Alma Developer Program Celebrates its 10th Anniversary

This spring marked the launch of the tenth Alma Developer trainee program. Over the years, approximately 100 early‑career developers have participated in the program, and more than half of them still work at Alma today.

Seven trainees joined the Alma Developer Program this year. For most of them, the traineeship is their first job in their own field.

– Before this, I had only worked on school projects, so now I get to experience what it really means to work in my own field. At the same time, I’m able to grow and build my professional identity, says Imose Iduozee, AI Engineer Trainee.

The program offers students a low‑threshold transition into working life.

–  The program includes mentoring, and hands‑on learning is at the core. You don’t need to be a ‘finished’ professional yet. That’s what made the program especially appealing, says Viktoria Malikova, Junior AI Engineer.

The trainee period lasts nine months and runs until the end of the year. According to Malikova, there is significant professional growth during the nine‑month period.

Yuusuf Duale, Data Trainee, also sees the length of the program as a major advantage.

– It’s great that the traineeship is this long. You really get to dive deep into working life. I am especially looking forward to the mentoring because it’s valuable to be able to learn from experienced developers.

Atmosphere and Familiar Products Were Key Factors

For many trainees, Alma was already familiar through its digital services and media brands, such as Iltalehti, Nettiauto and Vuokraovi. Beyond well‑known brands, the overall impression formed during the recruitment process played a crucial role.

–  I really liked the atmosphere during the interview. The interviewers were friendly and clearly enjoyed working together. It gave the sense that -people genuinely like working here, Iduozee says.

The trainees also appreciated that recruitment was not solely focused on technical skills, but on personal interests and willingness to learn.

For some, the breadth and technology‑driven nature of Alma Media came as a surprise at the start of the program.

– I didn’t realise how large Alma actually is. Once I started working here, I understood that this isn’t just about media, it’s about building digital solutions, Duale says.

Over the years, around 100 early‑career developers have taken part in the program, with more than half continuing their careers at Alma. While current trainees hope for the possibility of continued employment, they already value the professional growth the traineeship provides.

–  It’s definitely important that opportunities like this exist. The most important thing is to develop and grow out of that beginner feeling, says Iduozee.

Mentors in the Alma Developer Program also see the traineeship as significant for both young talent and the organisation as a whole.

– We gain skilled new employees and fresh perspectives. At the same time, this is an excellent path into working life for students, because they get to work on real projects, says one of the program’s mentors.

Over its ten years, the core structure of the Alma Developer Program has remained largely the same, but its content and trainee roles have evolved alongside technological development. In particular, the role of artificial intelligence has grown significantly over the past two years.

The program and its participants have played a key role in building Alma’s developer community.

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