Interior designer Sonja Kimpimäki was so good at marketing her own company that another company hired her as a digital marketing specialist. However, when she later graduated as a Master of Science in Engineering, she already had her mind set on yet another career U-turn. Now she shares the story of how she found a job of her dreams at Posti.
"This job allows for me to challenge myself. Every day, I get to absorb as much information as I’m capable of."
– Sonja Kimpimäki
The road leading to a dream career can include various twists and turns – even for those under the age of 30. Sonja Kimpimäki’s career, too, includes several turning points: she’s worked as an interior designer, business owner, marketing specialist, Master of Science in Engineering, and product owner. Kimpimäki has proven to herself that following one’s dreams pays off, even if they lead to surprising and sometimes challenging directions. “In my third year of university, I amassed more than 100 credits, because I had fallen behind the others after spending a year studying interior design whilst working in the university’s social media team and as a student ambassador. It really didn’t make any sense,” she says laughingly as she recalls her time as a student. Sensible or not, every step has taken her closer to her dream job. “My current job combines everything I’ve learned during my career: digital products, developing new things, customer experience, and creating added value – and all that in a company that affects the everyday life of all of us Finns.”
Read Sonja Kimpimäki’s career story through the three crossroads of her life:
1. A career in interior design didn’t culminate in entrepreneurship – instead, she became a marketing specialist
In the matriculation exams, I chose advanced mathematics despite not having studied it at upper secondary school. I wanted to go study at the then Tampere University of Technology, and I got accepted straight after upper secondary. I had a desire to understand the world and absorb knowledge that’s easily applicable. A degree in science felt like a natural choice. In my early years at university, I didn’t want to let go of my other dream, and I applied to study interior design at Helsinki Design School. I graduated after studying for a year and I set up my own business. Interior design was, first and foremost, a hobby for me, but I still decided to start marketing my business. I taught myself how to build a website, do search engine optimization, and create a brand. Other companies and individuals started asking me for help in digital marketing. Suddenly, I found myself making websites for others and helping them build a brand. I grew into a digital marketing professional, and eventually I was recruited by a medium-sized company to develop multi-channel marketing and build company awareness. After working as a digital marketing specialist for a couple of years, I completed my thesis and graduated from university. Later, I decided to give up my business. Looking back, it feels mad how much was packed into these years: my own business, graduating from university, and two big career leaps. However, there was still one more leap into the unknown waiting around the corner.
2. An important realization encouraged the switch from marketing to IT
I think that my early working years have had a big impact on my strengths in working life. Spending summers working at an ice cream stand and as a cashier in a store, I learned how to meet different people and solve challenging situations. My own business taught me valuable lessons about developing new things, and marketing taught me about digital products and conceptualization. When I graduated as an engineer, a new era began in my life. With all the work experience I had accumulated, my professional ambitions had become clearer. I realized that the Sonja from my university years, when I let life lead the way and boldly seized opportunities, still lives inside me. I decided to look for a job where I could make full use of my skills and continue to learn. I was interested in developing future solutions that are profitable, responsible, and adaptable to the changes in the world. I wanted to be inspired, inspire others, and move things forward. I decided to switch from marketing to a field I had already chosen in upper secondary.
3. A tech pioneer offered an opportunity to grow into an IT professional
It may come as a surprise that one of the largest employers in Finland can offer such interesting opportunities to technology and IT professionals. Posti is one of the leading distribution and logistics companies in Finland, Sweden, and the Baltics, processing hundreds of millions of shipments a year. Technology plays a key role in, for example, quality improvement, and it’s with this goal in mind that I became intrigued by Posti as an employer. I started working at Posti as a fresh graduate in 2021. Right away, I got involved in projects, and my understanding of the things happening around me improved quickly. In two years, I progressed from a junior position to my current position as a product owner. I’m responsible for the development of a business-critical application used in Finland and the Baltics. It supports and speeds up work during the process and delivery of packages. This job allows me to challenge myself. Every day, I get to absorb as much information as I’m capable of. I’m proud of how much I have developed and improved; and a huge thank you belongs to my supervisors and colleagues who’ve supported me and given me responsibility. In my current position, I work with the same exact values that have carried me on my journey of career exploration and into the present moment. I have an opportunity to get onto things quickly and move them forward, because the changing world can’t wait. Right now, I’m very happy and I hope to be able to continue improving in my current job. What the future brings remains to be seen. Career story created in cooperation with Duunitori. Author: Janette Rosi. Photo: Katariina Salmi.