Find work in Finland!
A guide to job search for (especially) international students.
Table of contents General info about working in Finland
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So you want to stay in Finland and work? 5 Expand your networks 6 Brand your know-how 7 The CV 9 Harness social media: LinkedIn 11 Job advertisements online
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Open applications and hidden jobs
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How to behave in Finnish job interviews
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Self employment as an option
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Motivation from HAMK Alumni
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Back page 19
General info about working in Finland Finding a job in Finland as a foreigner might feel difficult, especially if you don't really speak the language or have wide connections here. In this guide, we give you some advice on how to succeed in landing a job either during your studies or after. On the next pages you'll find information on matters related to permits and taxation, motivation for your job search and practical advice on what steps to take. We hope this guide motivates you to strive for that dream job of yours and help you also land it. Remember that work search might be a very long process. Even if you don't need a job right now, it does no harm to start looking already!
This guide is created by Häme University of Applied Sciences' Go Strong - Global competence to regional competitiveness ESF project.
Working during your studies
Working after your studies
The residence permit for studies enables you to work without restrictions if your work is related to your degree. This means practical training and thesis work. You also have a right to have other jobs, but the following restrictions apply:
After graduating, you are allowed to stay in Finland to look for work.
- You may only work for an average of
25 hours per week during the academic terms.
Students who have completed their studies can be granted a residence permit for one year for job-seeking or for starting a business. Alternatively, students may apply for a residence permit for work or postgraduate studies, or on the basis of family ties.
- The number of working hours is not
restricted on a weekly level. This means that you can adjust your weekly working hours during the academic term, as long as you work for 25 hours a week on average.
- You can work without restrictions at the times when your educational institution offers no instruction.
Read m ore an check t he up-t d o-date informa tio www.m n at igri.fi
Taxation
When you receive income from a Finnish employee, the income will be taxed in Finland. If you work in Finland, contact a local tax office and request a tax card. When you visit the tax office, take with you your passport and student ID card or certificate of study. Based on the certificate of study, the tax office will examine whether you are entitled to a study-based tax relief. Hand in the tax card to your employer. Finnish employers are obliged to withhold tax at the rate indicated on the tax card. In addition, they may also withhold social security contributions. Finland does usually not impose tax on income that foreign students or trainees receive from other countries. (vero.fi, 6.7.2020)
So you want to stay in Finland and work? Finnish language
Field of work
Though Finland welcomes foreign work force warmly, there are certain things that Finns often require from foreign employees. The main cause of headache for foreigners are the required Finnish language skills.
If there is a specific field of work that interests you, whether it is social media marketing, finances or human resources, study it in your free time too. Your bachelor studies will give you basic knowledge in many areas, but you need to build more knowledge on top of it yourself.
Many companies do offer positions in English, but at least basic Finnish skills will help greatly in many workplaces, both in integrating into the working community and in the work itself.
Start from the bottom
If you desire to stay in Finland to work, start studying Finnish NOW if you haven’t done so already.
Even if you already had lots of knowledge about different fields of business from your studies, remember that it doesn't mean you are fit for a managerial position just yet.
In addition to HAMK's Finnish courses, check the other Finnish courses offered locally. Use your Finnish classmates to your advantage by having conversations with them in Finnish. And don't forget Duolingo, the app which helps you learn languages in a game-like way!
Be humble when you start your career and accept the fact that you might have to start from a lower position. There are always possibilities to advance in your career, but arrogance and false confidence might drive away potential employers.
Expand your networks Find your local interests and hobbies Hobbies are the most natural way to find the same-minded people from the area. As an active member of a club you can create important relationships. Most of the people attending the clubs, associations and communities have their networks in local companies as well, and might be able to help you connect too. Read about hobbies and free-time activities in Valkeakoski: Culture Sports Other activities Valkeakoski Opisto: courses from music to handcrafts In Tampere: Culture and leisure More on culture and leisure
Be active in events organized by HAMK or other regional operators By being active in events you have a chance to get more connected in the area. There is a multitude of different kinds of events available. As an example, HAMK organizes courses and sports and other free time activities in addition to company-related events. HAMK also offers activities like Friend Families and Worklife mentoring programme that could help you integrate into the local community. Ask your campus staff members for more information! Find those activities that interest you the most. Any of them might provide surprising experiences and encounters. You should also check the Valkeakoski event calendar for local events like market days, Valkeakoski Fair, The Workers’ Music Festival and Haka Football matches.
Brand your know-how How to make a brand of yourself? As a student in the middle of your degree without much work experience you might feel like you don't really have many skills yet to advertise to potential employers. However that's not true at all! Make a list for yourself of the things you've studied and projects you've participated in. From there you can find many skills to advertise. Skills can also come from hobbies and free-time activities. Have you for example worked in a position of trust in a club? Or done voluntary work? All those are important things to remember and mention in your CV and LinkedIn.
When you've created a list of all the things you do know and have some experience in, pick out the things you feel most confident of or think are the most important and emphasize those in your job applications.
What are the employer's benefits? When applying for job, it is important to turn your gaze to the possible employer's needs instead of your own; to determine those competences that the employer is looking for. That is why it’s extremely important to modify your CV and application to match each position you apply to.
