Lotta Valtatie
I have been working in the Community Communications team at the University of Jyväskylä almost three years. In our mini-team of two, we communicate with the entire university community. I am responsible for student communication in particular.
I have majored from University of Tampere in Finnish language. At the beginning of my studies, I was strongly oriented towards becoming finnish and literature teacher. However, the first couple of times I applied for the pedagogical studies, I didn't succeed, and I decided to take a specialisation in work place communication as a backup plan. Fortunately, I didn't have to feel any regret about my decision, and my career plans took a new direction.
A lucky coincidence led to Jyväskylä
After graduation, I applied for a variety of jobs in the communications field, wondering where my career would take me. I was impressed by the University of Jyväskylä's job ad, because what could inspire a recent graduate more than a job in student communications! So I applied - even though I knew nothing about the city or no one here. I am glad that my expertise was trusted and I got the job, even though I didn't have a lot of work experience behind me.
Jyväskylä is a wonderfully green city, and the Seminaarinmäki campus is beautiful in all seasons. I also like the atmosphere in Yläkaupunki, and the fact that the people here are friendly, sincere and approachable. The first culture shock after moving here was that strangers started chatting me on the bus. Unheard of!
Creative and socially significant work
I like that my work is very varied and creative: I get to write a wide range of texts and design the visuals for example for social media posts myself. It's important to me that my work is also meaningful: at university, you get to work for the benefit of society.
My work days vary widely, but are typically spent writing news, planning social media posts and meeting with various contacts. My job involves hands-on communications in everyday subjects as well as large-scale development projects. A big part of my job is supporting and educating the community on communication matters.
Good team spirit and supporting each other as a team strength
Our team has a good team spirit and we value each other's work. Our work community is warm, helpful, funny, knowledgeable, and it’s important to me that we enjoy working together. The support of my work community also motivates me in difficult moments at work. It's easier to cope with hectic and challenging situations when you have both empathy and sparring support from your colleagues.
