The Port of Helsinki is an attractive employer. Many of those who come for summer jobs keep coming back, and some end up staying in permanently. About 10 per cent of permanent staff started out in summer jobs.

Many summer workers keep coming back to the Port of Helsinki, either to a job they’re already familiar with or to try something new. Those who started their careers with summer jobs appreciate the Port’s flat hierarchy, approachable supervisors, positive atmosphere and sense of community.

“Employees have the chance to influence their own roles. If you commit to the Port, the Port will commit to you,” says Teemu Erho, 26, who is currently working as business development specialist.

He first came to the Port of Helsinki for a summer job in May 2022, and returned time and again before becoming a permanent employee.

“I’ve had a plenty of opportunities to learn and grow.”

Erho particularly appreciates the fact that he can take on new tasks without having to be fully qualified for them in advance.

Ville Ryynänen, 30, also enjoys working at the Port of Helsinki. Ryynänen, who started as a service manager in summer 2025, says that the relaxed atmosphere makes it nice to come in to work every day.

“I feel like this is exactly where I belong. It’s really easy to talk to the managers – and even the CEO – about all sorts of things. At my previous workplace, we usually only talked about work. I’d love to continue in a permanent position this autumn once my summer job ends,” says Ryynänen, who is currently doing an internship at the Port.

Learning by doing

But what sets the Port of Helsinki apart from other workplaces?

Teemu Erho points out that the Port provides opportunities to grow and develop, and to learn by doing.

“Even though I’ve always been younger than my teammates – the ‘schoolboy’ – I’ve always been treated as an equal and a colleague. I’m happy and grateful for that.”

Erho appreciates how the Port offers opportunities to grow through new responsibilities, tasks and projects.

“I’ve been assigned tasks for which I haven’t always had prior experience or qualifications. But at the Port of Helsinki, having the motivation to learn new things and take on responsibility has often been enough, as it enables you to improve professionally. I’ve had plenty of opportunities to learn and grow,” he says.

When Erho first started his summer job at the Port of Helsinki in May 2022, his job title was logistics coordinator. He provided assistance in development projects, which included developing guidelines for the hazardous materials system, helping to piloting a computer vision tool, and assessing access control needs.

Once those tasks were completed, he was offered a new role: analysing traffic data from Vuosaari Harbour. That experience put him on track for his current responsibilities.

After his first summer, Erho continued taking summer jobs at the Port of Helsinki and also worked part-time in the winter during his studies.

After his first summer, Erho continued taking summer jobs at the Port of Helsinki and also worked part-time in the winter during his studies.

When his 2024 summer job ended, Erho began working on his thesis for the Port of Helsinki. The thesis focused on enhancing the monitoring and control of operations at Vuosaari Harbour with the aid of digital tools, and was completed in the spring of 2025. Erho has been working full-time at the Port since completing his thesis. In his current role, he’s a business development specialist in the cargo traffic development team.

“I still had a few courses left to take after completing my thesis, and finally received my MSc in industrial engineering in March.”

“As I’ve grown and developed, the Port of Helsinki has given me new opportunities, challenges and trust,” he says gratefully.isuuksia, haasteita ja luottamusta sitä mukaa, kun olen itse kasvanut ja kehittynyt, hän kiittelee.

It’s the human connection that counts

Ville Ryynänen is currently completing a 12-week internship at the Port of Helsinki. He will also continue in his current role of service manager for the upcoming summer season.

Service managers act as a liaison between the terminal manager and service providers, handle routine operations, and ensure high-quality service provision. Service managers closely monitor operations at the port, and report any observations to the heads of the passenger traffic team. They will also submit service requests if they notice something that needs to be repaired.

“The most important thing about this job is knowing how to get along with all kinds of people,” says Ryynänen.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, and is currently studying to become a Bachelor of Business Administration in Law.

“I think that studying at a university of applied sciences helped me to get a job at the Port.”

Ryynänen believes that his active career in ice hockey has also taught him important skills for his current job.

“I’ve refereed about 400 hockey matches, and have managed to develop quite a thick skin. It’s really hard to provoke me. I always try to defuse tense or threatening situations. And if something unpleasant happens at work or during a match, I won’t dwell on it – I know how to put it behind me. I won’t let mean comments or anything else follow me home.

Fortunately, these kinds of difficult situations are quite rare.”

Ville recalls one incident when he encountered a difficult and heavily intoxicated customer who was disturbing others.

“I went to talk to him. He eventually realised that the ship terminal wasn’t the right place to cause a disturbance, and left. We even parted on good terms. Kindness goes a long way.”

The Port of Helsinki

• The Port of Helsinki employs just over 100 experts and professionals from various fields.
• Although people have traditionally enjoyed long careers at the Port, it has also welcomed fresh, young talents.
• Personnel turnover is low, and the number of employees has increased by an annual average of 10 per cent.
• The Port of Helsinki will have 12 summer employees in 2026. About 10 per cent of permanent staff originally joined the company through summer jobs.
• The Port of Helsinki has been a certified workplace for three years in a row. It received Future Workplaces certification in 2023 and 2024, and in autumn 2025 it received the Great Place to Work Certification for providing an excellent employee experience.