Ciao! I’m Joonas Varpelaide, more familiarly known as Varpe, and I started my journey at ALMP in November 2018 as Data Engineer Trainee, right after graduating with a degree in Information and Communication Technology that same fall. I hadn’t heard of ALM Partners before, but while studying software development, I realized I wanted to work more with databases and data. After graduating, I began looking for open positions where I could dive deeper into data work, and the open Data Engineer Trainee role at ALMP seemed exactly what I was looking for. Now, over four and a half years later, I’m happy to say that I’ve been working on exactly the kinds of things I was — and still am — interested in. Along the way, I’ve also learned a lot about the financial world, which was new to me.

Nowadays I work under the title of Senior Data Engineer, and I get to apply the skills I’ve learned over the years to large client projects. Initially, the idea of working directly with clients felt a bit unfamiliar, but over time, that’s changed, and now I can say it’s great to help clients with their problems. Even though I now share the skills and knowledge I’ve previously acquired with younger team members, I’m constantly learning new things by myself. I get to explore new technologies and deepen my understanding of the financial sector through various projects.

It’s been a pleasure to watch and be part of our company’s growth story. When I started as a trainee, there were just over 50 of us at ALMP, and now we’re approaching three times that number compared to four and a half years ago. Even though we’ve grown rapidly, it’s been wonderful to hear from newer employees that they’ve received the same warm welcome I did back then. One of the best things here, in my opinion, is the work atmosphere and our people. The ALMP spirit, which shows up in our daily interactions and conversations among employees, is something I haven’t encountered elsewhere. 💙