Moving to Finland (with no job)

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sloth
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Joined: Mon Mar 14, 2005 9:38 pm

Moving to Finland (with no job)

Post by sloth » Mon Mar 14, 2005 9:50 pm

Hi all,
I'm english, and moving to Finland (to be with my girlfriend, who is finnish) in April.
I don't have a job lined up, I don't speak Finnish.
My girlfriend has already moved over, and will find a job ( for herself) and place for us to live.
I am half way though my degree and am taking a year out, I'm 31.
Does this seem suicidal to all of you that have moved to Finland?
I have worked in engineering workshops before starting my degree, but I would have thorght finding this type of work would be very hard.
To say I'm worried about doing this would be an understatement



Moving to Finland (with no job)

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PeterF
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Post by PeterF » Wed Mar 16, 2005 10:21 am

Sloth...you asked..
sloth wrote: "Does this seem suicidal to all of you that have moved to Finland? "

No..not at all, if you can survive financialy for the year that you have decided to take off from University..you will no doubt enjoy Finland.
But as you say... it will be difficult, but not impossible, to find a job when you dont speak Finnish.
What exactly did you do in your work in engineering workshops ?

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pierrot
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Post by pierrot » Wed Mar 16, 2005 10:27 am

:D
Here in Finland, I have done everything I can to blend-in with the Finns, I've changed my hair color, wore differnet clothes, got different

lanshih
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Post by lanshih » Wed Mar 16, 2005 11:42 am

finn girlfriends again..... ahhhhhhhhhhh!
:D

good luck, poika!

p*rk*le poika :twisted:

StephenRudd
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Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 8:23 pm

Take the opportunity

Post by StephenRudd » Mon Mar 21, 2005 8:44 pm

Finding a job will be tough - I have an academic position in Turku and my wife is a graduate student with a degree in teaching. Short time teaching positions can be found, but the system is extremely unwilling to help unless you can speak Finnish or Swedish. You might be lucky with bar-work or flipping burgers. If you are in Turku and can program java or python then mail me. We have loved the Finnish experience and are becoming dangerously settled - don't fear the move - it will be wonderful!

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superiorinferior
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Location: Helsinki

Post by superiorinferior » Mon Mar 21, 2005 8:51 pm

I think sloth has been scared off. :wink:

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Hank W.
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Post by Hank W. » Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:01 pm

Or then he's packed his computer already.

I think if sloth got scared away - you see the American dude and his divorce query as a result what the "hawt blonde syndrome" at its worst can lead to.
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.

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peteh
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sloth

Post by peteh » Wed Mar 23, 2005 5:48 pm

IYou say you have been working in engineering workshops. Have you any CNC experience. I am currently working as a programmer/machinist. I have had work now for nearly 4 yrs. Early this year I alked out of one and straight into another. I was also getting calls from agencies still after 2 months. My Finnish is very poor so everyone speaks to me in English.
If you do not mind shift work - and you are experience (companies will know if you are blagging) give it a go.

Daniel
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Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2005 3:18 am
Location: Helsinki

Me too

Post by Daniel » Wed Mar 30, 2005 3:34 am

I've been lurking here a while & thought I would now post since this topic hit home for me.

I'm hoping to not have to move to Finland without a job, but I currently am hoping to move there in the next 6 months and don't have anything lined up yet. It's reassuring that Peter would write that it's not suicidal to move there without something lined up. I'm hoping to take courses in Finnish to learn the language when I arrive. I'm confident that I can get a very good grasp of the language within 6 months, but it's the fear of what will happen in that time that scares me the most.

I'm currently an IT professional working for a large software corporation in the US. My programming skills have a foundation in C, but nothing that I think might help me find work with the mobile market (like Nokia). I've been having ideas for starting a new business but there's a whole lot of information to read through still.

I'm not really soliciting any ideas or suggestions here, though I will take them if anyone has them to give. Mostly I just wanted to say hello, and perhaps I'll be a little less quiet from now on.

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Hank W.
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Re: Me too

Post by Hank W. » Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:27 am

Krash wrote:I'm currently an IT professional working for a large software corporation in the US.
So you're making about 2-3 X than a Finnish IT professional, save up man, save up. It's taken people 6-8 months to find a job here even they were on an A5 (spousal permit). If you need to apply for a work permit you need to secure the job first, but its a lot harder to do while not here (but it takes 6 months to process theres very few excuses to wait in Finland).
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.

