I’m Mandy, and this summer I’m working as a Marketing Trainee as part of KATKO’s small but effective marketing team. My first month has been filled with new experiences, learning opportunities, and a wide variety of tasks. Although the industry was quite unfamiliar to me beforehand, I quickly settled into my role and became part of the team.

A variety of tasks from day one

Working in a small team has allowed me to get involved in many different tasks right from the start. For me, this is the perfect setup, as I enjoy working on a variety of different tasks. I’ve been given an appropriate amount of responsibility and have had the opportunity to work on the same tasks as the rest of my team. It has been rewarding to see that I am genuinely trusted as a trainee.

So far, I’ve had the chance to contribute to marketing campaign planning, create social media content, update website content, participate in sustainability reporting, help organize a customer visit, and represent KATKO at an event. I’ve also been surprised by how social this industry - and especially our company - is. Before starting my internship, I expected the field to be more technical and theory-oriented, but in practice, the work is highly collaborative and interactive. We host visitors and actively participate in different events. This has been a pleasant surprise, as I enjoy situations where there are lots of people, interactions, and activity around me.

A new industry with plenty to learn

I started this role with very little knowledge of switches, electrical safety, or the industry in general. I study marketing at Aalto University School of Business and had just completed my first year of master’s studies before starting the internship. My studies have focused heavily on B2C marketing, so B2B marketing and its practical implementation were much less familiar to me.

Any uncertainty I initially had disappeared quickly, as I was able to get involved in tasks and meetings from my very first day. Product training sessions have also helped me gain a much better understanding of our products. This internship has already brought valuable practical perspective to complement the theoretical nature of my studies. I’ve learned that expertise, clear communication, and understanding of customer needs are particularly important in B2B marketing. These insights have strengthened my understanding of how marketing is implemented in practice and increased my confidence in my own abilities.

An open and supportive work environment

To me, KATKO’s family business culture is especially visible in how easy it is to interact with people across different teams. While I enjoy working with my own team, it’s great to know that I can approach almost anyone with questions. There are plenty of questions when working in a new industry, especially regarding the technical features of our products, and it has been wonderful to see how willing everyone is to help.

Overall, I have developed a very positive impression of KATKO as a workplace, my team, and my role. I’m excited to see what the rest of the summer will bring!

Mandy’s blog is the first part of Full Power - KATKO Summer 2026, a series where our summer employees share their experiences, insights, and thoughts about working at KATKO. Stay tuned to hear what our other summer employees have to say about their summer!