FutuStories - Akseli Manninen & Daniyal Haapaniemi

Akseli:

• Title: Data Scientist
• Summer Trainee, Data Engineer, 2023
• Study history:
  • M.Sc. (Tech.), Machine Learning, Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Aalto University (2022–2024)
  • B.Sc., Information and Service Management, Aalto University (2018–2022)

"In the summer of 2023, I worked as a Data Engineer Trainee. During the summer, I was part of four projects, building analytics solutions and data platforms across industries – from legal to forestry and healthcare. After the summer, I continued as a full-time Data Engineer, and in 2024, I transitioned into a Data Science role. Before joining Futurice, I studied Data Science at Aalto University, where I built a strong foundation for working with data and AI."

Daniyal:

• Title: Software Developer
• Summer Trainee, Software Developer, 2023

• Study history:

  • M.Sc., Computer Science, University of Helsinki (2023–2025)
  • B.Sc., Computer Science, University of Helsinki (2019–2023)

  "I joined Futurice as a Software Developer Trainee in 2023, working on full-stack projects using TypeScript. After my summer, I stayed on part-time while continuing my Computer Science studies at the University of Helsinki. In 2024, I started full-time and joined our Managed Services team, where I now work on maintaining and continuously improving our clients' digital solutions."

Let’s take a look back at their Futurice summers: highlights, surprises, and lessons learned along the way.

1. First days and first impressions

How did your first day at Futurice feel, and did anything that surprise you?

Akseli: The first day is always exciting. The new summer trainees started ours by gathering with our personal mentors, Futubuddies, and getting to know each other. I was really impressed with our office and eagerly tested our massage chairs. My first days were quite relaxed, and I felt welcome.

Daniyal: It was pretty chill. I spent most of the day getting to know people. Having a Futubuddy made me feel comfortable, even though everything was new. What surprised me the most was how easy it was to talk to everyone, no matter their role in the company.

2. Learning through mistakes

What was your funniest mistake during the summer, and what did you learn from it?

Akseli: At the time, this mistake did not feel funny. I messed up a configuration that crashed a cloud server in a client project. The senior in the project had to fix it. In hindsight, it was not a big deal, but this is why Futurice trainees work together with more seasoned experts.

Daniyal: I once used a Shrek smiling GIF as a placeholder image for a client's demo feature and didn’t notice it until a couple of days later. I learned not to use memes as placeholder images.

3. The coolest project of the summer

What was the most exciting project you worked on, and what new skills did you gain?

Akseli: We conducted a large, data-based market analysis for an emerging technology. I could utilize learnings from my data science and business studies, and we had fun with the colleagues working on the project. I learned how to utilize the vast amount of available data to find insights and how you need to dig deeper into the data to draw conclusions.

Daniyal: It was an internal tool we built that’s still in use today. It taught me a lot about full-stack development and showed me how even small internal projects can have a big impact.

4. From summer job to career

What made you realize you wanted to stay at Futurice after the summer?

Akseli: Being able to learn and develop hands-on technical skills daily and being surrounded by people with the same passion has been the key to me staying excited to come to work. Besides the learning and people, I still enjoy our office, and our benefits are pretty good.

Daniyal: I wanted to stay because the company's values aren’t just buzzwords. They genuinely show up in my daily work. For example, trust is big; I never feel like I’m being watched or micromanaged. The low hierarchy also makes it easy to talk to anyone and ask for help whenever I need it.

5. Culture & community in action

How did Futurice’s culture show up in your summer experience? Any traditions or events that stood out?

Akseli: Friday breakfast and FutuFriday – our monthly all hands on deck meeting – were great opportunities to meet colleagues. I also visited our Tampere office during the summer and had fun working at their Datakoppi for a few days.

Daniyal: Definitely FutuFriday! It's a highlight because of the chance to hang out with co-workers and the free lunch at the office. The summer afterworks also hold a special place in my heart.

6. If your Futurice summer job was a movie…

What would the title be — and why?

Akseli: "Git Wars: The Merge Conflict Strikes Back." In the beginning, I was pretty bad with git but improved fast. As a summer trainee, you are not expected to know everything but to learn quickly.

Daniyal: "Fight Club (2)" not because I had any actual fights, but because I often ran git blame on some code, only to realize I wrote it myself… Even though I had no memory of doing it!

7. Community & Student Life

How would you describe the summer trainee experience and community at Futurice?

Akseli: The summer trainee community was a big part of the experience; many still work here. We have become a tight group of friends, go out for lunch daily, and train together at our office’s gym, which is free. During the summer, I also joined our Student Force, which handles Futurice’s collaborations with student associations. It’s been a pleasure to occasionally step away from coding to meet students.

Daniyal: Futurice does a great job supporting new joiners. Having a Futubuddy helped a lot at the start since it’s an easy, low-threshold way to ask questions. I still occasionally catch up with my Futubuddy. Everything felt surprisingly clear from day one, and I think Futurice is a great place to start as a summer trainee.

I made friends with whom I still hang out in my free time and got to do a lot of fun things with the other summer workers. I also joined our student outreach team, which is fun and a great learning experience. After becoming a permanent employee, I even became a Futubuddy myself!

At Futurice, we celebrate everyone’s unique journey — from summer trainees to experienced Futuriceans. Want to read more stories about life at Futurice? Check out our Careers page for insights into our culture and open roles.