When Ondrej Antos first joined Innokas as a software engineer over two years ago, he was a fresh face in the Kempele office near Oulu. Hired through the “Hire an International Expert” campaign, Ondrej brought his skills and his Czech roots to the north of Finland. A year ago, he decided it was time for a change.

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“I wanted to see more of Finland, meet more people,” Ondrej says. “And to experience what life has to offer in the capital region.”

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Change of scenery

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With just a few belongings and a train ticket, Ondrej relocated to Helsinki and began working from the Innokas Espoo office. The move was driven by personal curiosity and a desire to experience life in southern Finland. And while the transition came with its challenges, Ondrej embraced the adventure.

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“It’s a big difference, but still Finland,” he reflects. “People are still nice, but much busier in the capital area. It’s a beautiful city. There are more job opportunities, but also a much higher cost of living. As soon as you leave your apartment, it starts costing you money,” he adds with laughter.  

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An additional perk of the move was also the food scene. “Restaurants are more numerous here. In Prague, eating out daily is very common, so this feels familiar to me. Though, the restaurants tend to close much earlier than in Prague”  

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Same company, different office

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The shift from Kempele to Espoo also brought a change in office culture. “In Kempele, there’s a core community. People come in regularly and have coffee together at the same time every day. It’s a tight-knit group,” Ondrej explains. “In Espoo that doesn’t really happen. People come and go on different days, and there aren’t any fixed times we meet, aside from the shared breakfast every month. But I enjoy chatting with QA/RA experts about everyday life and going into technical topics with engineers when I have the chance”

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Despite missing the close-knit vibe of Kempele, Ondrej has no regrets. “I’m really thankful that working at Innokas allowed me to make this move without needing to find a new workplace. I wanted to stay with Innokas, and I could.”

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The freshly renovated Espoo office has also made settling in easier. “I enjoy the atmosphere here,” he says with a smile. “It’s been an adventure and I’m glad I decided to start it and still get to stay with the company that I’ve become part of.”

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