“I knew where I wanted to be, and this programme took me there” – Roope Tarkiainen and Haaga-Helia’s Degree Programme in Business Technologies were a perfect match

- After graduating with my Bachelor’s degree, I thought the IT industry and digitalization were areas to make a difference and to gain a successful career in, says Roope Tarkiainen.

Due to a Nokia-based tradition and good conditions to a constant technological development, his home country Finland felt like an ideal place for Roope to settle down to. He completed his Bachelors in 2014 and was then hired by a tech company. Nowadays Roope works as a Service Delivery Manager for a global IT consulting company.

- It was definitely worthwhile to work for a few years in order to gain some real-world experience and to take some time off academia. I then decided to apply the efficient way of working I had acquired through my employment to study and to complete an MBA.

Back to school – and to work again

Roope says it was a bit challenging to find the right studies to complete while working full-time. He completed some open university courses at Aalto University.

- That ended up being a good thing too, since these courses reminded me how to write essays, do projects and research, etc. I then applied to become a student at Haaga-Helia as it was the best option for me to study alongside my existing job.

Efficient as he is, Roope started his studies at Haaga-Helia in January 2020 and finished them in December the same year.

- Actually, COVID 19 contributed to my swift graduating – with less business travelling for work and less social activities, I could dedicate my evenings to studying. And I would have been bored anyway, since my girlfriend also studies all evenings to become a veterinarian.

Roope Tarkiainen specialized in ICT Services and Systems. This specialization is targeted at ICT professionals and the studies require experience gained from previous ICT studies or work experience. So what was new to Roope, what did he personally gain from this Degree Programme?

- Yeah, this programme really suited my situation. The studying was very intense and stimulating, and I feel I obtained a new, deeper level of understanding of the industry already familiar to me.

During the ICT Services and Systems studies, the students learn different models to implement ICT-services and master the continuous development methods. They will become able to assess and utilize new technologies to provide organizations with knowledge management solutions that meet their needs.

- I especially enjoyed writing my thesis. I came up with a topic that was relevant and beneficial work-wise, so I was highly motivated. Also, the tutoring at Haaga-Helia was excellent, says Roope.

- Besides, it’s always wise to maintain one’s information retrieval skills, not only to complete studies but to better manage everyday work assignments.