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Alum Maija Keskinen: I enjoy learning new things and trying out different roles

Our alum, Maija Keskinen, knew from the start that she wanted to study economics. "Meaningful work to me means being able to serve society and do my part to ensure that decisions made in public administration are based on the highest quality information possible," Keskinen explains.
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Maija Keskinen

Who are you? What did you study at the School of Business and when did you graduate?

I'm Maija Keskinen, I studied economics and business law at the School of Business. I graduated in 2017.

How did you become interested in studying business and economics? What made you apply to the School of Business?

I knew I wanted to study economics. The opportunity offered by the School of Business to study the basics of other majors in the first year sounded like a good way to broaden my perspectives and also confirm my own major choice, which it did.

What was studying at the School of Business like? Best memories from your student days?

Studying at the School of Business was exciting, and some courses played quite a big role in shaping my career aspirations. The study community that formed during my studies provided a lot of peer support and variation to the grind. The best memories are from both ordinary study sessions and problem-solving sessions with classmates at the Töölö main building, and of course from many social gatherings at the KY building. Furthermore, exchange studies during the bachelor's phase and internships abroad during the master's phase were also a source of many, lifelong memories.

In the early stages of my career I changed jobs quite frequently as new, interesting opportunities arose. However, I now realize that each position has provided me with knowledge and experience that I continue to be useful.

Alum Maija Keskinen

You are currently working with the title of Financial Specialist at the Ministry of Finance. What kind of tasks and projects are part of your job, and what are your typical workdays like?

My work involves a variety of tasks, but the main responsibilities include producing various calculations and other information to support decision-making, legislative drafting, and international cooperation efforts.

What have been the biggest challenges, and what would you like to change in the workplace?

One challenge, which may not have resulted in any actual problems but was cautioned against for some reason, was the perception that my somewhat patchwork CV would be suspicious in the workplace. I enjoy learning new things and trying out different roles, so in the early stages of my career, I changed jobs quite frequently as new, interesting opportunities arose. However, I now realize that each position has provided me with knowledge and experience that I continue to be useful. I believe this enables me to view things more comprehensively from various perspectives.

What does meaningful work mean to you, and how have you found a meaningful career path for yourself?

Meaningful work to me means being able to serve society and do my part to ensure that decisions made in public administration are based on the highest quality information possible. I want to solve common problems and improve economic functioning, whether it's identifying and correcting the actions of individual actors that are harmful or preparing national-level regulatory instruments.

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Economics, Bachelor of Science and Master of Science (Economics and Business Administration)

The Economics programme provides tools and knowledge to understand and explain current phenomena in the world from an economic perspective.

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Department of Economics

The Department of Economics provides a comprehensive insight into the functioning of economies and the environment in which companies operate.

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School of Business alumni stories

Here you can find School of Business alumni stories. Our alumni share their professional journeys and give advice and tips regarding working life. The stories have been sorted based on the alumni's majors.

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