article

Job rotation opened the door to a new kind of expertise for Sanna Maukonen

Editor/author

Tupu Riikonen

Photographer

Mari Varonen

Learning and professional development continue throughout our working lives. For Sanna Maukonen, who worked in Student Services at Jamk, job rotation offered an opportunity to step outside her familiar role, see the organisation from a different perspective and discover new strengths in her own expertise.

Nainen istuu pöydän ääressä ja hymyilee kameralle.

Sanna Maukonen, HR Specialist, Human Resources Services

Learning and developing myself have been important to me throughout my career. I have often been described as service-minded, and I recognise that quality in myself as well. I enjoy being able to help others through my work and contribute to making services smoother and more effective.

I have completed a Bachelor of Hospitality Management, and before joining Jamk, I worked in the tourism industry for several years. I continued my studies in the field all the way to a Master’s degree in Hospitality Management, but the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic made me start looking for a new direction in my career.

I had studied for a Master’s degree and studied circular economy at Jamk. Therefore I was already familiar with Jamk when I decided to apply for a position in Student Services. Although the field and working environment were completely different, I recognised many similarities between my new role and my previous work as a hotel receptionist. I felt that I was able to make good use of my strengths.

I started as a study affairs coordinator in study administration, and my job title was later changed to specialist. As I wanted to continue developing myself and strengthen my pedagogical competence, I also completed vocational teacher education alongside my work. At the time, I thought that becoming a teacher might be the next step in my career. Before long, however, I found myself on a completely different path.

The courage to seize an opportunity

I first heard about job rotation when colleagues shared me their own experiences. They spoke enthusiastically about it, and their experiences sparked my interest. Although I did not yet know where job rotation might take me, the idea stayed with me.

Job rotation has given me new perspectives and the opportunity to influence matters that previously felt quite distant from my own work.

Later, I noticed an internal vacancy at Jamk for a temporary position in personnel competence development. The role sounded interesting, but it was not something I had previously imagined myself doing. However, my supervisor and colleagues encouraged me to apply, and I was eventually selected for the position.

For me, job rotation has been a natural continuation of lifelong learning and professional development. I have had the opportunity to contribute to developing areas that previously felt quite distant from my own work. The insights I have gained into decision-making and the factors behind it have been particularly valuable. I have seen first-hand how much the management and supervisors need to consider when making decisions, and how many stages there can be between a decision and its practical implementation. The experience has also helped me better understand why things can sometimes look very different at different levels of an organisation.

New perspectives for the future

My job rotation in HR will most likely come to an end in spring 2027. Although I will return to my “old” role, I will return as a somewhat different professional than when I left. Along the way, I have gained new colleagues as well as networks and perspectives. On top of that I have gained a great deal of new understanding that I could not have gained through my previous role alone.

I want to maintain a development-oriented approach to my work in the future. I also want to look at familiar processes and ways of working with fresh eyes. Perhaps I will discover something that, with the experience I have gained, I can help make even more sustainable and smoother.

Learning does not end when you receive your degree certificate. You can continue learning throughout your career when you have the courage to seize new opportunities.

The opportunity to take on a new role within my own organisation has given me a great deal of new competence and motivation. I have also had the opportunity to contribute to joint development across the Jyväskylä Universities consortium. I now have a clearer idea of what I want from my work and where I would like to focus my expertise in the future.

I am ready to try new things, and I encourage others to do the same. Learning does not end when you receive your degree certificate. There are always opportunities to learn and gain new perspectives at work when you have the courage to approach new possibilities with an open mind.

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Keywords

open jobs

human resources management

lifelong learning