Stepping inside Swedbank: what //kood students learned from job shadowing

In late November and early December, //kood students had the opportunity to step inside one of Estonia’s leading banks. A group of students participated in a job shadowing programme at Swedbank, following professionals across various roles to experience what everyday work in tech really looks like.

Rather than lectures or presentations, the focus was simple: observe, ask questions, and learn directly from people doing the job.

Real-world insights

During the shadowing period, students followed different Swedbank specialists from a variety of roles: Competence Lead, Principal Data Scientist, Product Owner, Software Engineer

Students were encouraged to ask questions and reflect on how their current learning connects to real-world roles. According to the feedback, students especially valued the openness and clarity of the experience. Seeing real systems, real constraints, and real discussions helped turn abstract career ideas into something concrete.

Bacon from batch 7 shared: “Experiencing the day-to-day challenges of a Software Engineer first-hand gave me valuable insight into both the realities of the role and the skills required to succeed in it. This opportunity has motivated me to approach my studies with clearer direction and greater purpose.”

Mari, also from batch 7, reflected on a different perspective: “Job shadowing a Product Owner was quite illuminating as it connects the business and development side of things. In the short time frame, we were able to gain an understanding of the general workflow of both the Product Owner and developers, so it truly was a valuable experience.”

Learning beyond code

Students consistently highlighted that the biggest takeaways from the job shadowing experience went far beyond programming languages or frameworks. Observing professionals in their everyday work helped students understand how roles interact inside a large organisation and how collaboration shapes outcomes.

Some of the most common learnings included:

Several students mentioned that simply seeing the work environment and internal tools gave them a clearer picture of what they want to work toward and how close they already are.

Bridging studies and working life

Job shadowing experiences like this help close the gap between learning and working life. By observing real teams and everyday workflows, students gain a clearer understanding of how their current studies translate into real responsibilities.

At the same time, industry professionals have the opportunity to share their experiences, broaden students’ understanding of IT roles, and inspire the next generation of tech specialists.

A big thank you to Swedbank and all participating professionals for opening their doors and generously sharing their time, knowledge, and experience with our students. 

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//kood was founded in Jõhvi, Estonia in 2021, with the aim of making technology education accessible to everyone and address the software developers shortage. From 2025, students can study in Jõhvi, Võru and Paide. Its 12–15 month curriculum is based on 100% practical, self-directed and peer-to-peer learning, covering full-stack software development, teamwork and problem solving. Students can later specialise in fields such as cybersecurity, mobile applications, or AI.

//kood has welcomed more than 1,200 students in Estonia with over 350 graduates – nearly two-thirds of whom are now working in the technology sector. Students represent over 30 different nationalities and 21% are women. You can find the //kood peer-to-peer learning method and curriculum also in Finland, Ukraine and Kenya.

In 2025, the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications recognised //kood as one of the best entrepreneurship promoters in the country.

The accessibility of IT education is supported by Skaala, Swedbank, Wise, Kaamos, LHV, SEB, Barrus, SA Võrumaa Arenduskeskus, SA Järvamaa, ESTDEV and others.