PeterF
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Post by PeterF » Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:56 am

There is lot of advice here..in the "stickys.."
bb/viewforum.php?f=20

Also a lot more here..
http://www...com/sauna/viewforum.php?f=20


I can only add a few of lines of advice.

As Hank says save up and have enough cash to "survive" for at least 4 months.
Choose the time of the year that you come to search for work with care.
JULY FINLAND IS SHUT...
IMO..Febuary or August give best start search date options...March/April/May/June. or Aug/Sept/Oct/Nov.

During these 4 months concentrate on making/developing contacts/networking.
Also on learning Finnish.

Everyone you meet should be treated like a potential employer or employment agent.

Be flexible with any searchs for that first job...dont set targets too high or restrict too tightly to what your qualifications/experience indicate.
Look at wider options. Just get a job that will bring in "enough to survive" ..Keep building those contacts...until your network of contacts throws up the real opportunity that you seek/desire.

Daniel
Posts: 26
Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2005 3:18 am
Location: Helsinki

thanks

Post by Daniel » Wed Mar 30, 2005 9:26 pm

Thanks for the advice all.

I've already planned a trip in May, when I'll come & look for jobs, make contacts, meet people, view the culture, etc etc. As I said before, I don't want to move there without having something lined up first, but I won't be picky as to what I'm doing when I first move there. That is to say, if I can find steady work that pays the bills and survive on that for a while, I'm willing to do that while I look for something in my field.

I've already gotten a lot of information from these boards and appreciate the fact that you guys are providing even more. As for contacts, I figure I'm possibly making some even now on these boards. :)

alloydog
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Re: Me too

Post by alloydog » Wed Mar 30, 2005 10:25 pm

Krash wrote:My programming skills have a foundation in C, but nothing that I think might help me find work with the mobile market (like Nokia).
Don't you believe it mate ! If I had C/C++ I wouldn't have been unemployed for nearly six months, and I certainly wouldn't be doing the job I'm stuck in now...
As soon as get this piggin' GnuC++ thingy to work, I'm planning my escape from HEL.

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bretti_kivi
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Post by bretti_kivi » Wed Mar 30, 2005 10:30 pm

I'm hoping to take courses in Finnish to learn the language when I arrive. I'm confident that I can get a very good grasp of the language within 6 months, but it's the fear of what will happen in that time that scares me the most.
<blunt-mode>
6 months? you already speak 3 languages, yes? if not, IMO forget it unless you are seriously talented and are prepared to work at nothing else (cash available etc) - otherwise double it at least, especially in helsinki and surroundings as it's too easy to lapse into english. Savo or Lapland is another matter ;)
Personal Experience: i took my first course back last summer and most people i speak to are shocked how well i can speak finnish in the mean time. BUT: i can't work in Finnish (i annoy the hell out of some co-workers), and i'm still asking questions. Oh, and i've been hearing and speaking a certain amount of finnish for the last 5 years.
@Peter: I'm trying to make sure we are around on Saturday so you can hear how bad it is now :P

programmers: http://www.f-secure.com :)

Bret
"I have no further comments at this time"

Daniel
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Joined: Wed Mar 30, 2005 3:18 am
Location: Helsinki

Post by Daniel » Thu Mar 31, 2005 2:53 am

bretti_kivi wrote: 6 months? you already speak 3 languages, yes?

programmers: http://www.f-secure.com :)

Bret
Thanks for sharing your experiences Brett, I find them helpful. 6 months may be unrealistic, but I have a friend who visited Finland for 9 months and came back fluent. Granted, there will be specialized fields & situations where there will be vocabulary he wouldn't know. Only time will tell, we'll see how it goes. I'm also going to look into taking courses here before moving there. It seems the local University here has a great scandinavian studies department, we'll see if that includes language courses.

As for the link, thank you very much. There were a few positions up there that looked good to me. I've submitted my CV & *crossing fingers* hopefully something good will come of that.

Alloy, thanks for your words as well. It seems like every passing minute provides more & more discouragement so it's great to hear that some foundation in good ol' C/C++ has value there.


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