“Every change of direction always teaches you something new and ultimately leads you to where you feel happy and know you are in the right place at that very moment.” Reetta Lumpo, Producer and Journalist at RekryAreena

Hi, I’m Reetta Lumpo—a producer and journalist at RekryAreena and a mother of two from Kajaani. My career path has been anything but straightforward; I’ve changed professions four times, but looking back, it was precisely those twists and turns that moved my life forward.

When I was young, I dreamed of becoming a kindergarten teacher or a chef, but after high school—and a gap year—I ended up working as a sales assistant at Osuuskauppa Maakunta. This led me to begin studies in Business Administration at Kajaani University of Applied Sciences in the autumn of 2003. During my studies, I worked, played ice hockey, helped organize major public events, and even served as the CEO of a student-run company. I graduated in the spring of 2007 after four years of study and, that same summer, landed a job as a payroll clerk at a local transport company. Although I found the steady work rewarding, I missed the variety and new experiences of my student days.

In the autumn of 2009, I returned to school to study tourism at Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, while also going back to Osuuskauppa Maakunta as a part-time sales assistant. During my studies, I fulfilled my dream of studying and working abroad: I spent the autumn semester of 2010 in Northern Michigan and the spring semester of 2012 in St. Petersburg, where I also completed an internship at the Sokos Hotel Olympia Garden. After graduating in December 2012, I planned to move away from Kainuu, but life had other plans. I met the father of my children, and we started a family. I subsequently worked for a few more years in part-time sales roles until 2017, when I found a new profession as a credit controller at SOK Palveluässä. I ended up staying in credit control for quite some time, as the work was truly interesting and engaging. However, the job took more out of me than it gave back, and in 2022, the time was right for a change; I traded my career of over 13 years with the S Group for a government position at Kainuu TE Services, working as a producer for the TE-live service. In that role, I worked with people, employers, and job seekers, while also leveraging my diverse experience in communications, events, customer service, and the world of work in general.

But nothing lasts forever, and with the TE Services reform of 2025, operations shifted to the municipalities, giving rise to a new concept: RekryAreena. This change also transformed my own work within the municipal sector. I am happy with my current situation, but at some point, life will undoubtedly present me with new, interesting challenges. And when that happens, I’ll be ready to learn something new!

Over the years, I have learned that dreams and wishes do not always come true, yet one always finds one’s own place—and looking back, the outcome has always been the better option. Every change of direction teaches something new and ultimately leads to a place where one feels happy and exactly where one is meant to be at that moment. I wouldn’t change a single twist in my (career) path, even though not all of them were pleasant at the time.