Our consulting intern Sami answers questions about his experiences at Spring Academy.
Who are you and when were you a trainee at Spring?
I’m Sami, a fourth-year Industrial Engineering and Management student at Aalto University. I’ve been a trainee at Spring during the spring of 2025.
What kind of tasks did you get to work on?
If I listed everything, the list would probably get too long… In the projects I’ve worked on, I’ve had the chance to help create a client’s new strategy, carry out economic impact assessments, and model a new business plan. To generalise, I’d say I’ve been able to take part in projects and sales much like a junior-level consultant would.
How do you feel about your trainee period?
Very impressed. I’ve gotten to see and experience a lot of new things, and it feels like I’ve also had a lot to contribute. Thanks to the low hierarchy, I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with more senior team members – which, of course, is an incredibly effective way to learn. I’ve also been challenged in the projects and encouraged to take on more responsibility, which naturally leads to much more growth than just staying in your comfort zone.
How would you describe the Spring team and culture from your perspective?
I’ve felt at home from the very beginning and like I’ve been welcomed as part of our amazing team. I especially appreciate that people enjoy coming to the office and working together – team bonding, especially in the beginning, would be so much harder if everyone worked remotely day in and day out. I’d describe the culture as relaxed but competent. We have people from surprisingly diverse backgrounds, and it’s genuinely enjoyable to both work and have lunch with them. It’s also been great to see that different educational and professional backgrounds are seen as something that strengthens the team.
Why did you choose to apply to Spring?
After my previous internship, I knew I was interested in management consulting and wanted to see more of it. I had heard good things about Spring from a few different sources, and just a quick browse through the website confirmed my impression that the culture here could be one where I’d feel at home.
What was the most fun or memorable moment during your internship?
When I think about the most memorable moments, a clear common denominator is some kind of interaction with clients, as I had very little experience with that before this internship. One highlight was definitely a set of strategy days during which we worked closely with the client to develop their next strategy — having the opportunity to be part of and take on significant responsibility in such events is naturally a big deal at this stage of my career. Another particularly memorable experience from the spring was a site visit to the client, where I got to see their operations firsthand. Experiences like that bring a whole new level of clarity to the project compared to just working from behind a desk.
If you could switch places with any Spring employee for one day, who would you choose and why?
Tough question – it took me a while to think about this one. Since the daily routines of more senior people seem quite different from those of someone earlier in their career, I’d want to pick someone whose day I’m genuinely curious about. After careful thought, I chose Lari, who has at times been described as a “strategy conductor.” Not my words. It can be almost scary to witness how he’s able to turn what seems like a complete mess into a logical whole that’s easy to start working with again. I’d be super curious to see how he untangles those knots from his perspective.
