Jenni, team leader

I first came to work at the City of Helsinki’s Sports Services when I was in my late teens. I worked as a cleaner and cashier at the Jakomäki swimming hall. After that, I studied to be a sports counsellor at Kisakallio, in Lohja, and did work placements at sports services as a physical education instructor. During my studies, I also held swimming school lessons in the evenings.

After I graduated, my husband and I started a sports business, and for a while, we provided sports coaching for sports services as an outsourced service. However, at some point, we both moved to working for the city, which created stability of sorts. At first, I was a physical education instructor, supervising school swimming lessons. Then, I first moved on to a project related to the integration of immigrants through physical activity, and after that, I was involved in launching regional exercise services in Vuosaari, which is also a low-threshold activity aimed at getting people to move about a little and creating a sense of community.

My supervisors encouraged me to apply to be a team leader for the summer season, and I landed a position in the eastern unit. I held that position for a couple of months, when a substitute team leader was required in Myllypuro, which was offered to me. I accepted the position, but it did make me nervous, as my background was in physical education, and I was younger than most of the employees. However, I was well received and liked the work very much. It was challenging, and I learned a lot, but the work community was helpful and supportive.

When the team leader position at Myllypuro was opened for applications, I couldn’t apply because I was in the middle of completing my applied bachelor’s degree. However, I was soon asked to be a substitute in the Töölö area’s team. It was also a significant professional challenge, as I had mainly taken care of football fields in the east, and suddenly, my responsibilities included sports parks with ice fields in the winter, a couple of stables at Ruskeasuo and, of course, the ball sports fields at Töölö, with the later addition of the Swimming Stadium.

I have always liked working with people, and the most important thing in immigrant work and area sports was the genuine promotion of mobility I got to see every day. Responsibility for sports venues was a significant change, as it’s meaningful in quite a different way. However, I soon realised that we make 8 million visits possible every year and provide sports facilities for everyone, from children to the elderly and sports clubs. And when I participate in new sports venue projects as a user, you can really see how we promote physical activities.

My employer has always encouraged studying. I completed my applied bachelor’s degree and was finally able to apply for a permanent position when the team leader position at Töölö opened. At the moment, I’m studying for a master’s degree in sports management at a university of applied sciences, and this has also been welcomed.

Personnel management is a big part of my current job. In the summer season, I’m a supervisor for up to 70 employees; in the winter season, there are a couple of dozen of them. I also work with stakeholders, as there are a lot of events and club activities at our units. Maintenance of sports venues is a big thing, new units open all the time, and old ones are under renovation, and I’m the user representative in those projects.

Sports services is a suitable workplace for people that want to do that. Many join when they’re young, go to school for a while, and then come back. The city has a wide range of career paths, and depending on your own interest, it’s possible to advance to administrative or supervisor positions, for example.

My team’s employees and other colleagues give me a lot of strength. Our work community is easy-going, has a sense of humour, and things can be discussed directly. We don’t stand on ceremony and don’t mind if you come in wearing a tracksuit.