Skip to main content

From trainee to expert
untitled4

—
Elias Korpi
  

Sales Support Engineer, Motion High Power
Helsinki, Finland

​​​​​​Elias Korpi found his career direction by combining electrical engineering with business studies. A choice that led him to ABB during his university years. 

What started as a summer trainee job eventually grew into a career path that advanced through thesis projects and internships, leading to a permanent role as a Sales Support Engineer.

Widget title goes here

Your engaging subtitle goes here. This text should capture attention and provide a brief overview of engaging content that awaits users in this widget.
skip this widget
Alongside his studies in electrical engineering with a focus on renewable energy technologies, Elias also chose to study business. That decision has proven excellent: his engineering studies gave him a strong and deep technical foundation, while business education complemented it.

“Electrical engineering gave me a logical and analytical way of thinking, while business studies taught me to see the bigger picture and the dynamics between people. This combination opened the doors to my current job.”

After his second year of studies, Elias decided to apply to ABB. The company was already familiar to him, as ABB had collaborated with his student guild. His application was quickly answered, and he was invited to an interview. Shortly after, he was offered a trainee position.

That first summer, Elias was soon given real responsibilities. There was a lot to learn at the beginning, but support was always close at hand.
“It was great to have my predecessor as my mentor—I received valuable help and an introduction to the role. It made a huge difference that my mentor had done the same job before. He knew exactly what kind of support I needed. That trust felt good. In my first two customer meetings, I was only observ-ing. By the third, I was already leading the meeting myself.”

Career progression has been important to Elias. He is working towards a future leadership role and is also motivated by improving operations. His own trainee experience was so impactful that he wanted to improve how his department onboards trainees. Together with a colleague, he created a new orien-tation program for newcomers: a demonstration of how a trainee can grow into a valuable developer.

“Through my own experience, I realized that in addition to general onboarding, it helps a lot if the de-partment has a more concrete, team-specific program. We built one that makes it easier for new train-ees to adapt to everyday work.”

Alongside internships, Elias completed both his bachelor’s and master’s theses for ABB. Writing these theses not only deepened his expertise but also gave him a broader understanding of the depart-ment’s operations.

“I wanted to graduate quickly. Being able to do both theses at ABB was a big deal. ABB truly provides these opportunities if you are proactive. Through my thesis projects, I got to see how the whole de-partment operates. That changed the way I understood the meaning of my own work.”

After finishing his master’s thesis, Elias was offered a permanent position at ABB. In addition to ABB’s support during his studies, there was also a clear incentive: once he completed his degree, a perma-nent position awaited him.

“Today, I am responsible for several million euros in sales at ABB in a role that combines my technical expertise with commercial thinking.

Be proactive. Dare to ask questions. Set yourself goals and work hard to achieve them. If you act in your own best interest, it is often also the best thing for your employer.”
untitled5
When Elias graduated and transitioned into his permanent role at ABB, the change did not mean learn-ing a completely new job, it meant growing deeper into a familiar one. The shift was a smooth contin-uation built on trust and shared experience.

That trust is also reflected in the independent decision-making responsibility he now holds at the customer interface. Even as a younger professional, you can work in a highly responsible and mean-ingful role.

For Elias, ABB is above all a place to grow and a community where every voice is heard.
A career path can move in many directions. A large organization offers variety and opportunities for advancement even within the company. Elias is already looking ahead but without rushing.

“Before I turn thirty, I would like to take on a managerial role. I aim to gather knowledge and experience to prepare for that.”

At ABB, growth doesn’t happen by chance. It’s part of a culture where trust, responsibility, and open-ness go hand in hand. It’s a place where a young professional can find themselves working on multi-million-euro projects while still feeling free to ask questions, learn, and develop.
—
Could your career look like this?
Run what runs the world
Browse open positions



Courage gave Pauliina's career a new direction

A sense of mutual respect and mindfulness permeates our culture-in fact, it’s the key to our success.