Smart surfaces
I’m Ronja Valasma and I study Electrical Engineering at the University of Oulu. Currently, I am studying for my Master’s Degree. I am a summer trainee for the Advanced Engineering department at TactoTek. My goal is to do my Master’s thesis based on the work I do at TactoTek during this summer.
My working days consist mostly of the project I was hired to do as well as some other tasks when I’m needed. As a summer trainee, I like to be as helpful as possible. While all of the day-to-day operations might not be super exciting, I am motivated by the fact that all of it is a part of a bigger picture.
My plans for what I wanted to study have gone from architecture to physics before I ended up applying for electrical engineering. It seems to have been the right choice for me. I originally chose electrical engineering over physics because I didn’t think I wanted to do research. However, in the end it turned out that research is exactly what I like to do. I especially found myself interested in topics like printed electronics, and that eventually led me to TactoTek.
I originally found TactoTek at a career fair at my university. For me, Tactotek seemed like the most interesting company. I have previously worked at the Microelectronics department of my university and at VTT as a summer trainee. Both positions just increased my interest in printed electronics and the related subjects. I looked for available positions for several years. Then I just sent an open application, and that got me invited to an interview. I went through two rounds of interviews before I was hired. It was a positive surprise considering the current world situation.
I have been a nerd as long as I can remember so it’s only fitting that my free time is filled with two of the possibly nerdiest hobbies out there, Dungeons & Dragons and cosplay. Cosplay is the hobby of dressing up as fictional characters. For me, making the costumes is what I love the most. It requires quite a bit of problem solving to bring to life something that hasn’t been designed to exist in real life (or do the job of professional costumers with a fraction of the resources). Dungeons & Dragons has consumed a fair bit of my free time over the last year or so. It’s a fun escape from everything mundane and one of my favorite things to do after work.
I would warmly recommend TactoTek for summer trainee positions. The work is interesting, the work environment is welcoming and help is always available. I hope I can work at TactoTek through the rest of my studies as well as after my graduation.
