Career stories

Infra’s trump cards are versatility and many opportunities

Juho Toivonen has had time to work in several positions at Infra during his career, which began in the spring of -22 with a construction services work supervision internship.

– The expertise I have gained from Infra is exceptional. When I started as a construction supervision trainee, I received a really comprehensive orientation from my site manager. He emphasized the importance of profitability, let me make decisions and taught me that decisions must be justified. Those lessons have gone a long way.

At the end of the work supervision internship, Juho was selected as a logistics engineer for circular economy services and after a year and a half, Juho moved to construction engineer for pavement services. He started his current position as a work supervisor for environmental services at the end of -24. Juho is responsible for the circular economy, pavement services and landscape services, i.e. forests and trees, as well as excavation and stormwater.

– I have benefited from having had extensive contact with different people. I also feel that my previous positions, initially as a construction management trainee and then as a logistics engineer and construction engineer, have brought many perspectives to my work. I am an infrastructure engineer by education and I am studying information management at the University of Tampere, although my studies are currently on a break.

– The most important task of a work manager is to ensure that the people they manage have jobs now and in the future. In addition, a vision of what their own unit will be like in a year and five years is needed. Although each work manager at Infra has their own area of ​​responsibility, cooperation is close, issues are communicated and colleagues are helped.

– The work manager is responsible for contracts. Making contracts and cooperating with the customer and partners takes time. When making contracts, you have to rely on the professionalism of many colleagues, for example in terms of procurement. At Infra, it is easy, though, when the level of expertise is high.

– I think the best part of the job is that I get to make decisions. It is also important to be able to influence your environment in some way and to be able to leave your own mark.

– Infra’s trump card is versatility – the seasonal nature of the work means that there are completely different tasks in winter than in summer – for example, freezing ice rinks in winter and asphalting in summer.

Jussi ended up in the infrastructure sector by accident

Construction site manager Jussi Suominen jumped straight from infrastructure construction worker to construction site manager – and enjoys the independence of the job

– I had to come up with something after the army, so I went to Paimio parish to take care of cemeteries, recalls Jussi.

The sector began to interest Jussi and he completed a basic qualification in horticulture in Livia. During his studies, he gained professional skills in yard construction repair work and tree care and pruning. After getting a permanent position as an infrastructure construction worker at a construction company, Jussi decided to apply to Lepaa University of Applied Sciences by chance – and surprisingly got in. While working as a foreman for green services during the summers alongside his studies, Jussi got to know Tampere, when the whole city was a work area.

– After that, I ended up at Infra as an infrastructure construction worker, but already in the recruitment interview I expressed my interest in more challenging tasks. Pretty soon, Infra was looking for a replacement for a maintenance site manager on family leave for a year, and I was selected for the position. After a year of work, I switched back to construction services to succeed a retiring site manager. I thought it might be challenging to act as a supervisor for former colleagues, but everything went really smoothly and both colleagues and contractors reacted well to my role change.

– The work of a site manager is very independent, you can organize and prioritize your work in the way you see fit. Mobility and variety are definitely positive aspects of the job. The seasonal nature of the work is characteristic of the construction industry, spring and early summer are usually really busy, mid-summer is quieter, and September-October is really busy before the ground freezes. During the high season, there is a lot of work and workload, but during the quieter times, there is time for development.

– I try to visit the construction site every day to meet my employees, preferably in the mornings, and roughly speaking, half of my working time during the week is spent on various meetings, a quarter on matters coming from the construction sites, and the rest on handling emails. Combining work and free time is effective when flexible working hours are in use. I also take advantage of the possibility of working remotely when there are things on my desk that require concentration. The best part of my job is that I can organize it the way I see fit.