"The social side is something you won't find anywhere else" – get Julius' and Kira's impressions from their FFP internship

When Julius Lehto and Kira Ruotsalainen joined the FFP programme, they expected to work in a fast-paced environment with a steep learning curve. Yet, both highlight the same thing as the most memorable part of the programme: the people. What surprised them most was how welcoming and approachable the culture turned out to be. Across teams, colleagues were eager to answer questions, share their expertise and help them learn, making it easy to settle into a new role.

"We have a very supportive atmosphere, so anytime there is a question or a concern you can always go to your colleagues," says Kira Ruotsalainen, who works in Business Risk Control, helping ensure that stakeholder and regulatory requirements are met and that activities are conducted in line with regulations and conduct requirements.

While both have enjoyed taking on responsibility and learning about different parts of the bank, they highlight the people as one of the most memorable aspects of the experience. Through lunches, team activities, FFP events and informal catch-ups, they quickly built connections not only with fellow FFPs but also with colleagues across the organisation. 

"I think the social side is something that's quite unique here compared to maybe other trainee programmes – and that's been really fun,” says Julius Lehto, who is part of PRU Analytics & Structured Finance Tools, where the team supports LC&I users with business intelligence and analytics needs, as well as structured finance solutions.

For both Julius and Kira, the FFP internship has shown that a career in finance is about much more than technical skills. It's also about collaboration, curiosity and building relationships that can support your career long into the future. If you're looking for a place where you can learn, grow and build a strong network from day one, the FFP programme could be the perfect place to start.