From professional sports to data science – our student Seth Peters first came to Finland to pursue a career in American football, but he decided to stay if he could find a Master’s programme that would fit his interests. Now he’s about to graduate from the UEF Master’s degree programme in Information Technology and is revolutionising the pharmacy industry with a start up – utilising AI and machine learning, to provide customers with smart product recommendations.
US native Seth didn’t initially move to Finland to study – but to pursue a professional career in American football. He was hired by a Kuopio-based team for one season and was expected to go back to the States to do his Master’s studies after that. But a contract extension kept him in the Kuopio area for two more years – long enough for him to get properly settled in Finland and start thinking about study options.
When the team finally achieved their first ever Finnish championship, Seth figured it was time to ‘finish at the top’ and find something else to do.
–I thought that if I find something interesting, I’d like to stay in Finland. I completed a Bachelor’s degree in Math in the States and I’ve always been interested in how to solve real problems with math, so it was a natural path for me to go towards data.
First Seth found the SmartICT programme, which is partly organised by the UEF and aimed at people who are working and want to gain more technical knowledge. For Seth it was an excellent preparatory programme while waiting for the application period for the Master’s degree in Information Technology (IMPIT) to start.
–I was actually studying with IMPIT students already during SmartICT studies, so when I got accepted to the Master’s programme, it was easy to continue from where I left off. I’d also found a job through my friend’s LinkedIn-post at the digital pharmacy company where I work, so I’ve been able to put what I learnt into practice straightaway.
Dear data
So far, Seth’s been impressed with the quality and style of teaching in Finland.
–It’s been nice, even though they put a lot of responsibility on the student. But that actually helps you to prepare for the ‘real world’ so to speak. The nature of IT fields is that you don’t really learn that much from books or by listening to a lecture, what you have to do is to go and practice, to go to your computer and try to do what you’re learning. Although here at UEF there’s a lot of experience as the lecturers have worked with the biggest IT companies in Finland, so they really know what they’re talking about in the lectures as well.
The IMPIT programme has a few routes that you can choose from. For Seth, the choice of track was easy to make.
–I’m really interested in data science, so I’ve taken basically all of the data science courses so far. It’s closely connected to what I do in my job at Treet, which is a company that develops an app for people to get pharmaceutical products delivered to their homes and receive medical guidance. I’ve also been able to combine work with my thesis topic at Treet, working with AI and machine learning applications and building a model that can recommend products based on your needs and purchasing behaviour.
Another great thing about data is that it’s everywhere.
–Every company has data, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a bank or a pharmacy.
When studying at UEF, you can take courses outside your own department.
–If you are interested in finance, you could supplement your studies with some business courses. If you are interested in the medical field, you could take some biology or chemistry to develop a more specialized expertise.
Sought-after professional
Seth comes from Arkansas, nicknamed “the Natural State” – so maybe coming to Finland wasn’t too much of a culture shock.
–There’s so much nature and wildlife in Arkansas, and here you have different lakes and different wildlife, but otherwise the appearance is pretty similar.
And Seth can speak from experience, as he has already lived in Finland for more than three and a half years. If everything goes well, he could be staying here for some time longer.
–I really like the company that I’m with now. Especially with this corona situation going on, I’m really interested in seeing how the digitalised pharmacy will develop and grow. In the future, I want my title to be AI scientist or Data Scientist – someone who is building smart systems, using data to provide customers with a personalized experience.
Data scientists are currently in high demand, so surely there are many career opportunities waiting.
–I’m pretty confident there would be multiple job opportunities available if I wasn’t employed already. Here in Kuopio we study in the Technopolis building, which is connected to a lot of companies’ offices, and in Joensuu the studies take place in the Science Park which is a similar environment. So basically, your future employers might be eating at the same cafeteria with you. I really like how the university and companies are so tightly intertwined.
Seth has a few tips to share for any future applicants and students.
–Show how unique you are in the application. It’s a good opportunity to say something other than, “I got good grades.” I would also recommend learning the basics of the Finnish language. You’ll make friends much faster, and it’s a great way to show your respect for Finnish culture. I learned a lot when I was volunteering in an English-language kindergarten in Kuopio, where I spoke English to the kids and they replied to me in Finnish.
Now Seth has moved to Helsinki to work, plan his thesis and study – which will all be online, due to the Covid-19 precautions.
–During my football years in Kuopio, life was pretty hectic with practice and coursework. It’s a good feeling to step back and have more time to do what I really enjoy – and explore more about myself. But there’s all kinds of events and things to do in Kuopio or Joensuu, if you’re willing to put yourself out there. I would highly recommend showing up at the student events and getting to know people.
