A summer job launched Hanna Kujanpää’s career in the semiconductor industry

While studies are still underway and career plans aren’t clear yet, a first summer job can change everything. Hanna Kujanpää ended up at Okmetic for the summer after spotting the company’s logo on her student overalls. In April, she was hired as a permanent process development engineer. Read Hanna’s story about how work has flexed around her studies and what kinds of skills students in the field should start building during their degree.

Interest in silicon wafers was sparked by a summer job in production

Hanna started at Okmetic as a cleanroom area operator in the summer of 2021. The more she learned about the silicon wafer manufacturing process in practice, the greater her interest and motivation in the semiconductor industry became.

“A lot of questions came to mind, such as why silicon wafers have different crystal directions and what significance it really has,” Hanna says.

After two summers in production, she continued as an engineering trainee and became involved in process development work. She also worked part-time alongside her studies. In April 2026, she was hired as a permanent process development engineer.

Hanna will graduate in May with a Master of Science Technology from Aalto University’s Degree Programme in Materials Science. For her, the master’s-level semiconductor courses have been useful in her current role and have helped build a solid overall understanding of the field.

“In one course, we visited a cleanroom, which has been very useful. If I could choose again, I would take more courses in statistical data analysis. In this work, we test, compare, and look for cause-and-effect relationships in processes, so those skills are especially helpful.”

It was easy to combine studies and work

Many students may wonder whether they can manage demanding technical studies and work in their field at the same time. Hanna’s experience was the opposite: combining part-time work with her studies was easy, because the tasks are project-based and schedules can be agreed in advance.

“We agreed very flexibly that I would work at Okmetic sometimes one day a week, sometimes two. That rhythm fitted well with my studies, and I didn’t have to stress too much about school.”

Hanna also has good things to say about onboarding. Starting in production was straightforward thanks to strong guidance, and in engineering tasks she has received support from both more experienced colleagues and formal training.

What does a Process Development Engineer do in practice?

According to Hanna, the work of a process development engineer at Okmetic is clearly project-based. Some team members lead initiatives related to equipment purchases, while Hanna’s own projects focus, for example, on investigating production-process phenomena, developing recipes, and ensuring the desired end result. Work may begin with an internal observation or a customer request to manufacture a specific type of silicon wafer. Projects can be short studies or longer efforts that run for months and often the outcome of one project leads directly to the next question to investigate.

Hanna says the role is independent, but depending on the project, multiple colleagues may be involved. For example, test planning is often collaborative: the team brainstorms what to test and how to obtain the results. Running the tests and publishing the report, on the other hand, are typically done independently.

Testing is also the most challenging part of the job, as there’s rarely a ready-made “do this” instructions. The development engineer must define what to measure and set up conditions, so the results reveal something essential. When equipment and processes are complex, product quality can be affected by surprisingly small factors.

Continuous development makes work feel meaningful

According to Hanna, what keeps the work interesting is continuous learning. New equipment and process steps come up regularly, and she recently used a wafer edge polisher for the first time.

A development engineer also works closely with production operators, who help, for example, with test runs and operating production equipment.

“Most tests are carried out on production equipment, so we coordinate with the operators and agree on testing times. In problem situations, they’re also very skilled at solving equipment-related challenges.”

Not all tests lead directly to a clear answer, which is why breakthroughs and meaningful findings after a long investigation feel especially rewarding.

Hanna also finds it meaningful that her bachelor’s thesis on the final washing of silicon wafers is still used when onboarding new employees at Okmetic.

Who should consider a career in semiconductors?

According to Hanna, the work of a process development engineer is a great fit if you enjoy varied projects and solving problems together. Even though measurements and equipment are used repeatedly, project topics and timelines vary, so the work doesn’t become too routine.

Hanna believes the semiconductor industry is both an interesting and a secure choice for the future.

“There will certainly be plenty of work in this field in the future as well.”

At Okmetic, she has stayed because of the strong sense of community and interesting customer relationships.

“Our products end up with significant customers in the industry, whose components are used in smartphones and automotive electronics, among other things. It’s very inspiring.”

She also shares a practical tip for students: it can be a great idea to start your career in production, as it teaches you a lot about hands-on work and helps you understand the different stages of the process.

Hanna’s tips for students

• Get exposure to cleanrooms. Courses organized by higher education institutions provide concrete benefits.
• Don’t be afraid to start in production. Production work helps you understand the process and makes it easier to move into specialist roles later.
• Practice statistics and data analysis. These skills are useful in tests that require interpreting results and drawing conclusions.
• Trust that your direction will become clearer. You often find your interests by doing and at Okmetic, it’s possible to try a wide range of teams and tasks.

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