What got you into the IT industry? 

From an early age, I was interested in computers and game programming. My interest later expanded to programming more generally. Eventually, I became fascinated by software quality and the different ways of developing software.

I studied computer science at the university and also minored in mathematics and statistics. In my studies, I focused quite a lot on theory because I think it is more difficult to adopt theory at work compared to individual technologies and programming languages. Through my studies, I eventually got an internship and a permanent job in the software industry.

I am currently most inspired by the design and construction of high-quality software, as well as experimentation and development of new ways of working. The industry is constantly looking for the best practices for developing software sustainably while also generating more value with each iteration, for example.

Tell us a little about your career before Anders

I have spent most of my career in product houses. Working in this kind of environment is nice in the sense that you get to focus on developing one or a few products. For a persistent person, this suits well since it lets you to see the results of your work in the long run.

In addition, the ways of working tend to evolve to best suit the particular products and teams. Product development also involves research and experimentation with different potential solutions, which I really liked a lot.

HOW DOES PRODUCT HOUSE WORK DIFFER FROM CONSULTING WORK?

Consulting work, I think, requires a little more flexibility, adaptability, and a kind of general competence. Goals, technologies, and teams vary from project to project, which also means tailoring ways of working to suit. On the other hand, this promotes continuous learning – each team is exposed to slightly different methods and ways of working from which the best practices can be drawn.

Product thinking is also very useful in consulting work, and I have tried to utilize my previous experience in, for example, the User Story Mapping technique in my current projects as well.

How has work at Anders started?

I have had a great time with Anders. Consultative work was new to me when I started here, but I don’t think it differs significantly from other software development after all. The work is rewarding for a person who wants to develop himself diversely. At its best, a single project can have developers from several different companies and you can learn something new from each one

It is also great that feedback for a job well done is often received directly from the client him/herself. For me, it has also been very interesting that the work here at Anders has invariably been open-source projects. A lot of attention is put into quality, reusability and sustainable software development, which matches with my own values.

The best thing about Anders is the open atmosphere and easily approachable co-workers. Information is shared openly and colleagues are always willing to help colleagues even outside their own projects.

At Anders, Jarkko is currently working on the City of Helsinki’s new facility booking service, or more specifically its backend systems. He is a very liked colleague in the company, and his co-worker Nico describes Jarkko as follows: “Jarkko is a very nice and competent expert. He knows how to ask the right questions and thus brings out challenges and potential problems very proactively.”

Jarkko works as an Andersians from Joensuu. We welcome our remote workers to our offices on a regular basis. Most recently Jarkko participated in our autumn party at the Helsinki office. 

Modern software development is almost always teamwork, and I don’t think this is sufficiently taken into account for example in education. Pair programming, teamwork, giving demos and presentations are commonplace in the industry, so it’s worth investing in “soft” social skills as well. A positive attitude goes a long way!

Did you get interested in our work culture? We are looking for especially Finnish speaking Python & Django Developers at the moment, you’ll find our open positions at our Finnish page: anders.com/tyopaikat. Don’t hesitate to contact Anna or Nani about our open positions; anna-greta.marttila@anders.com / nani.laaksonen@anders.com.