Henrika Petäjä’s Eastern Finnish accent, with its “mie” and “sie” words, still flows smoothly, even though it’s been a long time since she moved to Tampere for her studies. She had already completed her university studies in business and accounting and was working at a Big 4 company when she realized that auditing was not her field.
“On a friend’s recommendation, I applied for a Junior Solution Consultant position at Efima in 2017 and got it. The beginning was exciting and new, and thanks to Efima’s mentoring system, I received strong support from my mentor Aino, who taught me everything I needed to know about Microsoft Dynamics – and of course, obtaining a D365 certification also supported my learning”, Henrika explains.
Starting at Efima was smooth for a career changer, as the onboarding was well planned, and Henrika immediately received effective “hands-on” training with her mentor colleague. “The onboarding phase is really important for a newcomer. Over the years, Efima has created various processes – it’s crucial to ensure that everyone masters them right from the start”, Henrika reflects.
After starting at Efima, Henrika worked as a Financial Consultant for almost three years before applying for an internal position as a Service Manager in 2020. “I had actually mentioned in my first job interviews that I wanted to develop in my work and advance in my career, including taking on leadership roles.” Henrika’s advice to anyone dreaming of career advancement is to boldly voice their aspirations to their supervisors. “At that point, I had a clear understanding of my strengths and, through that, a vision of the types of roles I would enjoy in the future.”
According to Henrika, Efima’s supervisors have always listened to her career aspirations, and most importantly, the encouragement from colleagues has strengthened her career dreams.
During her parental leave, Henrika’s desire for the next career step grew. A suitable opportunity arose in the spring of 2024 when Efima’s D365 technical team needed a leader who could bring a customer perspective to the team. In this recruitment, Henrika’s background in economics and service management was beneficial, and her expertise was considered a valuable addition to the team.
Henrika enjoys the versatility of her role. She likes people and leadership work and finds customer collaboration very interesting. “At the beginning of my career, I was nervous about dealing with decision-makers. In my current role, it’s important to understand the customer’s world and help both customers and team members succeed.”
Tampere became a permanent home for Henrika and her family, which includes her husband, who studied building services engineering, and their 3-year-old daughter. According to Henrika, balancing work and family life works well at Efima, with flexibility and additional help available for their daycare-aged daughter. Henrika, who swears by efficiency and planning, also feels that effective time management helps in running daily life.
Exercise provides an important counterbalance to work. Currently, her list includes at least cross-training and Pilates.
In their free time, the family is renovating their 1960s detached house one floor at a time. Henrika enjoys renovation work because it helps her forget about work, and the results are immediately visible. In addition to their home, the family has previously renovated a 100-year-old log cabin in Ylöjärvi to meet modern needs.