From Career Paths to Code Chats
Etteplan & Istekki Brought the Tech Community Together
On May 21st, the kood/Sisu campus at Viestikatu 1 was buzzing with conversation, curiosity and connection as students and tech professionals came together for kood/Talk & Business Lounge: Etteplan x NSES x Istekki.
The event kicked off with a personal and inspiring career story from Timo Härmälä, Department Manager at Etteplan. Timo walked us through his journey from early developer days to his current leadership role, sharing not only the milestones but the challenges and lessons learned along the way.
His message was clear: technical skills are just one part of growth. Communication, adaptability and curiosity play just as big a role.
Next up, NSES (North Savo Entrepreneurship Society) introduced their mission as a student-led, nonprofit community that supports entrepreneurial thinking and initiatives in the Kuopio area. Whether you’re a future founder or just curious about what entrepreneurship looks like in practice, NSES showed there’s a place for everyone to get involved.
After a relaxed lunch break filled with informal chats and networking, we moved into the final and most interactive part of the day: the Business Lounge with developers from Istekki. No slides, no stage, just real conversations. Participants got the chance to ask anything from tech stack choices to what working in public sector IT really looks like. Topics ranged from frontend frameworks to career development, and yes, even favourite video games and hobbies came up.
The goal? To break the ice between students and professionals and create an environment where networking feels natural, not forced.
Why events like this matter?
In a world full of polished LinkedIn posts and intimidating job ads, it’s easy to forget that the people behind tech roles are… well, people. Events like this remind us that career paths are rarely straight and that asking questions, making connections and being yourself can go a long way.
Whether you came to learn, to network or just to see what it’s all about, thanks for showing up and making it awesome. And if you missed it this time, no worries. We’ll see you at the next one.
