28.5.2024
Career story
Katja was found on LinkedIn
Name: Katja Ylälehto
Title: Documentation Manager
Education: Master of Arts, majoring in English Philology
How long have you been working at Kopar: about 2 years
How you spend your free time: My number one hobby is knitting, and I always have knitting needles in my hand when watching TV in the evening. In addition, I spend a lot of time at the cottage with my family and do everything related to it: berry picking, mushroom picking and fishing.
Katja Ylälehto has worked with documentation throughout her twenty-year career. She has worked as a technical writer, information designer, and documentation coordinator. In the advanced phase of her studies, she completed a specialisation program in technical communication and got her first job through an internship as part of her studies.
Early in her career, Ylälehto worked for a long time in various subcontracting companies, through which she produced documentation for large organisations such as ABB, Nokia, Microsoft, and Rolls-Royce. Before her current role, Ylälehto held a documentation position at Kalmar for five years.
– During my career, I have mainly focused on design tasks and documentation coordination. My tasks do not include writing so much but editing and reviewing the finished content.
“Everyone says no one will pick you up for work, but that kind of happened here. Kopar’s project manager contacted me on LinkedIn, and the message came at the right time.”
Katja Ylälehto, Documentation Manager
A new career started with a LinkedIn message
About two years ago, Ylälehto received a message on LinkedIn from Kopar’s former project manager. At the time, Kopar had a documentary position open, and Ylälehto had emerged from the network as a suitable candidate.
– Everyone says no one will pick you up for work, but that kind of happened here. Kopar’s project manager contacted me on LinkedIn, and the message came at the right time. Kalmar was reorganising various functions, and I was ready to try something new.
Ylälehto first exchanged ideas through messages and phone calls with the people of Kopar. She also attended an interview, after which she was ready to accept the position. At first, Ylälehto responded to everything independently.
Over the past couple of years, the team has grown with two new members, whose supervisor Ylälehto is currently. At the same time, Ylälehto’s duties have changed somewhat and are now focusing more on the organisation of tasks.
“Product information distribution plays a key role in all customer projects, but it can be done in many different ways. I also like working in the customer interface, because I get to be in constant contact with customers and the rest of the team.”
Katja Ylälehto, Documentation Manager
Versatility is the richness of work
The documentation team is responsible for mapping customers’ project needs, including what product information needs to be delivered to the client and how.
To ensure that everyone is aware of the project flow, communication, information management, and project scheduling are also crucial components of the job.
Tasks, techniques, and tools will change based on the client project. One of the things that motivates Ylälehto in her job is the variety.
– Product information distribution plays a key role in all customer projects, but it can be done in many different ways. I also like working in the customer interface, because I get to be in constant contact with customers and the rest of the team.
“It’s nice to document the exact products we make and deliver to customers. It’s also easier to approach others when you know the manufacturer of the products and who to turn to for help.”
Katja Ylälehto, Documentation Manager
The importance of community
At Kopar, Ylälehto particularly likes that they work closely together. The designers draw up the drawings and record the technical data and functional descriptions, while the documentation team is responsible for maintaining operating and maintenance manuals, and for passing on all information to the customer.
– It’s nice to document the exact products we make and deliver to customers. It’s also easier to approach others when you know the manufacturer of the products and who to turn to for help. The biggest difference from my previous jobs is how much I use the phone for communication. It’s much more flexible and faster.
Ylälehto mentions that Kopar is best suited for self-starters. In a small work community, tasks and responsibilities may vary according to need. Kopar employees come from very different backgrounds, and instead of education, the most important thing is self-motivation: the drive to learn new things and take care of many kinds of tasks.
– If this free way of working appeals to you, you should apply!