Podcast How do international students find jobs in Finland?
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Shraddha
Hello. Tervetuloa, welcome to our podcast myself, Shraddha Sharma, student of IB 22A. And I’m here to introduce you to the lighthouse of today’s podcast. Here we are explaining and talking about how an international students can seek job coming in Finland. So, this podcast is going to be really important for those who have already landed here or some of those who are aspiring to come to Finland for study and then their future.
So, today’s lighthouse of podcast is Mr. Nicholas Martinez. So let me introduce you with a short introduction. He is born in Chile, 39 years old, married with a Finnish wife, father of four children and here he is teaching us Digital processing and Digitalization of business, etcetera. So, these are some main subjects which he is into, but his past experience, his present and what is the future in Finland? He is going to explain you in detail so quickly let’s start with this podcast. So welcome, Mr. Nicholas.
Nicholas
Welcome. Thank you. Thank you very much. It’s exciting to be here.
Shraddha
Yes. And here I ask you to please give some of your personal experiences. How did you land here as a foreigner? How did you find job? And how’s life and all what everybody wants to know.
Nicholas
Alright, thank you. Those are very interesting questions. Well, the beginning of my life in Finland began in a town called Lappeenranta, which is in the eastern part of Finland, very close to the border with Russia. I was studying in the university when I came here and I of course, as any other immigrant, was looking for a job. So, I think the first thing that actually helped me to find a job was that I very quickly got connected with a lot of older Finnish students. And one of my friends actually recommended me too to this store grocery store, which is a big store as Prisma in Lappeenranta. So, since I was recommended the employer called me for an interview, so that was my first step into the working life in Finland.
Shraddha
- So, should I think that or some of those who are coming here are already here? Do you think that is it a recommended job important or you can find it by yourself that is more easier?
Nicholas
Well, I think both ways can work. And if you apply on your own to a workplace and, that could work too. But I think still that having a friend or knowing people that could recommend you into a new job or to apply to a particular place actually helps the process of accessing first to an interview and then you know, getting the credibility that you are a reliable person. Usually, Finland is a very small country and almost everybody knows everybody here, particularly in small towns. So, recommendations are important to get or finding a job, to be honest.
Shraddha
Ok, that’s great to know. So, what are the things that Finnish employers look for an international person or as a localite, what do they look for?
Nicholas
One thing besides the knowledge, because you know knowledge, the substance knowledge of the world that must be performed is very important. But besides that, there is the capability of the person that comes to work in Finland to adapt to the unspoken rules that you have in the working life, in the working culture of Finland. There are many things that are unsaid, when you come to work in in Finland, like for example arriving on time, leaving on time or doing as much work until you finish what has been promised so. Those things are very important.
And the talking still about the cultural issues that I think Finnish employers expect is the to very quickly you know adapt to the new working environment and here in Finland for example, I know by experience that when you come to a new working place the employer or supervisor they give you usually the task that you must perform, and they expect you to do it and they are not continuously micromanaging what you’re doing in a job. Basically, they let you do freely and at the end that you can, you may have a meeting and say yes, I have done it. So, they expect actually workers to work very independently.
Shraddha
Absolutely. Even I have experienced this like when we have a job here, the employers are so much trusting us, they do not go behind us finding what are you doing and whether you have completed your job or not. They just assign you your work and then they let you do and that performance will be seen later. Like how you are performing- on time, whether correctly asking questions or doing it on your own. Everything matters a lot. Yes, I have experienced the same. So, what are the skills you would recommend students to focus on?
Nicholas
Well, I just mentioned one in the previous question is the ability to quickly adapt to a new culture. And besides that, the working culture they would, I think that they would really recommend the ability to easily make and get to know new people in the working place. It’s not very nice that you go to a new working place and then you are left alone because of the working environment. You know like people usually in the coffee rooms they talk with one another. It’s very important that you become part of that organization and you participate with all the workers you are able to talk to them, to ask for help, to offer your help to others. Those are very important skills.
And besides that the ability to speak the language since we are in Finland and the official language in Finland are Finnish and Swedish. Although I must say that all Finnish people usually speak English as well. And the ability just to try to learn Finnish in the workplace, to show things that you care about, the language that you care about, the culture actually make them to accept you faster into the working environment. That’s a that’s a very important skill that that you.
Shraddha
That’s true.
