From School to Tech, How They Ended Up Here
What Attracts Young People to AI?
For both Max and Edvin, the opportunity to be part of something relevant and forward-looking was appealing. Edvin describes it like this:
“It feels like AI is the future. A lot is happening, people find it exciting, and so do I.”
Max agreed that it was an exciting field, but also emphasized that he primarily saw it as an interesting chance to work with technology and development for real.
The Early Days, Expectations and Reality
Both had different expectations before starting, and both have been pleasantly surprised. Max thought the technical aspects would be more overwhelming:
“I thought it would be harder, all the technologies and systems. But the more you work with it, the more it becomes routine.”
Edvin had high ambitions from the start and wanted to quickly take on responsibility:
“I wanted to hold my own meetings and be involved in the entire sales process. Everything I hoped for, I've had the opportunity to do.”
Joining as Young, Both Secure and Challenging
Max describes his introduction as very positive:
“Everyone is friendly and the environment is relaxed. It made it easy to fit in.”
Edvin, however, felt some pressure at first, especially related to age:
“When you're young, it's easy to feel that people don't always take you seriously. It was a bit stressful at first, but now I've settled in.”
Onboarding with Structure
Both received clear onboarding, tailored to their roles. Max started by setting up all the technical aspects and was then gradually introduced to various projects. Edvin went through the entire process from product knowledge to 'mock demos' in front of managers, which helped him feel confident before he started contacting customers.
What Do They Work On?
- Max works as a developer focusing on improving the tool customers use: the company's dashboard. The goal is to make it as simple as possible for both customers and the team working on it.
- Edvin works as an SDR (Sales Development Representative), where he is responsible for finding and booking meetings with new potential customers.
AI in Everyday Life, Exciting or Challenging?
Even though both work at an AI company, their connection to AI is different. Max says he doesn't work directly with AI, but rather with solving user problems through design and functionality. His approach is to break down problems into small parts, making it rarely particularly difficult. Edvin finds AI to be a constantly evolving field, and it can be hard to keep up:
“There's always something new. It can be challenging to know which version of ChatGPT to use, or how to make videos with AI, but that's mainly in everyday life. At work, it's become easier the more I've learned.”
A Step into the Future
Max and Edvin are two examples of how young people can find their way into the tech world, whether coming from a programming background or a sales education. Common to both is that they dared to take the chance and have grown quickly in their roles. It also shows that AI companies are not just about technology, but also about development and the opportunity to grow together with something that changes the world.
