SuperAdas' summer at Nixu

August 9, 2018 at 16:12

In this blog, Sanni, Iiris, and Sara tell how they ended up winning the SuperAda challenge and spending their summer at Nixu. Ladies, how did this happen?

SuperAda is a contest, organized by Nice Tuesday association, targeted at young women interested in computer science. Iiris had heard about the contest, and we decided to participate as a team. We already knew one another as we all study mathematics at the University of Helsinki.

The contest consisted of several little tasks relating to computer science and technology requiring some knowledge and lots of creativity. The secret weapon to success? Nothing special, our Wanderers Team literally wandered our way to the finish line having only an up-beat attitude and sharp wits. This seemed to please the judges, since we got 38 out of 40 points, making us the winners. The prize was a framed diploma and a summer job at Nixu.

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Iiris, Sanni and Sara

 

What have you been doing at Nixu? 

Iiris: “My typical workday has focused on Nixu’s intranet transition, but the tasks have ranged from SIM card deliveries to certificate revisions. I am in Business support, which ‒as the name suggests ‒ is responsible for internal operations that keep the company running smoothly.”

Sara: “I work in the Business Engineering Unit, which handles many customer projects. I have mostly assisted around the unit, from updating slideshows and websites to creating cipher lists and figuring out parts from the website code. I was also tasked with internal tool management: I have created a checklist for vulnerabilities in open source projects and updated parts of a Windows analysis tool. Right now, I’m conducting a security and privacy analysis on popular platforms, including a step-by-step guide to keeping yourself safe and an upcoming blog post about the cybersecurity risks of social media.”

Sanni: “My tasks as a member of the Marketing team have varied from writing a blog and Wikipedia entry to assisting in filing papers and conducting customer surveys. Improving nixu.com has been the most time-consuming project by far and has taught me a lot about website design and how important web visibility is for a business. Surprisingly, my previous coding knowledge was of great help in writing our newsletter, so my skills of all sorts have been put to the test.”

What is it like to work with the Nixu crew?

In the beginning it seemed that everybody was busy with important stuff, while we were just learning where our workplace was and what some of the much-used acronyms (OWASP, IAM, ICS, PMO, etc.) mean. But soon we found our way around the office and became familiar with our new tools and colleagues. Work in Nixu is fast-paced, fun, and full of various tasks.

Nixuans are highly motivated, and their willingness to lend a hand and overall friendliness combined with Nixu’s low hierarchy create a family-like atmosphere. 

 

Iiris and Sara

 

A few words about the Nixu summer trainee day

During the trainee day, we had discussions on our traineeship and expectations, got to know other Nixu trainees and had a lunch get-together at a nearby restaurant. A few ex-trainees, currently employed by Nixu, came to tell how they started as trainees and how they ended up in their line of work. We enjoyed getting to know the other trainees you rarely see and sharing our experiences.

Any tips for the people considering summer traineeship at Nixu?

Remember to bring an adventurous and curious attitude as well as a good name memory, and then strap in, for the pace is brisk and you’re bound to meet dozens of new people, especially at the start. Don’t be afraid to ask plenty of questions and learn something new each day.

 

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