A path into physics

Unna is currently in her fifth year at Aalto University, majoring in Material Science and Quantum Technology. Growing up in a family of physicists, physics might seem like an obvious choice, but her path into quantum was less straightforward.

“I’ve always been good at mathematical subjects, but choosing science wasn’t clear at first,” Unna says. “I ended up sealing my fate by going to a school specializing in maths and natural sciences, but before that it was really a 50/50 decision between visual art and science. After that, the path toward physics felt quite organic, and so far I’ve been very content with that choice.”

In high school, physics stood out as the subject that allowed her to explore ideas in the greatest depth, which eventually led her to continue her studies at Aalto.

During her studies, Unna first heard about SemiQon through a conversation with a friend who worked on company liaisons in a student organization.

“I remember her mentioning that Markku, one of our founders, was a really nice guy,” Unna says. “That casual recommendation, combined with the quantum hardware work that aligned with my interests, was enough to make me want to learn more and reach out about a summer job.”

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Shaping a role that evolves

At SemiQon, Unna found that it was possible to combine both practical and computational work.

“I had some prior cleanroom experience, so I thought I could be of use on the fabrication side of things,” she says. “But in the long term, my career aspirations had more to do with computational physics. It was nice to see that we could shape a role that allowed me to do both practical cleanroom work and simulation.”

After her summer internship, Unna returned to SemiQon to continue working on simulations, now with a more clearly defined task connected to the company’s design process.

“This year, I was happy to be welcomed back to continue working on the simulations, now with a more well-defined task related to our design process,” she says.

What stands out to her most is how the role develops alongside her.

“I love that my role here evolves with me,” Unna says. “It gives me room to grow in the direction of my strengths and ambitions.”

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Working independently and being trusted

From the start, Unna has been trusted to work quite independently, which she finds motivating.

“I prefer smaller companies where the organization is flat, you know who you’re collaborating with, and people are easy to reach,” she says. “Here, everyone is motivated and does their job well, which creates an atmosphere I really like.”

She also appreciates the flexible way people collaborate and contribute at SemiQon.

“There are no hierarchies holding you back. You get to work in diverse ways and use your expertise broadly. Your role isn’t limited to one thing. You both get to and have to contribute across the board.”

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Curiosity beyond science

Outside of science, Unna has a wide range of interests.

“I have many interests, but also some complete blind spots, such as Finnish geography,” she says.

She has studied Japanese and Chinese and enjoys reading classic literature, especially 19th-century novels. At the moment, she is reading War and Peace. In her free time, she also stays active through running, acrobatics and dance, most recently pole dance and Chinese folk dance. Arts and crafts such as painting and sewing are another outlet.

Unna also enjoys experimenting with cocktails and visiting new cocktail bars in Helsinki.

“I even have dozens of bottles at home to experiment with,” she says. “That has made some people who don’t know me well wonder if I should have been a bartender instead.”

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What matters at work

When it comes to work, Unna is clear about what motivates her.

“Being useful,” she says. “It’s really motivating for me to feel that I can contribute and add value.”

As for small frustrations, she does have one.

“Light roast coffee,” she says. “I have a strong preference for dark roast, so whenever there’s light roast in the machine, it’s always a bit of a struggle.”

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Qurious to join a team of Qurious minds? Information about our open positions and how to apply is available on our careers page.

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