You could call me a returnee: Originally, I came to the IT Center as a Linux administrator. For most of my working life, I have mainly worked with Linux-related tasks in the private sector, but I have also done some service planning. Between jobs at the university, I worked in the private sector for a couple of years to do DevOPS, but I missed many things: large systems, my colleagues and better opportunities to influence my own work duties.
Building new solutions, solving problems and exploring and experimenting with new solutions and systems are the most interesting aspects of my work. My previous duties at the IT Center were mainly related to Linux server administration and Linux-related disk systems. Nowadays, I look after version management, the sensitive data query system, the internal discussion system, the central log system, and the container environment, among other things, and implement automated solutions.
The IT Center provides its staff with the opportunity to participate in training organised by system providers, for example, and also to take various online courses according to each person’s own areas of interest. I for one have taken courses related to Ansible and OpenStack. Independent learning and curiosity are appreciated at the IT Center, and you also get tools and time for this. There is no need to fight over every resource, and you can order virtual servers and containers, for example, for your own research purposes. We have a comprehensive IT infrastructure that we manage ourselves. As a result, we do not have to wait for external suppliers to react as we have top in-house expertise.
Job rotation makes it possible to get to know different work duties. I have occasionally spent a working day with different people to learn more about their duties, although recently this has been more limited due to the COVID-19 situation and remote work. When you can look at things from the perspective of another person’s job, it is easier to notice problems that are not so clearly visible in your own position. At the same time, you have front-row seats to witness the expertise of the IT Center’s top professionals, which enables you to value their know-how even more.
The IT Center has a an excellent work community spirit. You are allowed to fail, and instead of criticism, people assist you. Pulling together and the relaxed atmosphere are especially apparent when we encounter major issues. People begin to tackle the problem together, and no one is left alone to deal with the situation. The employer is flexible with different life situations, and you can enjoy your free time and holidays without interruption.
In universities, IT solutions do not compete with each other; instead, universities and other higher education institutions cooperate in various services. Compared to the private sector, openness creates opportunities to learn from the solutions of other universities and higher education institutions, which is further supported by the annual IT events organised by universities, for example. The tasks of our customers, i.e. University staff and students, are also very interesting – for us, the key task is, first and foremost, how we can help them in research, teaching and studying. In our work, we learn to value scientific work and people’s skills in a completely different way as we get to follow the work of researchers first hand. The IT projects of our University’s students are also fascinating, and it is nice to see what kinds of solutions they develop.