Combining a career in IT with academic studies is no easy feat. The fast-paced demands of the tech industry can make it challenging to keep up with lectures, assignments, and exams, while balancing job responsibilities. Yet, many find that working in IT while studying not only boosts practical skills but also provides valuable real-world experience that enhances classroom learning.
In this post Trivoreans Asseri and Junnu tell how they got their first jobs in IT, what are their strategies for juggling these two demanding paths and share their best tips for staying organized.
Trivoreans are a group of people with many talents and versatile backgrounds. Some of us have been part of Trivore’s story from the earliest years, some have just joined the team and everything in between. However we all are united by our curiosity towards new possibilities and an endless passion for what we are doing.
Some Trivoreans joined the team while still in school and we have gotten the opportunity to support their growth into the experts that they are today. Such talents include Junior Developer Asseri who studies Computer Science at the University of Turku and Expert Trainee in Sales and Project Operations Junnu who studies Software Engineering and Project Management at Turku University of Applied Sciences.
But how did they manage to get a job in IT during their studies and what tips do they have for the people looking for the same arrangement?
Kickstarting your IT career: how to get hired while you’re still in school
Breaking into the IT industry while still in school can be tricky but not impossible. Here is how Asseri and Junnu did it.
“I actually got the job through my network. A friend from the university called me one night and asked if I would be interested in applying for a job at Trivore. I applied somewhat unofficially and got in. At this point I was writing my Bachelor’s thesis”, Asseri explains. “So I would say networking pays off. Someone you know will eventually get hired to a growing company and if they know you’re good or they want to get a recruitment bounty, they will mention your name.”
“I on the other hand ended up in Trivore through a tough road and through persistent hard work”, Junnu tells. “As everyone in the field of IT knows, it is almost always extremely hard to get a job as a junior. I started by calling our CTO Kari Mattson multiple times until I managed to get in touch with our Head of Product and Business Mikko Elo who eventually after our great interview decided to hire me. So my advice is to stay persistent and keep trying even if it feels hard. In my experience it will pay off in the end.”
So networking and good old-fashioned contacting appears still to be working. Other ways to improve your opportunities are for example by building your practical skills through projects, optimizing your LinkedIn and GitHub profiles and by learning in-demand skills and earning certifications.
“Employers in tech look for hands-on experience, so personal or class projects can make a big impact. Make for example an HTTP server that returns a picture of your dog. Other pictures will also work. Add a comment section and a like button. Add another page for statistics of the site etc. Host your projects on GitHub, and then make your code accessible for recruiters and hiring managers”, Asseri advises.
“My advice is to stay active no matter what. Contact companies that interest you and visit industry events. Get a professional looking LinkedIn and CV that you can easily farm around different companies. If you want to stand out from the crowd you make your possibilities a lot better if you have a strong character in selling yourself on multiple grounds”, Junnu states.
“Know your worth and write it down, even highlight it! Most likely you will get a lot of rejections, as I did, but power through it and keep going. Remember your worth and when you try again and again it will ultimately turn into gain”, he then sums up.
Succeeding at school and work: finding the right balance
What about when you start working while studying: how can you balance it all and not burn yourself out in the process? Fortunately, Asseri and Junnu have a hands-on-experience from juggling these two demanding paths.
Asseri for example feels that time management skills are the key to success:
“Either studying or working on a job can easily eat all your time, so when doing them both, time management becomes key. The most important thing here, I find, is putting hard-stops on time spent on things: today I will work for eight hours and then stop, tomorrow I will study for eight hours and then stop and so on”, he notes. “Even though you will most likely spend most of your time in a state where you have a somewhat limitless pool of tasks to do, you must allow yourself regular time to do nothing without feeling bad about it.”
Junnu has found that trying to balance between two stakeholders can be difficult, but that’s when you should channel your inner project manager:
“In my situation I made it clear to both parties that I have two jobs – studies and work – and I will have to balance them both.”
“When I started my work in Trivore I could go almost 100% in, because my semester of that time was almost finished. When the new semester came, I could actually get credited from my work in an IT company, so Trivore actually boosted my studies and that is the reason why I am graduating one year ahead. Biggest tip for a student in that sort of situation is to get in touch with the management team, agree on a schedule and if possible, to create their thesis to the organisation – like I did with Trivore”, he continues.
At Trivore, we truly understand how challenging it is to balance study and work schedules. Because of that work hours can easily be organised to fit with schoolwork through open communication and foresight. For example, with us, you could work three days a week and dedicate the rest of the time to schoolwork. And thanks to our flexible working hours it is possible to arrange that you can leave during the day for a lecture or an exam and then come back to work. Together we can find and develop the best practices for both parties.
Lastly both Asseri and Junnu encourage you to turn to teammates in challenging situations.
“Dare to ask for help. My first assignment with Trivore was a junior backend developer and I got into this role without much experience. The amount I learned in a short time was immaculate. I couldn’t be more thankful for my colleagues who taught me with coding”, Junnu reminisces.
“Just like in any career, one will feel absolutely lost when starting their first job. Everyone has gone through it, and no one will think less of you for being a beginner”, Asseri says. “On the other hand, the time after you have just started is really exciting because you learn so much in a such a short time. It can be very fun if you take it with the right attitude. This is also where the skills learned in school will start to kick in. Learning the practical skills is a million times easier if you understand what is actually happening.”
Top 3 tips from Asseri and Junnu
Securing your first IT job while studying
1. Networking pays off
Connections often lead to opportunities in tech, especially for internships or entry-level positions. Attend hackathons, participate in coding competitions, and connect with classmates and the industry experts in LinkedIn.
2. Stay active no matter what
It is almost always extremely hard to get a job as a junior and you might phase a lot of rejection on the way. Remember your worth and that when you try again and again it will ultimately turn into gain.
3. Build up your hands-on experience
Employers in tech look for hands-on experience, so personal or class projects can make a big impact. Start by working on small, relevant projects that demonstrate your skills and interests. Host your projects on GitHub and make your code accessible for recruiters and hiring managers.
Achieving work-study harmony
1. Time management skills are the key to success
Working efficiently helps you get more done in less time, reducing stress and freeing up time for rest. Try putting hard-stops on time spent on things: on first day work for eight hours and then stop, tomorrow study for eight hours and then stop and so on.
2. Channel your inner project manager
You now have two jobs: studies and work. Get in touch with both management teams and agree on the practicalities. Managing expectations can help prevent conflicts or misunderstandings when academic and work obligations overlap. Most of the time, things can be organised through open communication and foresight.
3. Dare to ask for help
Experienced colleagues often have insights that can help you learn faster. Instead of spending hours figuring something out on your own, a quick question might solve your problem in minutes. Remember that everyone has been a beginner at one time or another and no one will think less of you for asking help.