My job is…

finance manager position at Someron Säästöpanki. My job description includes banking for agricultural customers. I deal with farmers every day. The job description includes various financial negotiations. The most common negotiation is about the need for a loan. A loan is often needed to purchase a field or a machine. Loan financing is also sought for production building investment. It is important to carefully assess whether the financial situation of the farm business is good and whether the entrepreneur can cope with the debt service expenses. We assess whether the entrepreneur’s characteristics are in order and whether the collateral for the loan is sufficient. Customers come to the office for a loan negotiation or I also visit farms. Negotiations with familiar entrepreneurs often take place over the phone. Saving for the future is also important and is recommended to customers. We also check whether the entrepreneur has all important documents in order, for example a will and a marriage contract. Digital services are available to customers. Agreements related to the loan are usually signed electronically. The customers manage the payment of the invoices themselves in the online bank. The work also involves continuous training. Mandatory trainings are regular. Changes are constant and know-how must be maintained at all times.

I use different applications in my work, such as a banking application. We also use Microsoft Teams, for example.

My social media tools

I settled on the following social media tools.

  • Mobiilivarmenne
  • Siirto
  • ChatGPT
  • Todoist
  • Instagram

When choosing applications, I thought about my work and the suitability for me.

Mobiilivarmenne

There are many different types of fraud attempts in traffic today. There have been scam messages in the name of OmaKanta with the purpose of fishing for bank credentials. A recent news report tells how messages have been sent in the name of OmaVero, with a link that directs the criminal to a website. This scam also aims to fish for bank credentials.

What should you do to avoid falling victim to a scam?

  • Be careful with links received in e-mails or text messages
  • Online banking credentials are only personal. These must not be given to anyone
  • Never go to an online service of the authorities or a bank through search engine results

Bank IDs are also often used for transactions other than banking. These are used, for example, to authenticate to OmaKanta or OmaVero. It is worth acting so that bank IDs are only used for banking transactions. A mobile certificate is used for other authentication. A mobile certificate is a way to identify yourself with a mobile phone. This acts as a digital ID. The mobile certificate is activated on the website of your own telephone operator. It is a reliable service maintained by Finnish operators. The operators are DNA, Elisa and Telia. According to DNA’s website, the mobile certificate is free for the first 6 months and after that it costs 2.01 euros per month if you are a consumer customer.

Siirto

I was interested in this because I read a recent news item about a joint venture between OP and Nordea. It is important to know what is happening in the financial sector. MobilePay is widely used in Finland. Siirto is now a competitor.

Siirto is a mobile payment system that allows banks and other payment service providers to offer applications and services that enable real-time money transfers for Finns. Money transfer takes place from phone to phone. The transfer currently operates on the accounts of Nordea, Op Group, S-Pank and Ålandsbanken.

ChatGPT

The use of ChatGPT is quite interesting. Through this blog, I have been introduced to the workings of artificial intelligence.

AI can be used in many different ways. For example, I have asked the AI to provide suitable source material. I have also asked the AI to suggest substitute words. The application is very easy to use. In my own work, I would not dare to use it because I have to be strict about information security.

Todoist

I don’t currently have any task management apps in use. This type of app would be interesting. I have a lot of things and tasks to take care of in my personal life and, of course, in my professional life as well. I could use the Todoist app to manage and structure my tasks. I could use the app for study assignments. I could also do various projects from our farm work. With the help of the app, I could schedule and organize various tasks. The site gives good advice. Very often, difficult tasks are postponed. However, it is a good idea to do these tasks first. It’s good to have only a few mandatory tasks per day. I would plan to use this app for non-work tasks. I can’t put banking tasks in the same task manager. I’m considering getting this app. The free beginner level would definitely be enough for me.

Instagram

I currently only use Facebook as a social media platform. I also started using Instagram, inspired by this task. Using a new application requires some familiarization. Instagram is well suited for publishing pictures, videos and stories. I am looking forward to what this world will bring. When using many applications, it is worth paying attention to your own time management. These are addictive and can delay the completion of study tasks 🙂

Self Assesment

Oh, how many different applications are available. There are so many different options that I had no idea about. Do we also keep digital security in mind when using various applications? Are we deploying applications without really understanding them? Using these also requires digital skills. It’s also easy to deploy a new application, test it, and then forget about it.

You have to be able to be critical too!

In the midst of all this digitalization, it’s good to remember to put away your smartphones and computers every now and then. It’s good to meet people face to face, not just through devices. Being outdoors also refreshes the mind. For example, a spring trip to Häntälä Hollows is an unforgettable experience.

Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne)