted, and different needs are taken into account.
After graduating as an engineer, Saanio worked for four years as a surveying site manager in real estate surveying at Mitta Oy. In 2020, she moved to Skanditalot as an assistant designer, where her tasks included preparing permit, work, and structural drawings for small houses as well as 3D modeling of structures. During the pandemic, Saanio was inspired to continue her studies alongside work at Turku University of Applied Sciences, and last year she completed her Master's degree, so this new job with its diverse tasks came into Saanio's life at just the right time.
– I am particularly interested in the digitalization of the construction industry and low-carbon construction, which Teknologiakiinteistöt also wants to invest in. My tasks include designing space changes for customers, and as a long-term project, I will be responsible for ensuring that there are up-to-date floor plans for all Teknologiakiinteistöt buildings.
Saanio's first weeks in her new job have been spent getting to know the operations of Teknologiakiinteistöt and attending various design meetings. Her impressions and reality have met well, and the reception has been relaxed and trusting.
– Here, people are allowed to work in their own way, employees are trusted, and different needs are taken into account. I prefer to work in silence, and the noise zones found in the Teknologiakiinteistöt office are a new and pleasant thing for me. I consider it an enrichment that people from different fields work here; people are more talkative, and the atmosphere is bubblier than in a standard engineering office. Employees also sit freely around the office wherever they want, which increases discussion between people doing different work, Saanio says.