16.10.2024 | Efima’s Senior Data Engineer Osman Manzoor appreciates his supportive work community, where colleagues are always ready to spar. The commitment to work-life balance has also pleasantly surprised him.
Osman Manzoor moved to Finland six years ago for his studies. He remembers the colorful autumn foliage from that time. Osman had several options for his master’s studies, but his sister, who already lived in Finland with her family, recommended Aalto University, which ranked high in university rankings.
After starting his studies, Osman also looked for jobs. One option was Efima, where he progressed far in the recruitment process, but the position was not filled at that time. However, Osman made an impression on the Efima employee involved in the process and was invited for a new interview in 2022 – and was selected for the role of Software Engineer.
The work culture in Finland has felt good. The balance between work and leisure has been a positive surprise for Osman, who was used to a hectic work pace in his home country. “At Efima, I haven’t had to work on weekends, and there is freedom and responsibility in work. I am trusted, and I have also been given more responsibility”, says Osman, who started in the Data team in 2023 and was promoted to Senior Data Engineer this year.
Efima’s data team supports customers in various business, sustainability, and financial data development projects. The modern data platforms and reporting solutions implemented by Efima enhance companies’ capabilities for comprehensive and proactive data-driven management.
Osman’s role includes building data pipelines for reliable data transfer, optimizing data retrieval processes for efficiency and performance, developing data algorithms for better usability, and ensuring that customers have easy and secure access to data.
According to Osman, the work community at Efima is encouraging and open – if there are problems at work, you can ask anyone for help. “The organizational hierarchy is also flat, which makes working straightforward and direct”, smiles Osman.
In his free time, Osman meets his family and friends, goes to the gym, watches streaming services, and plays cricket, a noble team sport that few Finns know. “Cricket is the number one sport in Pakistan and India, and the best players are sports superstars”, says Osman. “Cricket is also played in the UK, Australia, South Africa, and Bangladesh”, he continues, adding that Finland also has its own league, played from May to September. The league has many teams and games in different locations.
Osman enjoys living in Finland very much. The opportunity to experience nature is important – trips to Kilpisjärvi and the Lapland regions of Norway and Sweden have been impressive. And although one may never get used to the darkness of winter, the snow brings light to the winter, and the beginning of the year is broken up by an almost annual trip home to Lahore, Pakistan, whose population is the same as that of the entire Finland. From his homeland, Osman misses the climate, food, and especially the spices. In Finland, spices are used sparingly, even in restaurants. Fortunately, stores now offer flavors from around the world for home cooking.