While 2020 has been a difficult year for, well, nearly everybody, it has brought many good things with it as well. One of these good things to happen was Lais Oliveira Leite joining Eduix to work as an Education Consultant in the beginning of the year. We took some time to discuss her time here, and what a lovely conversation it was!
Who would you say you are, Lais?
“I recognize myself as a psychologist in the field of education, and the academic world has always been important to me. The last decade of my life, I have also been interested in politics and political life. I recognize myself as a political person. Not in a sense of party-politics but social engagement and active citizenship.
If doing something makes sense to me, helps me support the things I believe in, I go at it wholeheartedly. And what I believe in has a lot to do with education – in my home Brazil, in my work with African nations, wherever I have a possibility to help improve the level of education.”
How did you join Eduix?
“I am a PHD-student in the University of Eastern Finland, and I was using E-lomake as an online tool for gathering data for my research. Last year, I needed to adapt the features of E-lomake to fit the needs of my research. I decided to contact Eduix to ask whether this would be possible, and went to Eduix’s website. There weren’t too many contact persons there, so I dared myself to contact the CEO.
I sent a message to Rami to ask if it was possible to add this feature to E-lomake so that I could implement it in my thesis. He thanked me for the feedback, and then I got a second email with the headline ‘We’re interested in your expertise’. That took me by surprise, but that’s where the conversation started. And now I’m here!”
What is it that you do now?
“Eduix hired me as an education consultant, but I ended up doing a lot of stuff I wasn’t expecting: marketing materials etc. It took me some time in the beginning, but it forced me to understand the products and their benefits and needs for improvement.
I also got to interact a lot with our partners in Namibia. Then I also started to discuss with our possible partners around the world, which led to me contacting possible international partners, and participating in a lot of events about internationalization.
Right now I see myself as someone who is trying to listen and understand what people, companies, universities and education institutions we discuss with need. To see if what we can provide as digital solutions and services can help the person I’m talking with. Understanding is the key essence of my job – it dictates, if there is a possibility to go forward together.”
What has been best about the passing year?
“First thing that came to my mind: it’s being an employee in a Finnish company. I am so happy and comfortable here. I am recognized as an employee and a professional, and it feels so good to receive not only the recognition but also the concrete benefits from them. It’s great how the Finnish labour rights are, and in addition, we have all these events, these treats. We are really looked after and cared for.
In Eduix, there is a human culture in the working environment, coming from bottom-up and top-down directions. I like how working in Eduix makes me feel. It’s amazing!”
What have you learned?
“Right now I’m learning how to do a budget table for project reporting! But yes, I am learning how to coordinate projects with international partners.
I have also learned how to communicate better with digital tools. The way to express your respect or your gratitude – these things that you could express easily in a F2F-meeting – how to express these in written texts and online tools? One could say I have learned to express myself digitally! What I think is that the main portion of my work is about communicating, so it has been great to learn these.”
What has been difficult?
“It’s not a difficulty, but something I miss: I miss not being in an office with people, having a coffee break with them, and discussing face to face in the hallways. It’s of course related to the pandemic, but also because I’m not in Tampere as I live in Joensuu.
In the beginning it was difficult to adjust my expectations. At first I ended up doing different things than what I had been expecting – i.e. marketing and the like. I wasn’t a professional in those fields, so it required a lot of learning and adjusting my thinking. This mental adjustment was difficult, but I got over it.”
What has been easy?
“Working with people. Very easy, especially with my manager, Pauliina. Anyone I need to ask questions or whatever, it’s always easy to approach people.”
What would you say to a person who would consider Eduix as an employer?
“Eduix has possibilities for so many people – you can focus on coding, on international markets, developing software, or sales, or anything. Maybe I would say that if you’re looking for a place where people are open to your ideas and take them into account, you should consider Eduix. I see it here everyday: people listen to you and apply it if possible. People in every level of the organization acknowledge your ideas and take them into account. That’s also the recognition that I mentioned earlier.”
Thank you, Lais, for being with us! You bring us a lot of knowledge and understanding as well as laughter, delight and good sense. We hope to have you stay with us as long as possible!