Lotta Watia had a clear objective in mind when she decided to join Jamk, as her passion was the Japanese language and culture. Tourism Management offered the best tools to combine tourism with her love towards Japan.
One of the many great career possibilities that Jamk offered her was the possibility to complete an exchange year in two partner universities: Ajou University in South Korea and Seinan Gakuin University in Japan.
“These semesters studying abroad were life changing. You will learn so much not only about new cultures but also about yourself. I also did my first practical training at a Japanese Ryokan Hotel in Kyoto, which taught me so much about Japanese work and service culture which has been useful in the work I do now.”
Lotta graduated in 2012, and since then, she followed her own path thanks to Jamk’s support to innovative entrepreneurs.
“I am a freelance tour leader and I work for several companies around the world, mainly in Japan. Besides, I upload videos on my YouTube channel, teach Japanese and write subtitles for videos, a job I can do from home. I have also had some time to reflect on myself and right now I am aiming to go back to studying. It’s the perfect time to focus on improving myself professionally.
I absolutely love my work as a tour leader. Every day is different, and the customers give me so much energy. I get to spend days outdoors in different environments. At the same time, I get to share my passion and knowledge of Japan and other destinations in a fun way.”
Lotta recently started working as a Content Producer for the Särkänniemi Theme Park in Tampere, but she wishes to start her own business one day.
“My long-term dream is starting my own business. I have so many business ideas and I hope to get started with some of them soon as kind of a part time job. By improving myself professionally I hope to be able to be apart in making tourism more sustainable in the future.”
She greets the new students encouraging them to join international experiences in Jamk, such as completing the practical training in a country they are passionate about, or participating in the international student tutoring program.