Nicholas
I will recommend foreigners that are looking for job to think about this too. I know it’s difficult, but to consider learning Finnish and trying and really try how to incorporate as part of the society.
Shraddha
Thank you so much. And how do you think it is important or language is important or social network for finding a job? I’ll repeat my question, how important is language or social networks to find out job?
Nicholas
That’s an important question and I think we have just a little bit discussed this very briefly. But the networking is an important part of getting a job since. Many times companies they don’t even get to the point that they publish officially working place on an official channel like on Internet or on a web. It comes like from word of mouth. Hey, I’m looking for somebody to hire on this on this job position and then a friend of a friend told you that they’re looking for something. Somebody knows you that you have the skills, you have the abilities, and they may recommend you come talk to the boss.
Shraddha
Yes, exactly. Even I have got to know this because like, if somebody’s looking for a job, if it’s my friends, somebody, somebody’s friend, and where we get to know that they get a job through recommendation or through somebody’s, of course, word of mouth.
Nicholas
Yeah.
Shraddha
Yes, so can you put some light on what are the things that Finns appreciate?
Nicholas
Well, what the things is Finnish people appreciate, I think, is that what you say, you do. When you say something, Finns usually think that you are promising to do the things, so the value of the word is a very important in Finnish society. And particularly here in South Ostrobothnia when you say you are going to do it, you do it. I have, for example, an example that. Usually, if you agree that you’re going to come on a meeting, you know three months from now in the future. And you say “the date is going to be the 12 of May at 3:00 PM we’re gonna meet here” and that’s it. You have agreed upon it just once and you don’t need to have any reminder. Finnish person will just come on that day at that time and that the place and then they will meet and that is something that must be remembered and learned.
Another thing that could be difficult for foreigners and this is this is usually given because of the culture is that you must learn to say no. So, foreigners must learn to say “yes yes” or “no no” right. If you don’t like something you say right ahead “I don’t like this”. And the Finnish people will respect that. But if you are like “I could like, I could not like that” that is no good because then it’s going to make things complicated,
Shraddha
Correct. This is the difference in an international student or international person who comes here and the Finnish locals here can be straightforward.
Nicholas
They appreciate being straightforward and it is very good to know for you students. You can be straightforward without hurting anybody’s feelings here in Finland, that’s no problem with that.
Shraddha
Exactly, yes. True. Even I have experienced here that they are so honest, so honest. Like I think those who are coming from Asian countries who aspire to come, or who have already come here, they must have seen that they are so honest. People like, even if you find something lying on the road, it will be found there and it will not be picked up and it’s really good. I love that part of Finland.
Of course, there is extreme but there are good places and good things to enjoy in different weathers and there are lots of sports happening here in Finland which I have experienced and enjoyed. Also I would like to listen from you how is the finish working market? How is the working market in Finland?
Nicholas
That’s a very good question. I know for a fact that they are particular fields of work that they lack workers, that they don’t have many workers, like in particular the nursing area. They don’t have many nurses. People are not applying for that kind of jobs because it’s kind of heavy work they have to do shifts at night and days. And I know also that the catering and hotel areas and industry they are lacking workers for restaurants and waitress. And there are other areas where you may find a lot of work like in the doctors as well as the veterinaries, engineers also computer IT workers.
I will say that there is place for foreigners for immigrants to find jobs here in Finland and I think immigrants have a lot of capabilities, and they have skills, and they have experience to do them. It’s just that they must find the right network and they must find actually a way of communicating. Stating that they could do the job because usually I think what happened most of the time is that the employers do not know that the immigrant foreigners can do the job and they do not know that they can, you know, like be part of the of the work environment they can adapt quickly so there is a gap that we must meet in here, which is find the space for the immigrants foreigners to find their way into the working places that are empty at this moment.
Shraddha
Yes, Finland has made a lot of settings that they can apply, and the visas approvals get through easily. The students get it easily.
Apart from that I can see that you have reached to a good position here it in Seinäjoki University of Applied Science as a lecturer. I can see a senior person sitting in front of me, giving your experiences. So I should ask you, please spill the beans. How did you start your journey? You cannot go directly as an international person and working in the university. So how did you start your journey? Like it must be something very small, like you said, grocery store. And how did you land to a great big place here like university place to teach.
Nicholas
Yes, that that’s a very important question and thank you for asking that question. Well, I started from to be honest I have been babysitting before working in the supermarket. That’s something that I did, and I learned Finnish by babysitting children. And that’s a very good way because they don’t know any English, so I learn very quickly.