Use your lingual and cultural knowledge Even though we emphasize the importance of learning Finnish in order to do well in the Finnish working environment, one must not forget their own language skills and cultural knowledge. There might be companies that are looking for a person with spesifically your expertise on how to work in a certain corner of the world. Don't hesitate to use this to your advantage, and remember to communicate it in your work applications!
Bring out your personality! Even if you modify your application to meet the needs of the employer, you should never underestimate the importance of personal touch. Think out thoroughly what are the things that make you, you. Let them show in your application and profiles like LinkedIn. In LinkedIn and other social media, be active in those conversations that deal with the issues you want to be part of one day. You can start by listening to and following those topics, later commenting and even opening new conversations.
The CV After you have created a brand for yourself, it is time to create the most important piece of paper in job hunting: your CV. There are many different opinions on how a CV should look like, but we will offer you a few ideas.
1. Show your brand.
The biggest difficulty in job search usually is standing out from the crowd. When you have created yourself a brand, let it show in your CV. Although the CV should be professional, there is room for a personal touch.
2. Include only things that are relevant for the company and to the position you are applying to. If you are already in a stage of your career where you are applying for a managerial position and have many years of relevant work experience behind you, it’s not necessary to list your teenage summer job as a berry picker in your “Work experience” section. Read the job advertisement and search for key words and themes they are looking for. Highlight those in your own CV and maybe even delete things that are not relevant for that position. For example, if you are applying for a role of visual designer, it might not be so relevant to mention that you are good in accounting. It is recommended that you make several different versions of your CV for different kinds of jobs.
3. Picture, yes or no?
Some say definitely yes, some say absolutely no. We’d say that in Finland it doesn’t hurt to put your picture in your CV. Especially if you are applying for a position that has hundreds of applicants, the HR people are more likely to remember you and your CV when they see the face behind it. On the other hand, if you don’t have an up-to-date, professional looking photo of yourself, leave it out until you have a chance to get one. A poor-quality photo that doesn’t do you justice will most likely do more harm than good. No selfies allowed!
4. Keep it short and tidy.
No recruiter wants to read 3 pages per applicant. There is a risk that your CV will go straight to the trash can if it takes too long to read. The absolute maximum is 2 pages, but you should be able to fit your CV on to one. Especially when you are still a student or a new graduate who doesn't have that much work experience.
6. Make your CV visually appealing.
5. Update, update, update!
An example of a good tool to create a visually appealing CV is Canva. It is free, easy to use and has already some nice layouts ready for your disposal.
Revisit your CV often. Even if you haven't really gotten any new skills or experience to mention, it's good to think of any other improvements to it regularly.
A CV that attracts the eye will be more likely remembered by the recruiter. You can use colour and different designs. Just remember to not lose the professionalism in your CV while doing this.
Harness social media: LinkedIn LinkedIn is the number one social network for job hunting. There you can market yourself as a professional. It works as your online CV. If you don't have an account already, sign up right now!
Get started Before starting to network, you need to check that your profile is in order. Create an "all star profile". This requires that you fill in the bare minimum details. An all start profile will help you in search results and so on. While filling in your profile, many of the same steps apply as in creating your CV: - Show your brand, but remember to be professional. - A good profile picture is important. No selfies here either! There are many great guides online on how to create an outstanding LinkedIn profile.
Be elaborate Unlike in the CV, in LinkedIn you can include much more information. You don't need to filter out your work experience and skills depending on where you are applying to. Just put everything in! If you don't have any previous work experience to put in your LinkedIn profile, you can make job searching a job experience and make an entry about that! Keywords related to the field and position you are interested in are very important. That is one of the ways your potential employer will find you. You can utilize them in your Headline, About section and your Work experience descriptions. When you fill in your LinkedIn profile, always remember what the goal of it is. If you are looking for work and new opportunities, remember to mention that! Also, be more specific: mention the industry you are interested in and also the location where you'd like to find work.
Searching for open jobs in LinkedIn There is a separate page for jobs in LinkedIn, but the regular search can be used too. Also remember to search for hashtags like #rekrytointi #rekry #hiring #careers, for not all open positions are in the Jobs section. Follow company pages, since they often post about open job opportunities. Join groups and connect with people who could bring you closer to your desired career.
Other social medias Even though LinkedIn is the main social media for job hunting, you can find work opportunities in other social media too. You should regularly check different Facebook groups and pages (like Find Work Finland, Jobs in Finland etc.) and follow your desired future employers in Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Job advertisements online You can find many open positions online. Most job advertisements in Finland are in Finnish, but be patient: there are also advertisements in English! Check out these ones listed below:
- Monster - Oikotie - Glassdoor - Rekrytointi.com
- Duunitori - Indeed - CareerJet - TE-Services
If you are actively searching for work, follow these pages regularly. Checking them once a week will stop you from missing important opportunities!
