Finding a Job in Finland - version 2

[asad]

Hello all,
I am thinking to go in Finland as a MBA student in a tuition based study in early of 2011. Its a professional course and class only in weekend; full time working possibility. I have been working in Graphics design field for than 9 years with Danish company in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Please is there any one who are working or know better about Graphics? Could you say how is the opportunity in Finland as a Graphics Designer? I have no formal education in Graphics expect local company diploma....but I consider myself as an expert in this area. And have much better confident working with foreigner.
will it be easy to get a job there?

As i said I am going in a tuition based MBA programme where 9500 euro have to pay in three installment in two years, will it be worthy to go there by paying tuition fees? I am planning to to go there on a tuition based programme than switch to tuition free study. is it possible? and another thing is, is there in Helsinki any college or university where I can get admission on Graphics or get a short course?


Please suggest me or give me worthy link for finding information..........you can advice me what I should do.

last think, I am working in Danish IT outsourcing company in Dhaka with good payment as a Graphic designer
Thanks

[rinso]

First, do you already have a residence permit for Finland? What is your nationality?

For part time studies you cannot get a residence permit, so if you're not EU you must either have a job in Finland or be married to a Finn.

I have no formal education in Graphics expect local company diploma

Finland values degrees very highly. Without a formal degree your chances are close to zero.
(your application will be put aside at first reading, no chance to show your skills in an interview)

will it be easy to get a job there?

No. Foreigner, no Finnish language skills, no formal degree will all work against you.

how is the opportunity in Finland as a Graphics Designer?

Not very good.

link for finding information

www.mol.fi

where 9500 euro have to pay in three installment in two years

Don't pay anything before you're sure you can get a residence permit.

last think, I am working in Danish IT outsourcing company in Dhaka with good payment as a Graphic designer

Don't throw away a good position for an uncertain future.

[asad]

Than you for kind respons.

I am from Dhaka, Bangladesh. Entrance exam just ahead of me.....and I just realizing will it be worthy for me or not to go Finland?

I have to arrange all money including tuition fees and living expenses hardly......so just worried and thinking what should I do ?

I am here in my present company getting more than 500 us dollars. please reply.......should I go there or not?

[asad]

Sorry ....getting financial facilities are all about 500 us dollars.

[Upphew]

Hello all,
I am thinking to go in Finland as a MBA student in a tuition based study in early of 2011. Its a professional course and class only in weekend; full time working possibility. I have been working in Graphics design field for than 9 years with Danish company in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

As i said I am going in a tuition based MBA programme where 9500 euro have to pay in three installment in two years, will it be worthy to go there by paying tuition fees? I am planning to to go there on a tuition based programme than switch to tuition free study. is it possible? and another thing is, is there in Helsinki any college or university where I can get admission on Graphics or get a short course?

MBAs are usually paid by employer, or at least getting one gives a raise that makes it worthwhile, and are aimed to people that are already working (thus the weekend classes). As MBA isn't recognized as a degree in Finnish education system, there aren't any tuition free studies toward that (as far as I know).
http://www.minedu.fi/OPM/Koulutus/aikui ... t/?lang=en
MBA falls to "Continuing professional education"

[museoflight]

I'd be interested in learning more about acquiring jobs in the arts fields in Finland (I'm a musician, and hope to study in Finland) if anyone has that kind of information!

[martinmartinez]

There is this place here (Helsinki) called the Sibelius academy for musicians (and maybe other arts to) I dunno, but its very difficult to get into - three people i know and the most talented didn't get in there, the other two one was a Finn and now has moved to find work and the other is a foreigner. There are lots of 'amateur' musicians here in the city, some are busking, some sing in kareoke, some talk more than they can play or sing. What sort of thing do you do? Please, don't come if you've got an accordian - we have enough of those in europe already - just because it has lots of buttons doesn't mean we are anymore impressed....

[FinnishGirl88]

I have been meaning to come back & post a note here since I arrived in Helsinki at the beginning of the summer (and what a beautiful summer it has been for all of you who are considering the move!).

I am from Australia & moved out here due to my Finnish Girlfriend whom I met in Indonesia while surfing & drinking some . Before moving out here I was very dis-heartened about the move due to this forum! - BE POSITIVE GUYS...

I have been working in & around advertising / marketing for quite some time now but am only 29yrs old. I came here being told it would be impossible to find a job of equal standards to the contracts I have held in Sydney, London & elsewhere around the world - But once again - WRONG! In under a week I found a job with an agency whom I am now working as a consultant at a much higher level than I would be in an established country such as OZ or UK... I am only going to stay for a year or so as quite frankly the summer is great but 8 or so months a year it is cold & dark (and I mean that - it's already getting cold/dark but by December & January it may get as cold as -25c...).

The end of the day it takes nothing to just give it a go... What do you have to loose. Come over, check it out, enrol immediatley at Helsinki Summer University to learn finnish & get your self out there. Don't do what everybody else says to do in this forum! Do something different, contact employers directly and tell them you have something to offer from an international perspective!!!!

I am not going to give a tutorial on it & don't bother to ask me where I am working. The guys in this forum are 'trying to help' and I think that is great BUT - You guys might feel you know the Finns but everybody is different and every company is different so stop giving these guys thinking about coming a bad vibe about it...

So give it a go, what do you have to loose!!!! The worst thing that can happen is you come and don't find a job - so what, go to London (3 hour flight & about 70€ one way) and work... and if you have a girlfriend commute.

One last thing though - whatever they do say about the wages and taxes here is true - They Suck!!! Depends what you do but you willl most probably not get what you are paid back home, ESPECIALLY if you are a contractor in IT, Digital Marketing etc...

