Stories

Many people would hesitate to seize such an opportunity, but for Rauni the answer was clear. Back in the 1970s, Rauni bravely set off to Bulgaria to work as a tour guide in a town called Albena. As a guide, she spent one season there, from June to September. So how did Rauni end up becoming a tour guide, and how has the story continued to this day?

We sat down with Rauni at Truster's office over coffee to talk about her working life. She's seen a lot in her time — she's worked as a tour leader abroad — but these days her tours are focused mainly on the Helsinki area, working as a light entrepreneur, which she finds very enjoyable.

Rauni's warm Savonian character shines through, even though it's been more than 50 years since she moved to Helsinki. She came to the city to study Germanic Philology at university, where she completed her bachelor's degree. Around the same time, Rauni got her first taste of working life through summer jobs. Even during her studies, she knew she wasn't going to become a teacher — she believed tourism would be the industry of the future, and she was right.

#"I got jobs by showing up in person and asking if there was work available. And there always was."

She found her first summer job by boldly asking at the Elanto department store. "At first I was called in to help during busy periods, then I worked full-time during summers, and eventually I got a permanent position," Rauni recalls. Then came 1973, and with it, an unexpected turn: a chance to work as a tour guide in Albena, Bulgaria. Rauni had no idea what the job would involve or where it would lead. Looking back now, she's grateful she took the leap — even without any formal training, the work itself taught her a great deal. Later, in the 1980s, Rauni decided to deepen her expertise and completed a guide training course in Helsinki. The course ran through spring 1982 and included plenty of lectures as well as practical training on tour buses.

After returning to Finland, Rauni walked straight into the Aurinkomatkat travel agency office and, once again, found work simply by asking. She spent a couple of winters working at the office and a couple of summers guiding tours in the warmth of Dubrovnik. In total, Rauni spent nine years guiding tours across various parts of Europe. After Aurinkomatkat, her career continued in the travel industry, and she went on to work at another travel agency for more than 30 years, all the way until retirement.

#From retirement to light entrepreneurship.

Since 2014, Vesterinen has worked as a Helsinki guide, sharing stories at various sites around the capital, such as Oodi, the Olympic Stadium, and the Winter Garden. At first she considered setting up a sole proprietorship, but the thought of dealing with all the paperwork slowed her down. Luckily, one day the word "light entrepreneurship" came up in conversation with colleagues — and here she is, working as a light entrepreneur herself. She chose Truster as her invoicing service, with price playing a major role in that decision.

Now Rauni uses her time more wisely, leaving her more room to focus on the Helsinki Guides Association. Within the association, Vesterinen has served as secretary, vice chair, and general jack-of-all-trades. Even during the pandemic, when guided tours came to a halt, the association kept running and meetings continued remotely. "During the pandemic, especially in the summer of 2020, guiding activity came to a complete standstill. We were hoping for a good season, but that hope was cut short in an instant," Rauni describes.

After the pandemic, guides were able to get back on their feet and restart their work, until early 2022, when the war broke out and had a massive impact on the cruise traffic coming from St. Petersburg. The cruises stopped entirely, resulting in the loss of many thousands of customers.

The toughest times are largely behind now, although the cruise business remains fairly modest. Rauni keeps busy leading 1–3 hour guided tours around Helsinki. Every working day is different and inspiring in its own way. The tours bring new perspectives, both for the guide and for the participants.

#Töölönlahti — full of meaningful symbolism.

Töölönlahti is one of Rauni's favorite places. It says a lot about Finnish culture and serves as a central location for many events. The area is rich in symbolism — Oodi, the Opera House, Kiasma, and the Music Centre all represent culture, Sanomatalo stands for freedom of speech, and the Parliament House represents democracy. Töölönlahti also carries reminders of history, both dark and bright. "The 1952 Olympics held at the Olympic Stadium carry great significance. The Olympics served as a turning point — the hard experiences of the war faded into the background, and people began looking toward a brighter future," Rauni concludes the interview. That's just one of the many fascinating perspectives our light entrepreneur Rauni brings as a Helsinki tour guide.