Konsta Saaranen: The Phase1 trainee programme has shown that at Orion, employees are valued and treated as equals

Hi! I'm Konsta, a chemistry student and future chemist. I have been studying for three years at the University of Oulu in the Degree Programme of Chemistry, and at the beginning of the summer I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Science. In the autumn, I will continue my studies towards my Master's degree.   
 
This summer I have been working in the Quality Control laboratory at Fermion in Oulu. My work has focused on laser diffraction devices, which in this case are used to determine the particle size distribution of various active pharmaceutical ingredients. I have also participated in tasks related to moving into and commissioning the new laboratory that was completed at the end of the summer.   
 
Working at Fermion has been very rewarding, especially in Oulu with its close-knit work community. We were given a very warm welcome by our colleagues right from the start, so when we started our work, we felt very comfortable asking any questions we had. I was also given a comprehensive induction to my duties and it was not long before I was working independently in the laboratory analysing active pharmaceutical ingredients. Overall, I have been left with a very positive impression of Orion. The atmosphere, in which employees are valued and treated as equals, regardless of their background and work experience, made the biggest impression on me. Employees are taken care of, and I am not surprised that many of my colleagues have made long careers at Orion.   
 
The events organised by Orion and the mentoring in small groups for Phase1 trainees added variety to the daily work and made it possible to get to know trainees at other locations. I enjoyed attending the events in person even though I came all the way from Oulu.   
 
I have been interested in working in the pharmaceutical industry for a long time and I am pleased with the experiences that I gained during the summer. I have learnt a huge amount of new and up-to-date information on pharmaceuticals and the pharmaceutical industry, and also a bit of history, especially about the Oulu office. The best things about my summer as a Phase1 trainee at Fermion have been the good work community, the events of the Phase1 programme and knowing that we are doing meaningful work.   
 
Best wishes,   
Konsta