Raija Polvinen, Kiilto Oy
"There is not just one right field in the world for you, there are many fields that are right for you. Studying engineering and science gives you a good basis for understanding the world and opens doors to a wide range of job opportunities".
What have you studied and how did you choose this option?
In high school, I took all the maths, chemistry and physics courses on offer. I was also interested in biology, psychology, computer science and in my free time I enjoyed sports. However, after graduating from university, I applied to study science because graduates seemed to have more career choices than, say, those who studied biology or psychology. I got in to study chemistry at the University of Oulu. Somewhere towards the end of my studies, I realised that my undergraduate studies had given me the tools I needed to finally do exciting things!
The subject of my degree was materials used in the catalytic cleaning of car exhaust gases, namely the catalytic converter found in the exhaust system. After graduating, I worked for the company I did my thesis for and there I became interested in further studies in catalyst research. So I went to the place where I could find a research group doing catalyst research, the Laboratory of Surface Science, Department of Physics, Tampere University of Technology.
How did you become the RDI Director at Kiilto Oy?
After graduating with a PhD in engineering, I had been working in catalyst research for quite a long time and was interested in seeing something else in the chemical industry.
I got a job as a product developer at Kiilto Oy, whose research centre is located in Lempäälä, near Tampere. At Kiilto, the job description has evolved steadily and the title has changed every few years. From Product Developer to Product Development Manager, then Research and Innovation Manager, then Head of R&D and now RDI Director.
What is the best thing about your job?
There have been many phases in my career where I have experienced a variety of successes. The most rewarding part of being a researcher and product developer was finding solutions to practical problems, such as finding the right recipe to give the product under development just the right combination of features. Of course, good customer feedback is nice to receive, and it is also rewarding to see the results of your own development work in a jar on a store shelf.
My current job description is management and leadership and in this job I feel I am a coach for the organisation. My own success becomes visible through the success of others. My job is to get the team to play well together and try to bring out the best in each individual. The most rewarding part is when the teams in your organisation are enthusiastic about their work and achieve great results. It's great to see people get to shine with their work and skills.
For whom is this a suitable career option?
For those choosing a course of study and a career path, I would say that there is not just one right field in the world for you, there are many fields that are right for you. Studying engineering and science gives you a good basis for understanding the world and opens doors to a wide range of job opportunities. Don't lose your childhood sense of enquiry and your ability to get excited! If you can keep them with you, almost any job will become interesting and you will want to understand the issues that affect the results of your work better and better, and develop in what you do.