Why did you apply for a summer job at Holmen?
I grew up in Örnsköldsvik, close to a large paper mill that used to be part of Holmen. Every day, I saw the chimneys smoking as I walked to school and was very curious about what was happening inside that huge area behind the gates. I think that curiosity has somehow stayed with me.

Just before Holmen, I was running my own business but had slowly started looking for an employment opportunity. When I found the ad for this job, I immediately felt that I wanted to apply.

How would you describe your time at Holmen?
It has been interesting and rewarding. I’ve had the chance to experience an environment I had never been in before, and getting insight into the processes has fascinated me. I’ve also felt welcomed by the team from day one, which has been really nice.
 
What was the most interesting/educational part of your job? What will you take with you?
Gaining insight into what an industrial setting looks like from the inside has been both exciting and educational for me, as I’ve never worked with anything similar before. After this summer, I feel curious about exploring more jobs in the industrial sector.
 
 

What was the best part of your summer job at Holmen?
The colleagues! They really shared their knowledge about the entire machinery for producing paper. I’ve had guided tours in and around the machine whenever time allowed—something I would never have experienced outside of this job. It’s also been a lot of fun learning how to operate the overhead crane.

What expectations did you have, and was there anything that surprised you?
I didn’t really have any specific expectations. I came in with a lot of curiosity without knowing much about either the processes or the job itself. One thing that has particularly fascinated me is the scale of the production and how all the steps work together. The amount of data available for everything has also been interesting to explore.

A personal insight is that shift work has suited me unexpectedly well. I really enjoy the variation of working and being off at different times. The night shifts have been my favorite, which I wouldn’t have guessed beforehand.

 

Would you consider working at Holmen again?
Yes, absolutely. I like that it’s a large company with structure and a strong focus on sustainability. I also think it’s great that many employees have been with the company for many years—they carry a lot of knowledge and experience, which they are happy to share.