Shraddha
- Oh wow. That’s great.
Nicholas
Then I moved to delivering the newspapers and the advertisement for the post. So I would grab my bike and I will go from door to door delivering newspapers and advertisement. And then after that I moved to Prisma, this is a big supermarket here in Finland, part of the S Group. I was a cashier and I believe very strongly in taking good care of small things in order to show that you can take care of big things. So whatever it was that I was given I will do it very well, very well.
Shraddha
Yes, that is very important. Whatever role is given to you, you should do it religiously, like ethically work upon.
Nicholas
Exactly. I will very conscientiously do it. And then after working a couple of years in the cashier, they upgraded me to go to info. The Finns usually give opportunities they say does anybody want to take more responsibility, does anybody wants to take a little bit more risk and take this position and when the opportunity is offer if you want to grow you take it I was asked.
Shraddha
Yeah. Yes, of course.
Nicholas
I was asked, could you learn Russian. Because we need somebody that knows Russian in the in the info. And I said yes, I took couple of courses to learn courses of Russian, so I was able to communicate the basic.
Shraddha
Incredible like learning languages, managing with new jobs, new country, new people around. Great.
Nicholas
Yes, I was not afraid. So then after that I graduated from my school and then I was offered a job already in Helsinki as a consultant. And then I started just growing up in responsibility from every job on.
Shraddha
Ok. Then you landed to SeAMK? How is the city of Seinäjoki?
Nicholas
Well, it is a place that I really have in my heart because I kind of grow in here in a way. When I came here in Finland the first time, I arrived in the little village called Ilmajoki. And Ilmajoki has a very special place in my heart.
Then I moved to Lappeenranta to study in the university and then after that my job drove me away to foreign land, back to Chile again. And then well, of course my wife wanted to move back to Finland, so we decided to come back to you to this South Ostrobothnia area.
Shraddha
Ok, that’s great. So now I would end this conversation with asking you for some recommendation and some final words. What should a student who wants to come or who have already here do for finding out jobs. Of course, you have spilled the beans that you can find jobs by doing and getting some recommendations, also by learning Finnish and some references and networking. But what else or something to wrap up?
Nicholas
I think the most important thing is to be open minded, be open to new things. That will be my most important recommendation because everything is going to be new from now on in a new country, in new culture. And I would say embrace it. Embrace it. Wherever you come from, as a foreigner, as an immigrant, I know you can keep your own culture, your own customs, but embraced in. You’re coming to a new land, you can also become part of the new place to which you have arrived, so embracing new language, try to make it yours as much as possible, embracing people and network, I think those are the most important things.
Shraddha
Yes, that’s true. So here I also would love to tell you my experience that as an Indian here take learning subjects which are so easy like I know how the system of teaching in Asian countries are. There is strict atmosphere in the classrooms. There are strict teachers who abide by the rules. And do not take care of the student part. How do they manage the things. But as per my personal experience, I would say the teachers here are so comfortable, so supportive and very flexible. Because if you are not coming to the class, of course they understand your problems. If you are into a medical problem or if you are even in a sad part of your family at the back at your home country. So they understand everything, like the only question is why didn’t you come.
And the learning part is made so easy. The PowerPoints, videos and assignments are so simple and given lot of time to submit. There is no work pressure and that we have to complete it today, let us submit it anyway. And you have to learn. So the main part of the subject learning is that you show you can learn it very thoroughly.
There are practical teachings that are practical jobs offered by the teachers who helps us in learning, the practical way. This makes us go into the Finnish market, understand the market, how it runs, that can easily be connected with what you are actually learning.
So this was really a good experience from my side also and I would thank Mr. Nicholas for coming here and guiding us, and all the students who want to come here, to learn something new, to get something new from Finland. Apart from job, there is a great future because I think that there is a lot of care taken for the students. If you are coming with the family, there are lots of daycare who take care of your children if you are doing jobs or if you and your husband/wife both are doing jobs, if you are married, they take care of their children. And of course, Finish education society is considered best.
Last but not least, Finland is again the 7th time considered as the happiest country in the world. So why not to come to Finland and enjoy this different new world of learning, teaching, and enjoying this place here. Thank you so much and kiitos.
Nicholas
Thank you. Thank you for inviting me.
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