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April 16, 2025 · 3 min read timeWhat do you get when you combine a data engineer with a curiosity for learning new things and a client project that challenges their professional skills in the right way? At least a crash course in Clojure – without forgetting a little help from artificial intelligence.
When Justus Jokela first joined the new client team, he immediately faced a concrete learning opportunity. The data engineer had to learn a foreign programming language, Clojure, on the fly.
"I had never used Clojure before, so I learned it through client work. Clojure is very different from other programming languages I've used, but my previous knowledge was useful in mastering it," Jokela recalls.
Experience with other programming languages gave Jokela context and understanding of how Clojure works. The engineer, who studied machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data analytics, got a boost in acquiring new skills from a convenient assistant. Large language models and ChatGPT proved to be excellent sparring partners.
"I used artificial intelligence to compare the programming languages I was already familiar with to Clojure. I could ask questions like: 'This is how it’s done in Python, but how do you achieve the same thing in Clojure?' It accelerated the learning process significantly," Jokela recalls.
The daily life of a digital engineering company and its diverse clientele ensures that the wheels of learning never stop.
From data integrations to cloud migration – a versatile client project develops expertise
In 2023, Jokela, who holds a Master of Science from Aalto University, chose to move to Nitor to pursue new learning opportunities after gaining extensive experience at Kela, Finland's social security institution, and Pohjola Vakuutus. A haven for professional growth was found in a long-term ICT client, where he has utilised and challenged his expertise.
"I help my client when the goal is, for example, to improve processes by introducing new data. For example, it could be useful in customer service if the person serving the customer directly sees certain data points from which they can conclude the problem and how it should be solved," Jokela describes.
Jokela's team includes both Nitoreans and personnel from the client side – a diverse group of data experts who develop data integrations and build modeling on top of them. In addition, there are full-stack developers whose task is to develop user interfaces for data management.
The team's desk is also filled with the ongoing cloud migration, where customer data and systems are being moved from one cloud service to another. This requires careful planning to ensure the transition happens seamlessly without disrupting business processes.
“Cloud migration is typically viewed as an attractive option due to cost savings or, for example, the physical location of the data centres. At the same time, it is important to ensure that data remains intact and systems operate reliably throughout the transition," Jokela says.
The cloud migration took things to a new level and taught the technique of learning
The client’s cloud migration has brought opportunities for professional growth, even for the experienced cloud veteran. When taking over a new cloud service provider, Jokela noticed that the most effective way to learn new things is by focusing on small things at a time.
"Implementing a new service is most efficient when you learn it directly on the job. It's good to check things from the documentation, but the practice remains in your memory. In addition, it's worth gaining understanding slowly and one piece at a time. Otherwise, the amount of information can easily be too much at once," Jokela points out.
This digital data engineer learns best in client work because he gets to constantly solve problems and apply new information in practice. Jokela believes staying in the industry requires continuous learning as technology develops rapidly.
“Basic programming skills will no longer be enough to get by in the same way as before. Artificial intelligence can produce code with good accuracy. Specialisation and deeper expertise in certain topics will become more important in the future," Jokela concludes.
The article series highlights the experiences of Nitoreans in continuous learning as part of their daily customer work. At Nitor, professional growth builds on training, collaborative learning, mentoring, Nitor Core time, and interesting customer projects. This article series stems from a desire to show appreciation for learning while working, the fundamental pillar of everyday professional development.
