Becoming a secretary through many twists and turns
Jaana Nyman works in the wellbeing services county as secretary to the medical director of the southwestern region. Her path to being an office secretary has been anything but straightforward. Aiming towards helping others, Jaana has always trusted her instincts when navigating through the many career and study options.
Jaana first began working at a fast-food restaurant when she was still a minor. At the same time, she was diligently doing her upper secondary school studies. After graduating from upper secondary school, Jaana continued working as a shift manager at the fast-food restaurant for a few years. Then she took maternity leave. After maternity leave, she returned to working as a shift manager.
After her child was born, Jaana asked herself: where to go next? Her career had just begun, so further studies could make a big difference. Jaana decided to obtain a qualification of practical nurse in the competence area of care for the disabled. However, those studies would have consisted of evening classes, which forced her to reconsider. She began studying for the qualification in the competence area of children and young people instead. After a few months of studying and the beginning of training, Jaana started contemplating whether or not she had the resources to continue. Worrying that she wasn’t giving enough attention to her own child, she started searching for new opportunities.
Customer service experience from the construction product industry
Jaana did not tarry for long. She soon started an apprenticeship training at Diacor's clinic in Kirkkonummi in order to obtain a qualification of practical nurse in the competence area of customer service and information management. The situation changed once more when Diacor's clinic at Kirkkonummi was unexpectedly closed. This did not slow Jaana down, on the contrary! She started another apprenticeship training in Espoo in order to become a dental nurse. However, health reasons forced her to quit these studies.
Jaana then started studying for a Vocational Qualification in Business in Espoo, with a focus on accounting and financial statements. After her training period, she concluded that work in financial administration is too lonely, and that she wants to have more people around her. And so, she shifted the focus of her studies to customer service and sales.
“I have plenty of motivation for customer service! It feels very natural, as I am a social person. I want to help other people.”
During training in customer service, sales and marketing in the construction product industry, Jaana further strengthened her professional skills and customer service competence. As a result of cooperation negotiations, the office was eventually moved from Kirkkonummi to Helsinki. Jaana now had to make a value judgment: would she spend more time on commuting, or with her child instead? She decided to prioritise time with her child and give up on the other options.
“Reconciliation of work and free time has always been important to me because of my child.”
Becoming a secretary in social welfare and health care
In 2016, Jaana became a ward secretary at the Surgery Outpatient Clinic of Jorvi Hospital. After five years, she wanted to try something new and started job rotation as ward secretary at the hospital's other outpatient clinics. She eventually settled back to the Surgery Outpatient Clinic, as she liked working there the most.
In 2022, Jaana became a health centre assistant at the Kirkkonummi health centre. She was later hired as a substitute of an administrative secretary in the Western Uusimaa wellbeing services county. This post lasted for a year. In early 2024, Jaana returned to working as a health centre assistant. Nowadays, she works as office secretary to the medical director of the southwestern region.
According to Jaana, people are often unaware of what secretaries do, and fail to adequately appreciate their contributions. Secretaries are not just names on a list. Rather, they are the backbone of their work communities and essential links in their organisations’ activities. They are the ones who have to pull the strings in the midst of complex operations and projects.
“My best supervisor knew what my tasks were and appreciated my work.”
All professionals are equal
Jaana notes that the Western Uusimaa wellbeing services county has provided her with both personal and professional growth. She also gives praise to the wellbeing services county's ability to continuously develop itself.
“If I could change something in the wellbeing services county, I would emphasise that all professionals are equal. I would like important professionals with lower pay to also receive recognition. For example, the salaries of secretaries should be adjusted to reflect their competence as well as the nature and difficulty of their jobs.”
Jaana's diverse career path up to this point has provided her with education and growth.
“There's no point in thinking too much about the choices that could have been made. Every path leads somewhere, and everything has a purpose.”
“Good luck in your career and self-development, everyone! Keep on rocking”, Jaana ends encouragingly.