As part of my studies, I joined Aalto Startup Center / ESA BIC Finland from the Helsinki Business College at the beginning of August 2019 as a marketing trainee. My traineeship lasted 4 months and ended just before Christmas. I wanted to join some sort of entrepreneurial environment as I foresee myself being an entrepreneur in the near future.
So, for 5 months, what have I been doing? I helped with delegations, designed marketing material for events, managed ESA BIC Finland’s social media channels, helped with Slush stands and photographed events and offered general support to the team.
While being here, I have learned a lot of things about working life and I want to share those with you! Here are my 5 lessons learned from my time at Aalto Startup Center and ESA BIC Finland.
1. Atmosphere is important thing in teamwork
The main reason why I enjoyed working in Aalto Startup Center was my awesome co-workers. They made me feel more like an equal team member rather than a “coffee-making-trainee”. So, thank you Marika, Kimmo, Natalie, Dimitra, Bengt, Tuomas and Milla! I quickly learned that the atmosphere makes big difference in the workplace and it was enjoyable to be coming into the office every day.
2. Entrepreneurial Mindset
The best place to get inspiration from startups and entrepreneurs is of course at the heart of startup’s hub like Aalto Startup so I found it so inspiring to be seeing the startups do business.
A Grid´s working community is very vibrant and it taught me a lot about the entrepreneurial attitude that all startups should have in order to be successful.
3. Grab every possible opportunity
I can´t even imagine how much I would have missed if I did not participate in outside-worktime-events or was not so open minded about learning new things in our community. I tried to take all the opportunities that I could including participating in Space Week, Slush and many different Aalto events. I made important connections, which is very special and inspiring!
4. More than just marketing
I helped organized various events which gave me a wide perspective on event organization. There are so many different things to take care of. I never knew that to expect some days- and some tasks were very random but it helped the team fulfill the goal. Such as dealing with a surprise delegation or dressing up as a spaceman- I learned to expect the unexpected.
5. Learning about Aalto and ESA as an organization
Learning about the university education, the entrepreneurial mindset, the startup support and the innovation harmony in Otaniemi Campus area of Aalto gave me a good the best vantage point. Also, getting to know all the cool Space stuff happening in ESA has opened my eyes on how versatile organizations can be.
Happy New Year and success for the year 2020
Lucas Lumberg
Ex-Marketing Trainee