Erki, a mechanical engineer of Harju Elekter, has been familiar with machines since he was a child, and connecting his career to the field of engineering was a completely logical step. His career path is interesting because he once left the company to gain experience outside of Harju Elekter and then returned. So far, he is satisfied with his decision.
As a young student, Erki gained good experience as a quality engineer in an Estonian company. “However, at one point I heard from my classmate that Harju Elekter was looking for engineers. At first, I wondered how I would manage to work at Keila and at the same time study product development at the Tallinn University of Technology. At first, I turned down the opportunity, but remained interested in the position,” says Erki. It happened so effortlessly, that Erki still came to Harju Elekter for an interview and all the conditions happened to suit both parties. In November 2003, he started working at Harju Elekter, together with the same classmate who initially told him about the opportunity.
In the first stage of his employment, from 2003 to 2012, while working at Harju Elekter, he gained excellent production technology experience and participated in challenging projects. “Mechanical design is mostly done at the computer, and engineers don’t delve into metal production too often. Also, production feedback often does not reach the engineer. In Harju Elekter things are different, and this is undoubtedly a huge advantage,” explains Erki. He was also able to have a say in the process developments of the product development department.
What followed was a period of nearly six years in which Erki worked on another front and gained both life and projection experience. This time included the opportunity to work in several small mechanical engineering companies and gain work experience in the design of science center exhibitions. Among other things, you will find several exhibits designed by Erki, for example, in the Energy Discovery Center. “At one point I realised that a large company like Harju Elekter was the best choice for me,” says Erki. “Small businesses depend mostly on outside aspects, which creates uncertainty. Harju Elekter is like a big ship – the direction and tasks of the team are firmly in place. That’s what brought me back here,” he adds.
„Harju Elekter is like a big ship – the direction and tasks of the team are firmly in place. That’s what brought me back here.”
When he came back to Harju Elekter, he knew what was waiting for him – the work and the people were already familiar. “At Harju Elekter, I mostly enjoy the series production process. You design, go into production, evaluate and make corrections, and then you see how the product is improved. You see the life map of the product within the company and there is always room for improvement with products,” he declared. “And the people at Harju Elekter have always been a good team with an enjoyable internal atmosphere. People get along well and there is good communication between units,” says Erki.
Erki is a team member who is always ready to share his ideas and thoughts. He doesn’t just stick to the boundaries of his role but looks at the bigger picture. For example, he supports the workflow of mechanical engineers in-house and contributes to designing software and tools. Erki himself says that he appreciates being intelligent, but according to him, he is not the type to be a leader. “I enjoy this role, where I can perform as a specialist and make my voice heard on important topics,” he added.
What does Harju Elekter’s new slogan “Electrifying Tomorrow” mean for Erki? He says it is good that the word electrifying can be understood in many different ways. “I believe that many people today are wondering what tomorrow’s electrification will look like. I see that Harju Elekter has established itself in this energy chain to a significant extent,” he claims. Erki adds that it is only pleasurable as an employee of Harju Elekter if there is a demand for our products. “Speaking of tomorrow, I’m looking forward to when a good solution will be found for the efficient use of heat losses,” he adds.
