IT Student Gained Valuable Skills Through Local Business Projects

You can read about Joonas' experiences with the AIMlearning project below.

Hello!

My name is Joonas Ojakangas, and I’m a final-year Information Technology engineering student living in Kokkola. I came across the AIMlearning project while searching for an internship in the Kokkola area. After the initial interviews, I was able to start quickly in June 2024. From the beginning, my goal was to complete a six-month internship, which is the maximum duration allowed by AIM.

The project’s website gave a good overview of its core themes, which sparked my interest in company projects related to artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital safety. My start in the project was quiet, as I began during the summer when many people were on vacation. Initially, I built a website for a small business using WordPress. The site included a service price list and contact information. I also worked on search engine optimization to improve visibility and created a Google Business profile.

At the end of the summer, I started a project aimed at increasing visual appeal and participant engagement at a local business event. The goal was to enhance interactivity through a Live Q&A-style application, where participants could join the discussion simply by scanning a QR code. The first part of the project involved researching suitable applications for this purpose, and the final part was implementing the solution at the event held in Snellman Hall, Kokkola.

After the event, I moved on to a new project: building a B2B e-commerce site for a local company using WordPress and WooCommerce. This site was significantly larger and more complex than the previous one. I spent the final months of my internship working on this project and learned a lot about how B2B e-commerce works and how customer relationship management (CRM) systems can be integrated with website data.

During the project, my skills grew the most in web design and related areas, such as CRM systems, WooCommerce, and SEO. Working with clients through remote meetings also strengthened my professional skills and confidence.

Some of the projects I completed during the internship are now evolving into side work for me, maintaining the websites I built. This means I can continue applying what I learned in the project and benefit from the business contacts I made.

The best parts of the project were developing my own skills and working on real company projects. As a student, the structure of the project suited me well, allowing me to balance my coursework and internship. The skills I gained also helped me choose a topic for my thesis, which I’m currently writing. I aim to complete it and graduate next summer. The experience in web design has inspired me to continue working in this field after graduation.

I highly recommend the AIMlearning project to anyone interested in its focus areas. It’s a great way to complete your internship requirements and an easy way to explore whether the IT field is right for you—even if you’re not yet studying it. The project mentors provide excellent support, and the overall atmosphere is very positive. I especially recommend the company projects, as the skills and potential job opportunities they offer are the greatest benefits for participants.