Backgroud and now
I come from an academic background. I have spent much of my career in the social sciences. Most of my working life in Finland has been spent as a political-science researcher at Tampere University. Establishing a stable career in academia in Finland is very difficult. I ultimately concluded I needed to find something with better long-term prospects. That is how I ended up studying IT.
I was acutely aware of my technical shortcomings when I began my studies. I knew it would be an uphill battle every step of the way. I was an archetypal tabula rasa in the Aristotelian sense . But I also knew I could make up for this deficiency with hard work and determination. I quickly discovered this was more than sufficient to propel me forward through my studies. I now find myself on the cusp of graduation – well ahead of schedule.
No study area is more emblematic of this than the thesis. My thesis tested the viability of software bills of material (a kind of inventory system for software) for DevSecOps. The technical demands of the project were not inconsiderable. But my preexisting research skills were what enabled me to move rapidly through the process.
People from the social-sciences can also work in IT
I have been consistently surprised at how useful my social-science background has been in my studies. There is a misconception that IT work is entirely technical. This could not be further from the truth. Writing skills are emphasized at Jamk because the ability to communicate complicated ideas clearly is highly valued in Finnish companies. Report-writing is an inevitable feature of working life. It is not enough to do. Whatever is done must be documented and explained.
Education at Jamk is strongly oriented around problem-solving. The ICT programme’s emphasis on practical engineering means students have the opportunity to develop skills in a range of interesting settings. I have devoted countless hours to problem-solving throughout my studies. At times the problems in front of me seemed insurmountable. But every problem has a solution. It is simply a matter of putting in the time and effort to figure it out.
This philosophy is reflected in Jamk’s unique course offerings. The cyber exercise is one such example. Cyber-security students are given the opportunity to design and build a network and Security Operations Center (SOC) from the ground up. They are then divided into teams. One team attacks the network while the other defends it. This kind of hands-on experience is invaluable when building skillsets intended for use in working life.
I will be the first to recognize the idiosyncrasies of my path at Jamk. But the moral of this story is not that people from the social-sciences can also work in IT. It is that anyone can. In the end, the only thing that matters, is your own motivation.
The international focus
There are few areas where the rapid internationalization of Finnish society is more evident than the IT industry. The international focus at Jamk is worth noting for this reason. The multicultural environment benefits Finns and international students alike. Finns are exposed to and work alongside people from different cultures. International students are exposed to Finnish working culture. Everyone wins.
The high level of institutional support is another important feature of life at Jamk. One critical area is the willingness to recognize existing skills. The accreditation system emphasizes competency over bureaucratic box-checking. This is particularly beneficial for international students looking to get credit for non-Finnish qualifications. Motivated students are always provided the means to move forward.
