Finnish Defence Forces – a modern ICT employer

The Finnish Defence Forces is a large employer with more than 13,000 employees. A large share of them work in different ICT sector tasks, mainly in Tampere, Riihimäki and Jyväskylä. Many people also work remotely.

Every year, the Defence Forces recruits 300–400 civilians, officer specialists and non-commissioned officers. One of the civilian employees in the Defence Forces is Elina Savilaakso, project manager working in the cyber section. She studied information systems science in Jyväskylä. First, she ended up doing her university traineeship at the Defence Forces, then she continued working on her thesis. Now, the Defence Forces has been her employer for three years.

– I ended up here by accident! I was prepared for a more rigid organisational culture, Savilaakso recalls.

In a few days, she realised how communal and relaxed the atmosphere was. She commends:

– You don’t need to deal with things alone. You will always get support from more experienced colleagues.

What fascinates Savilaakso in cyber security are the different ways by which you can protect yourself and avoid online dangers – both at work and in everyday life. Working as a project manager is flexible but involves a lot of cooperation:

– Compared to traditional ICT companies, the operating environment is much more extensive.

The joy of work

For Major (Eng.) Krista Siik, acting as head of section, working in the Defence Forces was a clear career choice right from the beginning. She already became familiar with her employer when doing her voluntary military service for women. During an NCO Aircraft Maintenance Programme course in Lapland Air Command, she became particularly interested in the Hornets. Siik graduated as a Master of Science (Technology) in Materials Science and continued to study towards a licentiate degree.

Siik’s 15-year career at the Defence Forces has given her an opportunity to work in a wide range of tasks. For the past seven years, she has been involved in the HX fighter project to replace the Hornet fleet.

– We started with a clean slate with an aim to achieve the best possible combat-efficiency. In a massive and interesting project like this, you get to see and do a variety of things.”

In many respects, the work is about collaborating with different organisations. Siik emphasises that different kinds of specialists and personalities are needed. The Defence Forces has a forward-looking attitude, the work is meaningful and joy of work prevails at the workplace. The thing both Siik and Savilaakso value in their employer is its modern approach to working, such as systems, diverse career opportunities, comprehensive training programmes and an excellent workplace atmosphere. Siik summarises:

– It’s easy to go to work every day, because we have fun together.