Advancing Finland’s interests at CSC
Master of Social Sciences Ansa Ahola couldn’t have imagined during her studies that she would work at CSC: IT world and supercomputers felt distant. Her summer traineeship proved otherwise, showing that CSC offers diverse roles for professionals with backgrounds in areas like policy and communications.
Ansa studied European studies at the University of Amsterdam and the University of Helsinki, focusing on politics in her master’s program. After graduating, she worked with communications at the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture and later in Brussels at the European Commission in DG Trade. As her time at the Commission was coming to an end, she began thinking about the next step.
“A friend of mine worked at CSC, and based on their experience, I decided to apply. At first, I applied for a traineeship related to the LUMI AI Factory, but during the interview, they said my profile would be a better fit for another role,” Ansa explains.
Through an internal recommendation, Ansa joined CSC as a Policy Trainee in a newly established unit focused on customer relations and stakeholder collaboration.
“The interview process left a really positive impression. It was great to see that my skills were considered broadly and matched to a suitable position.”
Summer highlight: Prime Minister’s visit to Kajaani
During summer 2025, Ansa worked on coordination tasks related to public affairs and policy. Her responsibilities included preparing strategic meetings, writing policy briefs on current policy topics, and liaising with ministries.
One of the summer’s highlights was coordinating Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s visit to CSC’s data center in Kajaani.
“I was involved in planning and executing the visit from start to finish. With high-level visits, there’s a lot happening behind the scenes. It was amazing to be on-site in Kajaani, meet the Prime Minister, and see the LUMI supercomputer – it’s an impressive sight.”
The work was very diverse. When I started, I didn’t know what to expect because IT and supercomputers felt far away, but CSC has many interesting roles for people from different backgrounds.
Ansa Ahola, CSC
Ansa also worked on data visualization for CSC’s customer training and completed a bigger project on CSC’s operating environment, analyzing the strategic priorities of Finnish universities and research institutes, and comparing them to CSC’s strategy.
“The work was very diverse. When I started, I didn’t know what to expect because IT and supercomputers felt far away, but CSC has many interesting roles for people from different backgrounds,” she says.
CSC’s program designed for trainees, Summer Xperience, was also an important part of the traineeship.
“In the summer time, offices can be quiet, so it was great to connect with other trainees. I quickly realized how varied their study backgrounds were – everything imaginable, not just technical fields. The program was also a great way to network within CSC.”
CSC’s strengths: low hierarchy and a meaningful mission
Coming from a very different work environment, Ansa highlights CSC’s low hierarchy and unique mission as the company’s key strengths.
“There was a lot to learn, but the flat hierarchy made starting easier. People are easy to approach: if something interests or puzzles you, you can ask without hesitation. I felt welcome right away,” she says.
“CSC is a company entrusted with special-state assignment, and has a truly unique mission. All my jobs have shared one thing: advancing Finland’s interests. That motivates me.”
After the traineeship, Ansa continued in the same team at CSC in a Junior Coordinator role.
She encourages others with non-technical backgrounds to apply for CSC traineeships and other roles.
“Don’t hesitate to apply even if you don’t meet every requirement in the job ad! Curiosity and an open attitude go a long way. No one expects you to know everything about supercomputers if your background is elsewhere.”
Photo: Mikael Kanerva / CSC
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