It was another May morning. The sun was shining brightly, and Monday had just kicked off. Our Summer Seals (yes, that’s what we call our summer interns) walked into our office for the very first time. They were warmly welcomed by Sievonians, and soon the office was filled with new faces—unaware of the impact they would go on to make.
Fast forward to today: our Summer Seals have completed their journey with us at Sievo. Some have moved on to continue their studies, while the majority chose to stay and grow with us in various roles. We spoke with three amazing colleagues who transitioned from Seals to Sievonians across our three locations: Kit from our Helsinki office, Nea from our Chicago office, and Dragoș from our Bucharest office. They reflected on their journeys at Sievo and shared their tips for applying to our legendary program.
How did you end up working at Sievo?
Kit:
I discovered Sievo during my very first semester at university when Sievo visited my university’s career fair. I’ve since graduated, but Sievo made a great impression during that very first meeting, in fact, I still have a Sievo patch sewn onto my coveralls from that first career fair!
When I consider where to apply, I always consider the company values and culture and how that shows up in the real world beyond a LinkedIn listing. Sievo honestly cares and exceeds, and I saw that in practice when I attended Helsinki Pride and noticed Sievo as a sponsor, so I sent in an application. I actually applied twice, and my second application was successful and after an interview with my manager and team member, I received an offer and started shortly afterwards.
Nea:
After graduating and settling in Chicago, I looked for internship opportunities that matched with my background and career interests, but at same time could expose me to something new and different from traditional industry roles.
While I was familiar with Sievo as a prominent SaaS house in the Finnish and European market, it came to me as a surprise how well-established Sievo is in North America and how an interesting range of companies it serves here.
The Summer Academy recruitment process also stood out from start to finish - Sievo immediately felt like such a welcoming organization that is invested in learning about each employee’s strengths and what they bring to the team. Professional Services as a function specifically felt like a perfect blend of data-driven problem-solving and client-facing work which felt like the best fit for myself, and getting the chance to have good discussions with my prospective colleagues during the interview process and learning more about their day-to-day work made me certain that Sievo was the right place for me, and that statement still holds.
Dragos:
I discovered Sievo while searching for a Data Engineering Specialist position in the spring of 2025. My interview experience with Sievo was one of the best I’ve ever had. The HR team did a fantastic job presenting the role and the company’s values, and everything seemed to align perfectly with what I was looking for. Although I didn’t have much experience with their tech stack and was initially rejected, I got lucky - Sievo launched their Summer Seal Program around that time, and I had the chance to speak with my future manager. I was accepted into the program! I was thrilled to receive the offer, and by the end of the program, all my hard work paid off when I was offered a full-time position as a Data Engineering Specialist.
What made the Summer Academy special to you?
Kit:
My summer was made special thanks to Sievonians. When Sievonians say that the best part of working at Sievo is the people, it’s not an exaggeration. Sievonians are some of the best people I have had the privilege of meeting.
The office atmosphere is great and everyone is extremely welcoming. From the very first day, Sievonians would introduce themselves and welcome me as a summer seal, offering help if I should need anything. I’ve had conversations at the coffee machine with Sievonians from every department and level, there is no hierarchical barrier that prevents us from talking to anyone, even Sammeli. In fact, as summer seals we had the opportunity to have a pizza evening with him and could ask any questions we might have!
Nea:
One thing I can say for certain is that the summer really flew by - and for all the right reasons! Chicago office welcomed me with open arms and I got to know colleagues across functions - through projects and fun office events.
What also made the summer special for me was that from day one I got the chance to join in on real client projects and in a matter of weeks I was presenting in meetings. A key highlight of the summer was joining an on-site kickoff at a client’s headquarters, this trip was a deep dive into understanding how Sievo builds lasting client relations.
While client work kept me busy, I also had the chance to join our internal summer projects, where I learned more about Sievo as an organization - this also gave me the chance to get to know other Summer Seals across the Atlantic!
Dragos:
It was truly one of the best summers I’ve ever had! As a recent graduate, I had the chance to dive into fascinating technologies, connect with fellow Sievonians, learn from their experiences, and make new friends. I experienced tremendous growth - from following the onboarding plan and mastering the technical aspects of the job, to working on live projects and collaborating with different teams. I even picked up some long-lost hobbies, like playing chess and table tennis.
What did you learn?
Kit:
From a business and technical perspective, I worked as a software engineer intern in the ESG team. I had the opportunity to learn more about carbon emissions, the reporting guidelines Sievo customers need to follow, and the tools our team delivers.
I was given a project along with another summer seal, which we ran throughout the summer, this helped me learn a lot at every stage of the development lifecycle and more about collaborating in a team.
I’m most focused on front-end development and strengthened my skills in React and TypeScript, while learning Sievo specific processes and libraries. I also had the opportunity to use my skills in C# for some back-end tasks and expand my cloud technology knowledge with Azure.
Nea:
There is only so much I can fit into a reasonably sized paragraph, but working as solution specialist in Professional Services, I was not only able to develop my technical analytical skills in practice, understanding all the potential value complex layers of procurement data may entail and to use it to build valuable insights, but just as importantly, I learned so much about working with different client stakeholders and industries, and in general about the cross-functional collaboration at Sievo.
One thing I appreciate about the welcoming and collaborative culture is how tightly all functions from Product to People to Professional Services work together on problem-solving and learn from each other.
Dragos:
I learned so much! The program included exercises that helped me understand how Sievo handles data source extraction and integration - skills that proved invaluable when I started working on real projects. I also gained insight into the business side of things, which made me feel like a true asset to my team. My work mainly involves Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory, SQL, Python, and a variety of internal tools designed to make a data engineer’s life easier. Whenever I had questions, there was always someone willing to help, providing context and making sure I understood both the “why” and the “how”.
And finally, Any tips for applying to Summer Academy?
Kit:
Use your CV and cover letter as an opportunity to showcase who you are alongside your skills.
I shared that I care about diversity, sustainability, inclusion and equality, and I found myself in the ESG team! It was the perfect pairing, as I got to use my technical skills for something I care deeply about.
Sievo has an incredible company culture because of its people, and many seals end up staying with Sievo after the summer, so show that you would be a good addition to the company culture in the long run, a video is a great way to do this.
Be honest, you don’t need to know everything right away, being eager to learn and curious goes a long way. And finally, do your research, if you’ve made it to this blog, you’re on the right track. If you don’t yet know who Jaxu is, you have a problem.
Good luck and I look forward to meeting you next summer!
Nea:
My tip for future Sievonians that I also still live by is to be yourself and let your curiosity lead the way! The recruitment process at Sievo is not only about whether they like you as a candidate but also about how you like the company, the work, and the values it holds - take it truly as an opportunity to get to know Sievo and the work that your potential future colleagues do on daily basis and what they like about their work, this same curiosity will carry you far, and there’s so much to learn!
Dragos:
Take the time to read about Sievo’s values and show why you’d be a great fit. Highlight your strengths and demonstrate genuine interest if you like what you see. There’s no need to fit a mold or stick to generic interview answers - what helped me was showing that I’m a down-to-earth person who’s eager to learn and contribute to the company’s goals.
Another tip: reach out to current Sievonians on LinkedIn who are in the role you’re applying for. I did this, and it made a huge difference. Not only did I gain a better understanding of the position and the company, but I also found a work buddy and table tennis partner (thanks, Teo!). Keep an open mind and make sure to be meticulous with your work!