Tomi’s Own Remote Management Got Support through Studies
Transportation Manager Tomi Lehtonen gained his first experience with Posti in 2005-2006 while serving as an postal employee. After his he applied to study logistics at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki. He completed his bachelor’s degree in engineering in 2013.
Lehtonen was working for DHL as a manager for driving coordination when he noticed an open position for a Transportation Manager on social media.
“I saw a new post as an opportunity to progress in my career, to develop myself and see the logistics industry from a different perspective. I believe that, as a big company, Posti offers many opportunities”, Tomi says.
“For the first couple of weeks, I was able to tour various terminals and sorting centres around Finland, which gave me a good overview of the size of the company. This worked as a good induction course, as my team members work all over Finland”, he continues.
Continuing Studies Alongside Work
Tomi has always been aiming for a bachelor’s degree and this is what he ended up doing at JAMK, Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences. The completion of degree is very work-oriented, and requires at least three years of work experience.
“The main part of the studies focuses on management, and I believe that this will help with my current job. My studies have already helped me in running financial figures and leading change. This position involves continual change, every day”.
The first year of studies included courses, and the second year is mainly spent on the thesis. Tomi’s goal is to complete the degree programme in two years. He only needs to attend the university one Friday and Saturday a month, so studying alongside work is easier.
The subject of Tomi’s thesis is closely linked to his current task as a Transportation Manager: "My thesis is a study of remote management and its potential for Posti. Distance adds its own challenges to managerial work due to the lack of a physical presence, even if the remote connections do work well”.
In addition to himself, there are many other managers who have teams dispersed across Finland and Tomi hopes to make use of their experiences in his thesis.
Support from Supervisor and Personal Motivation Are the Key
Tomi’s supervisor Ari Nieminen is supportive of his studies and considers developing skills to be important: “Of course, studying takes time, but I encourage everyone to develop their own skills”.
An inner desire to learn and develop helps a great deal, especially as studies stretch into the evenings. “You have to make very good use of your own time and must schedule your work and studies in advance. And obviously, everyone has to find motivation within themselves. The studies have been beneficial to myself, and I believe that they also had an impact on getting my current job”, Tomi says.
Studies are also a great way to network: “All the students in my group are in working life and sharing experiences has given good insights into different business practices. I have established a network with other logistics operators during our studies”.
In the spring of 2018, Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences and Posti signed a three-year cooperation agreement for long-term partnership. The cooperation covers areas like student recruitment, projects and theses, and training. www.jamk.fi
