Ilmari Huvinen started at KLINGER Finland Oy in February 2024 as an intern as part of his vocational studies. During that spring, he moved on to an apprenticeship program and early in the new year, his employment became permanent. Huvinen works as a product designer specializing in gasket solutions.
As a product designer, Huvinen creates technical drawings and develops various design solutions. His work primarily focuses on gaskets, but it also includes drawing and designing components related to valves and other products.
His daily work is mostly independent. Huvinen values the ability to concentrate on tasks in peace and progress at his own peace. Larger projects involve more collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, but overall, the work is fundamentally independent. He also describes his job as diverse.
For Huvinen, motivation comes especially from the content of the product designer’s work and the feeling of achievement. Learning new things, solving problems, and the feeling of completing a project make design work not only challenging but also rewarding. At its best, the job feels inspiring when an idea moves the design forward and the customer gives positive feedback.
One particularly significant project for Huvinen was the Trade container that was implemented during his internship. It was created to support annual maintenance work at factories. The project was given a ten-week timeframe and he had the freedom to approach it in his own style. The Trade container went directly into use by the customer. “I immediately felt like I was doing something concrete and important for the company,” Huvinen says.
A culture of trust and room to grow
Huvinen describes working at KLINGER as relaxed, flexible and based on trust. Employees are given room to do their work independently and solutions can be implemented in their own way. What matters most is that the work is done carefully. Help is available when needed and cooperation works well.
According to Huvinen, combining studies and work has gone smoothly. He has been able to complete school assignments at the office and school days have been met with flexibility. The employer has supported learning and development individually, which has strengthened the feeling that his skills are truly appriciated.
Wellbeing at work is supported in several ways with practices like reduced hours before holidays and by maintaining open and responsive leadership. “Here, an employee is not just a number int he system,” Huvinen says.
We create happy employees
Discover what a career at KLINGER is like and explore the opportunities we offer!
