What does a CEO’s working day look like?

Jussi Ahola, a second-year upper secondary school student, had the opportunity to shadow our CEO, Mikko Myllys, for a day as part of a work shadowing programme included in his studies.

Work shadowing gives young people the opportunity to experience working life first-hand. There are many ways to learn about different professions, but following a professional through their working day and talking to them directly offers a different perspective on what the job actually involves.

A CEO’s work involves much more than making decisions

The day began with a discussion about Jussi’s expectations, future plans and working life more generally. He also learned about Funidata’s operations, the responsibilities of a CEO and what leadership looks like in practice.

The schedule included some of the everyday responsibilities of a CEO, such as internal audit meetings related to ISO 27001 information security certification.

While audit meetings may not be the most fast-paced part of leadership, they illustrate the variety of responsibilities involved. Running a company means dealing with a wide range of tasks, discussions and responsibilities, not all of which are visible from the outside.

Work shadowing helped bring this everyday reality to life. It gave Jussi the opportunity to develop a more realistic understanding of a CEO’s role and the different elements involved in running a company.

Explaining your own work challenges you to think differently

Work shadowing also benefits the person sharing their experience.

When you explain your work to someone unfamiliar with your role or industry, things you take for granted suddenly need to be put into words. Why do we do things the way we do? What informs our decisions? How do different responsibilities fit together?

Taking the time to consider these questions helps you see your own work from a fresh perspective. It also highlights the importance of being able to explain your work and thinking clearly.

This is particularly important in leadership, but the skill is valuable to everyone. When goals, decisions and the reasoning behind them are communicated clearly, others can better understand why things are done in a particular way.

Exploring working life helps shape future choices

Choosing what to study and which career path to pursue raises many questions, and there is no need to have all the answers straight away. Exploring different professions and working environments can help young people discover what interests them and what opportunities might lie ahead.

Work shadowing brings working life closer to young people and gives them the chance to ask questions directly to professionals in their field. At the same time, those already in working life can share their experience and look at their own work from a new perspective.

We were delighted to welcome Jussi and give him the opportunity to explore what being a CEO involves. At the end of the day, it was great to hear that he had found the experience interesting and was pleased with his choice to spend the day shadowing Funidata’s CEO.

Thank you, Jussi, for the great company and engaging conversations!

At its best, work shadowing is a learning experience for both sides: young people gain new perspectives to help shape their future studies and career choices, while professionals have the opportunity to see their own work through fresh eyes.