Sommarpraktikanter på Sievo - Sievo Oy - Helsingfors, Finland

It was another May morning. The sun was shining brightly, and Monday had just kicked off. Our Summer Seals (yes, that’s what we call our summer interns) walked into our office for the very first time. They were warmly welcomed by Sievonians, and soon the office was filled with new faces—unaware of the impact they would go on to make. Fast forward to today: our Summer Seals have completed their journey with us at Sievo. Some have moved on to continue their studies, while the majority chose to stay and grow with us in various roles. We spoke with three amazing colleagues who transitioned from Seals to Sievonians across our three locations: Kit from our Helsinki office, Nea from our Chicago office, and Dragoș from our Bucharest office. They reflected on their journeys at Sievo and shared their tips for applying to our legendary program. How did you end up working at Sievo? Kit: I discovered Sievo during my very first semester at university when Sievo visited my university’s career fair. I’ve since graduated, but Sievo made a great impression during that very first meeting, in fact, I still have a Sievo patch sewn onto my coveralls from that first career fair! When I consider where to apply, I always consider the company values and culture and how that shows up in the real world beyond a LinkedIn listing. Sievo honestly cares and exceeds, and I saw that in practice when I attended Helsinki Pride and noticed Sievo as a sponsor, so I sent in an application. I actually applied twice, and my second application was successful and after an interview with my manager and team member, I received an offer and started shortly afterwards. Nea: After graduating and settling in Chicago, I looked for internship opportunities that matched with my background and career interests, but at same time could expose me to something new and different from traditional industry roles. While I was familiar with Sievo as a prominent SaaS house in the Finnish and European market, it came to me as a surprise how well-established Sievo is in North America and how an interesting range of companies it serves here. The Summer Academy recruitment process also stood out from start to finish - Sievo immediately felt like such a welcoming organization that is invested in learning about each employee’s strengths and what they bring to the team. Professional Services as a function specifically felt like a perfect blend of data-driven problem-solving and client-facing work which felt like the best fit for myself, and getting the chance to have good discussions with my prospective colleagues during the interview process and learning more about their day-to-day work made me certain that Sievo was the right place for me, and that statement still holds. Dragos: I discovered Sievo while searching for a Data Engineering Specialist position in the spring of 2025. My interview experience with Sievo was one of the best I’ve ever had. The HR team did a fantastic job presenting the role and the company’s values, and everything seemed to align perfectly with what I was looking for. Although I didn’t have much experience with their tech stack and was initially rejected, I got lucky - Sievo launched their Summer Seal Program around that time, and I had the chance to speak with my future manager. I was accepted into the program! I was thrilled to receive the offer, and by the end of the program, all my hard work paid off when I was offered a full-time position as a Data Engineering Specialist. What made the Summer Academy special to you? Kit: My summer was made special thanks to Sievonians. When Sievonians say that the best part of working at Sievo is the people, it’s not an exaggeration. Sievonians are some of the best people I have had the privilege of meeting. The office atmosphere is great and everyone is extremely welcoming. From the very first day, Sievonians would introduce themselves and welcome me as a summer seal, offering help if I should need anything. I’ve had conversations at the coffee machine with Sievonians from every department and level, there is no hierarchical barrier that prevents us from talking to anyone, even Sammeli. In fact, as summer seals we had the opportunity to have a pizza evening with him and could ask any questions we might have! Nea: One thing I can say for certain is that the summer really flew by - and for all the right reasons! Chicago office welcomed me with open arms and I got to know colleagues across functions - through projects and fun office events. What also made the summer special for me was that from day one I got the chance to join in on real client projects and in a matter of weeks I was presenting in meetings. A key highlight of the summer was joining an on-site kickoff at a client’s headquarters, this trip was a deep dive into understanding how Sievo builds lasting client relations.While client work kept me busy, I also had the chance to join our internal summer projects, where I learned more about Sievo as an organization - this also gave me the chance to get to know other Summer Seals across the Atlantic! Dragos: It was truly one of the best summers I’ve ever had! As a recent graduate, I had the chance to dive into fascinating technologies, connect with fellow Sievonians, learn from their experiences, and make new friends. I experienced tremendous growth - from following the onboarding plan and mastering the technical aspects of the job, to working on live projects and collaborating with different teams. I even picked up some long-lost hobbies, like playing chess and table tennis.