Katja was born in Kajaani but has also spent a period of her childhood living in Southern Finland. She never planned to stay away for long.
“Kajaani has always been a lovely place to live, and I have found everything I need here. It’s a great place to raise children and there are plenty of opportunities for leisure activities. I never wanted anything more because I had every opportunity to get a good education here and find an interesting job.”
Katja studied computer science and has been working for the last few years as an IT development manager for the City of Kajaani. Before that, she worked as a project manager in the City’s IT department. Her work is varied and challenging and requires expert knowledge and development skills. Katja was already working remotely some of the time before the pandemic and now works from home most of the time.
“The organisation has been well prepared for the transition to working remotely, and the working culture has also supported it. I also intend to continue working remotely for some of the time. Remote work has also allowed me personal flexibility when my situation in life has demanded it.”
Katja is currently further developing her skills by completing a specialist vocational qualification in product development alongside her job. The training is provided by the Kainuu Vocational College and is easy to integrate into her working life, as she can perform the development tasks involved in her job as a demonstration of competence for her degree. This is not the first time Katja is studying remotely alongside her work: she completed her specialist vocational qualification in project management remotely with an educational establishment in Helsinki.
Balancing work and family has been easy
The short distances in Kajaani have helped Katja to combine work and family life comfortably. She doesn’t have to waste time on getting from one place to another. Instead, she spends her free time doing various activities and enjoying time with her family.
“Kajaani is exactly the right size, with all the services you need just a short distance away. The library and local shop are within an easy walking distance and the city centre is only a couple of kilometres away.”
Her children went to day-care not far from home and, at school age, an after-school club for the first few years. Currently, the youngest of her daughters goes to a nearby lower school and her middle child attends a sports-oriented lower secondary school a few kilometres away, which is easy to get to by bike or bus. Her firstborn is studying to become a sport advisor and is also a keen athlete in her spare time.
Active children keep you moving
Katja’s three teenage daughters are active and goal-oriented sports enthusiasts. The youngest one belongs to a competitive gymnastics team and is aiming for national level. The middle one plays Finnish baseball and attends a sports-oriented lower secondary school, with sports camps three times a year.
The children have training sessions four times a week, plus competitions, games and camps. Active hobbies also require input from parents.
“My children have always been active in their hobbies and have wanted to try different sports, for which there are excellent opportunities in Kajaani. Hobby-related communal volunteer events, game trips, steward duties and so on are fun to be involved in. You get to meet new people and we have a great team spirit among the parents.”
Kajaani and the surrounding area offer a wide variety of leisure activities. The facilities for the activities are not far from home, which is why children often cycle to them by themselves. During her children’s training sessions, Katja has time to run errands, thanks to the short distances, or to go for a walk or run herself.
In their free time, the family likes to spend time outdoors in one of the many local nature attractions that Kajaani has to offer. Their favourite hiking destination is the Akkovaara hill. There is also a nature trail near their home, with a campfire site for admiring the scenery and enjoying a picnic.
“In Kajaani, we have plenty of time for fun and leisure activities after the working day!”
Katja MoilanenKajaani is exactly the right size, with all the services you need just a short distance away. The library and local shop are within an easy walking distance and the city centre is only a couple of kilometres away.