Don't forget HAMK's own recruitment channel HAMK Talents! At HAMK Talents the Thesis commissions, work placement announcements and job advertisements can be found in one place. All students should start a profile there in the beginning of their studies and keep updating it while progressing in their studies. Companies can headhunt students straight from the HAMK Talents system. Read more about HAMK Talents here
Open applications and hidden jobs According to some estimates, around 80% of positions are filled without a public advertisement. These are the so called "hidden jobs". Therefore it is really worthwhile to consider utilizing open applications and other ways in order to find those jobs.
How to write an open application An open application doesn't differ too much from a regular one. You need to introduce yourself, your skills and your motivation to work in the company. Because you are not applying to a certain open position, tell what kind of tasks
you'd like to do. This helps the company to find a suitable position for you. And as said before, be clear about how you can help the company and what kind of additional value you bring to them. This requires that you know the company and their operations, so doing some investigation beforehand will come in handy. You can, for example, investigate which countries the company is working in and see if you have any special knowledge about the markets in those countries. Or you can think if the company's operations could be developed with your expertise.
How to behave in Finnish job interviews What are the cultural norms according to which the Finns expect you to behave in the job interviews? We'll give you a couple of tips on how to avoid the most obvious mistakes.
1. Be on time
There are very few things Finns hate more than being late. It is considered very rude and might easily cost you the job you are applying for even if you were otherwise a perfect candidate.
2. Check the location and test your network connection beforehand
This is related very closely to the first tip. Finns don't think that getting lost while looking for the interview location is a relevant excuse for being late. Do your research before the interview! And if you have an online interview, check your appliances and internet connection to
avoid unnecessary and unprofessional hassle!
3. Be polite
Finns expect a firm handshake and like to go straight to the point. If they don't small-talk a lot, that is nothing to be concerned about. Remember to look the interviewer in the eye and smile! You don't have to be too serious though, Finns usually appreciate a little "sparkle in the eye".
4. Rehearse the elevator pitch
Before going to an interview, rehearse a 30 second speech, where you tell all the essentials of yourself, your skills and work experience. It will give a good first impression if you can sell your expertise in a confident and practiced manner. And since Finns like to be efficient, it will leave a positive
Self employment as an option If you are an entrepreneur-minded person and have a business idea, self employment might be a good option for you! You can start a business already while studying or after you have completed your degree. After studies, you can apply for an extended residence permit to look for work or to start a business. The maximum length of this permit is one year. Read more and check the current information on Migri's website
A good environment for start-ups Finland has a very friendly startup ecosystem with accelerators, angel investors, VCs and strong innovation support by the government. There are many different kinds of events where you can meet other startup entrepreneurs, share your ideas and get inspiration! You can read more in Business Finland's Startup Kit
Light entrepreneurship Light entrepreneurship is a good opportunity for anyone who is interested in running a business but doesn't have the time and resources to do it full-time. Examples of professions could be freelancer, blogger, consultant, graphic designer, photographer or entertainer. Light entrepreneurship works thought a platform that handles your monthly entrepreneurial expenses and bureaucracies. Good services to utilize are for example Pooli, Ukko.fi, Kassavirtanen.fi or OP-Light Entrepreneurship Service. Read more in ForeignersinFinland.fi
Motivation from HAMK Alumni! Despite the difficulties work search in Finland might offer, many of HAMK's international alumni have succesfully found work or started a business here! Here are stories of a couple of alumni from the International Business degree programme and some job hunting tips they give from their own experience.
Viktoriya
Festa
Viktoriya's tips for job hunting:
Festa's tips for job hunting:
best one. Work over it many times! 2. Find out what small and medium size companies there are in your area and see if there could be possibilties for you. Check also the industrial sector. 3. Learning Finnish will make it easier for you to open doors!
half-hearted applications to tens of places doesn't usually gain you anything and just wastes your time. 2. In the application, justify your necessity in the company, but also tell what you want to do there. 3. Apply to the smaller companies that don't necessarily have even resources to do marketing for their job openings.
started in the company Robit Rocktools as a summer trainee and managed to negotiate a permanent position afterwards.
took on many different internships and jobs to gain more work experience, which paid off when she landed a great job in Maptionnaire.
1. The first draft of your CV is never the 1. Really focus on the job hunting. Sending
Mirza
is an entrepreneurial person,
who started his career with start-ups already during his studies when he founded a personal branding company called DiggID. Since then he's been involved in building new companies and business development.
Mirza's tips on starting a business:
1. Start-ups should focus on solving a
problem. Customers don't buy a product, but a solution to their problem. 2. Test your business ideas with your peers first before developing your idea very far. Your first idea might not be the best one. 3. Network. Communities like Tribe Tampere are great for finding likeminded people. 4. Start-up paths are full of ups and downs. Don't be disheartened if you encounter difficulties. Hard work is something you need to prepare for.
Learn more about Viktoriya's, Festa's and Mirza's career paths by watching their presentations in Career Week event in 2019 by clicking their photos! V I K T O R I Y A
F E S T A
M I R Z A
This guide was created by the "Go Strong - Global competences to regional competitiveness project" in Häme University of Applied Sciences. The aim of Go Strong is to improve the employment opportunities of the international students of HAMK Valkeakoski campus, especially in the Southern Pirkanmaa region. The project is funded by the EU. You can read more of the project on its website www.hamk.fi/gostrong.