SO GOOD LUCK TO THOSE OF YOU THINKING OF COMING - Wait til the beginning of the summer so you see Finland at it's best... Be prepared for a different culture & as I said - What is the worst thing that could happen??? If you dont like it then at least you tried!!!!

So see you all for now & Good Luck...

Regards

Mike (from Australia) [/b]

I completely agree with what you have said here Mike (although it is almost 5 years ago haha).

I just came across this forum by chance and have sat here reading it for the best part of 45 minutes... I would just like to say that although it may be tough to get a job in Finand due to many different reasons, the main one being the language barrier, it is important to remember that this is also very much the case when foreigners apply for jobs in the UK, USA and many other countries. It all comes down to some culture shock and having to push yourself out of your comfort zones.
I think it comes across as a great article for advice on things to do and not to do but it carries a somewhat negative and 'give up' type of attitude to it. Maybe this has been enhanced by bad experiences you have come across and maybe not but I feel a somewhat more un-biased attitude to aspects of the Finnish life and culture would be welcome. To say that all finnish people are a certain way is definitely tarring everyone with the same brush and painting a warped idea of us all.

I was born in Finland and lived there until I was 10 years old when my family emigrated to England. I have lived here for the best part of 13 years and currently work in the UK. I want to, at some point in the future, move back to Finland and will be looking to apply for jobs. Although Finnish is my mother tongue, I do not speak it regularly and am very rusty with it, I am actually fluent in English and use it as my main lqanguage. I am also studying French and I have learnt some Russian with a view to learn Swedish. I am not at all worried about finding job opportunities as I believe that the more effort you go to to learn the Finnish language rather than being very English or American about it (by this I mean that it is considered ignorant/lazy sometimes to use English as your only means of communicating because others will adapt). Make the effort to go to classes and learn the language and culture. This will make everything much easier and more fun. It is about respecting the country you are inhibiting rather than assuming that it is there for you to enjoy as you wish. English people (and I agree by many merits too) have a problem with people who move to England and do not make the initial effort to adjust to the culture/language.

Other than the negative side note to the guide, it is inforative and a useful read... Just make it a bit more of an inspiring read rather than a one sided slating of everything to do with job hunting and how foreigners get sidelined for jobs due to the language.... it would be like that in any other country except people who speak English automatically assume this makes them head and shoulders above the rest. Finnish people are very capable of speaking English AND Finnish which is why they will be first in line at times but not at others... Two languages are obviously a better advantage than just the one.

Happy job hunting everyone and take the guide with a pinch of salt and a wide view on all that is involved in living and working in Finland

Regards,

Tina

[PEMM]

There are certain things people have to be aware when searching for jobs. Right now there is over 80 000 open vacancies in this country, while there is some 250 000 people searching for jobs. This equation seems ridiculous, why is it like this?

It is, because 70% of people have higher degree and they only search jobs that are on their field, and are usually not ready to move to parts of the country that have jobs. I know people who have been unemployed for years because of this. Open vacancies are also usually on fields that are not seen as honorable jobs. I myself got my job after two months of searching without real experiense on that field and also offered another.

If you have some vocational training you generally have better chances to get job, as there is more free vacancies for them and they generally dont reguire as much experiense.

People who are ready to work get to work. If you check mol.fi you notice top four fields with open vacancies are:

1. Services (cleaning, serving food, cooks etc.)
2. Commercial (phone marketing, merchandice, franchise)
3. Public Sector (nursing, social work, teaching)
4. Consturction work

Amount of open vacancies for engineers etc. is low because there are so much larger supply of them than demand. Thats why large part of people who have higher education work in field that has nothing to do with their degree.

[gabao141]

I'm a portuguese nursing student.
We're suffering a huge economic crisis and I'm thinking when I finish my course try to find a job in Finland.

I'd like to talk with someone to know more things about the Finland, employment, etc
Email - t_gabao@hotmail.com

[bonjurkes]

Thanks for explanatory article, i would like to ask something. Which sites can foreign people check for job offers at Finland, especially at Internet sector, web development. So far i only know Monster, but not sure if there is any others or which one is most popular

[MikeMK]

That is pretty good!

[wkc5657]

Fantastic writings. Both exciting and sometimes demoralising.

I'm a recent accounting graduate (degree and ACCA) from Malaysia and now contemplating to work in Finland.

I can speak and write fluently in both Chinese and English.

How are the prospects for professional accounting jobs for entrants.

On a side note, I estimate to only have enough saving to last me around 6 months living in Finland without a job. Do you think I will make it?

Thanks!

[rinso]

I can speak and write fluently in both Chinese and English.

You realise this is Finland and they speak mainly Finnish (and Swedish)?

How are the prospects for professional accounting jobs for entrants.

Bad, unless you start your own business. And that might not be profitable until you're also fluent in Finnish.

Do you think I will make it?

No.
Actually I think you don't even have a chance to start.
As a non EU citizen you need a residence permit and for that you need a job (or be married to a Finn).

[wkc5657]

I can speak and write fluently in both Chinese and English.

You realise this is Finland and they speak mainly Finnish (and Swedish)?

How are the prospects for professional accounting jobs for entrants.

Bad, unless you start your own business. And that might not be profitable until you're also fluent in Finnish.

Do you think I will make it?

No.
Actually I think you don't even have a chance to start.
As a non EU citizen you need a residence permit and for that you need a job (or be married to a Finn).

Looks like I'm dreaming too much...

The unemployment situation in Finland is that bad? What's the latest official unemployment rate?

Thanks for the reality!