The concept of the training program was already familiar
At the beginning of 2022, Miikka was briefly unemployed. He had been working in a position he wanted to move on from, and unemployment gave him the opportunity to choose a new direction. Recruitment training programs were already familiar to Miikka, as one of his friends had found a new job through such a program. When Miikka came across the Digital Excellence Academy during his job search, it was easy for him to apply. Digital Excellence Academy is a marketing-related recruitment training program aimed at developing new professionals for the marketing field.
What are recruitment training programs?
Learn more in the frequently asked questions on Saranen website!
“The application process was smooth and progressed quickly in my case. I spoke with two different companies about a potential training position. WDS had a very clear idea of the kind of professional they were looking for, and soon after the interview I was able to sign a training agreement with WDS,” Miikka describes the progress of the application process.
Work at WDS got off to a great start thanks to a mentor
From the very start, WDS clearly outlined the tasks Miikka would be responsible for during his traineeship. Besides various content creation duties, Miikka’s role also involves paid advertising activities.
Miikka feels that his work started well and praises his workplace mentor, Linda Viljamaa.
“Linda is an excellent mentor, as she has been an active listener and a great trainer throughout the journey. Thanks to this, I’ve been given strong foundations for my path in the training program. I felt that clear resources had been allocated to support me, and Linda has been one of the best supervisors I’ve had. In addition to Linda, I also received support from Pinja at Sarasen, who regularly called to make sure everything was going well.”
One major benefit of recruitment training programs over traditional hiring methods is the workplace mentor assigned to the trainee. The mentor’s job is to help a new professional grow into their role. With effective mentoring, a newcomer can become proficient faster than usual. What does the workplace mentor think of the training program, and what mindset does she have when guiding a new colleague? We contacted Linda to ask.
Mentoring is valuable for both parties
Linda Viljanen had been working at WDS for about a year when she was given the opportunity to become Miikka’s mentor through the training program. The mentoring arrangement was connected to a proposed expansion of Linda’s role into a team coordinator. As part of this role, Linda became responsible for resourcing the digital team. When Miikka started at WDS, it therefore felt natural for Linda to take on the role of his mentor.
“At WDS, we have our own onboarding plan, which I updated specifically for Miikka. I familiarized myself with the training plan of the recruitment program and designed my onboarding content to support Miikka’s other training,” Linda recalls from the early days of the onboarding process.
Linda has become familiar with recruitment training programs as an observer, and she believes the concept works effectively.
"Saranen's recruitment training program has been very effective and has supported on-the-job learning. In addition to the training, Miikka has also studied independently. Without the training, learning and development in the field would have been slower. Miikka has been an easy trainee — it’s been a great match!” Linda enthuses.independently. Without the training, learning and developing in the field would have been slower. Miikka has been an easy trainee — it’s been a great match!” Linda enthuses.
A recruitment training program suits many people
Miikka believes that the recruitment training program was a valuable step in his career. Even though he has a background in business studies, many things have changed since 2018.
It was eye-opening for me to realize, for example, how much impact different tools have and what all you can do with them. Before the training, I hadn’t thought about how vast the world of marketing truly is. I recommend recruitment training to anyone looking to change careers or develop themselves,” Miikka sums up his experience.
Did Miikka’s story inspire you? Would you like to jump into a new career yourself?
Saranen, part of the Barona Group, provides recruitment training programs for unemployed job seekers. Their goal is to help participants find employment. Learn more about the available programs on Saranen’s website and apply to participate.
📸 The photos for this article were taken by JP Kankkunen from WDS Marketing Agency.