Hailing from a remote town in a north-eastern state of India called Assam (remember “Assam tea”, my fellow tea lovers?), I feel I have come quite far, at least in terms of physical distance! As a teenager, I was obsessed with English classics and Harry Potter (still am), and hence the only place in the world I wanted to make my home was London. That was my goal – plain and simple – live in London someday. To achieve this dream, I knew the only thing I could do was study and take my career seriously.
Fast forward 12 years, little did that teenager know, that she would eventually end up in Finland! And with a job in Nokia, too! THE Nokia – my first phone, my parents’ first phone and perhaps of most Indians – the iconic brand with the “Connecting People” tone I grew up listening to!
On April 28th, 2017, I moved to Espoo, Finland and started my Nokia experience as a Transformation Analyst in the Chief Operating Office. My work includes analysis, planning, problem-solving, creating presentations, building relationships with stakeholders – basically everything to ensure successful execution of a Transformation project. I could go on about my work, but let’s just talk about Nokia and how this company has made me feel completely at home in less than a year!
First, the People – I have worked or interacted with colleagues from at least 7 other different organisations within Nokia since I joined. It doesn’t matter if you started your job a month back fresh out of college; you will be heard and your opinion will be respected equally. Moreover, the diversity in gender, cultural background, country of origin, language, academic background etc. in Nokia’s employees is truly amazing! This not only helps make you more adaptable and flexible, but also helps you keep an open-mind and see problems/situations from other people's perspective.
The Culture – No micro-management, you are given your space to get the job done. You have the independence to add your own ideas, bring a crazy perspective, ask questions or challenge anything which doesn’t feel right.
The Place – I believe one of the main forces behind Nokia’s incredible culture and strong work ethic is the country from where it originates. Finland has surprised me tremendously! I had zero knowledge about the culture and the climate. Primarily, I knew 3 things about Finland: It snows a lot, Nokia was born here, and Santa Claus presumably lives in Lapland. Now, if I must describe this wonderful country in my own words, it would read like this – “Finland is like a small innocent child. It would be shy at first and will take some time to warm up to you. But once it does, you will feel right at home. You might even end up feeling protective about it”.
I hope my story was able to bring you closer to Nokia and Finland. Thanks for reading – see you on the other side!
