Hermanni began his ABB summer internship in transport planning duties at the ABB Motion’s Center of Expertise Logistics (CoE-L) in the summer of 2021.
“I was responsible for EU road transports of ABB’s IEC LV Motors factory in Vaasa,” says Hermanni. “In the second summer, I was assigned responsibility for the transports of our factories in Helsinki and the Juri factory in Estonia. Because the size of the products and the quantities to be operated changed, I learned something new again. In addition, I was already able to develop systems, processes and reporting last summer, which took up about a half of my working time. It was a good combination of the center’s core operations as well as background support and development work.”
This summer, Hermanni has focused on CoE-L’s system and reporting development. “I’ve had the chance to take on new and more challenging duties every year,” says Hermanni. “As a secondary subject in my bachelor’s studies phase, I studied data technologies, which has greatly supported my work as a Reporting, System & Analytics Trainee in this year’s projects.
“It’s been really rewarding to be able to expand my expertise", says Hermanni Taimisto who has already been working at ABB for three summers. 
“These young people are a really big asset for us. It’s also in our interest when they look at things with new eyes and want to develop things with us,” Hermanni's supervisor Niina Haapalainen says. 
Hermanni thrives in an international working environment. Vaasa, Finland houses one of ABB Motion’s five CoE-L teams, responsible for Trade and Logistics operations in Northern Europe and the related systems and process development. Other centers are situated in Poland, Mexico, India and China. 
"As an intern, the most important thing is to be ready to learn new things. Studying gives you a good basis for success in working life, but you don't need to know everything - you can go a long way if you are prepared to find out things yourself," says Hermanni. 
After three years' break, ABB was able to organize a traditional summer party for trainees in Helsinki and Vaasa. “They were well worth waiting for,” says Hermanni. “The party, too, made me feel appreciated. It was also nice to get to know new people there.” 
Niina Haapalainen, a team leader at the ABB Motion’s Center of Expertise Logistics (CoE-L) in Vaasa, Finland enjoys working with interns. "We hope that they will eventually move on to permanent jobs at ABB, a company with many opportunities."
Flexible work in Tampere and Vaasa
Hermanni mainly works from Tampere. He occasionally drops in at the center in Vaasa, the city where he spent his childhood. “It is nice to be able to work both at my home office in Tampere as well as at ABB’s offices in Hervanta or Pirkkala, and sometimes I see my colleagues in Vaasa,” says Hermanni. “The advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic during my first summer at ABB was that I learned the routines of remote work well.”
Hermanni’s supervisor Niina Haapalainen praises Hermanni’s performance. “It’s an absolute advantage for us that Hermanni has been available for several summers and is willing to take more responsibility year after year. Hermanni is able to adapt to different situations, which is important in these tasks. Because you have to deal with different types of people both inside and outside of the company, the job also requires good social skills. Hermanni has also been active in developing things.”
“What is best here is that people give you a lot of responsibility and trust that you get things done. I appreciate this very much because it makes the job meaningful and also allows you to learn a lot,” says Hermanni. “It’s been really rewarding to be able to expand my expertise summer after summer.”
Networking in summer jobs
Every summer, ABB employs almost 800 young people. There are several summer interns in CoE-L, too, who get an overview of different factories, products and units.
“These young people are a really big asset for us. In addition to making summer vacations possible for the permanent staff, they bring new energy and ideas to the team. Young people are smart and well educated and have great ideas. It’s also in our interest when they look at things with new eyes and want to develop things with us,” says Niina and hopes that interns could be committed to work permanently at ABB in the future.
Hermanni says that one learns a lot at work. “Especially after the first summer, I realized how useful it is in business development studies to be able to relate what you are studying to a real business environment based on your own experiences, for example. These internship periods have really given me an overview of many things.”
Hermanni feels that the most challenging thing has been the number of aspects that you must take into account when setting out to develop something in a global organization. “ABB is a huge company and a change can require a long process,” says Hermanni. “However, you should not get paralyzed by it but rather take it as a challenge. Here at ABB, you learn to determine the issues to be considered in change as well as manage the big picture. Projects also give you the chance to get to know different people working in various positions. Gradually, you have already developed a network, which helps you promote matters. The most rewarding thing is when you manage to solve a big, challenging problem and proceed with its implementation.”
Hermanni’s summer also includes sports. Having moved over from swimming to triathlon, Hermanni spends his leisure time training. “It’s great that ABB also offers its summer interns the Edenred benefit, which can be used for sports, culture, massage, dental care, etc. Another great thing is that ABB also supports a wide range of sports events around Finland. I’ve really made use of this benefit,” says Hermanni, a sporty technology student about to start his master’s studies phase.
