To come to Finland or not?

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Pannika
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2017 2:47 pm

To come to Finland or not?

Post by Pannika » Wed Aug 15, 2018 11:28 am

2 adults, 1 child. No Finnish language or contacts in the country.

Husband working in tech company in UK has been offered relocation to Helsinki area, which makes for a secure career for him but not sure what happens for me. Guessing child would go to an English-speaking school as already in primary school here.

Our biggest concerns:
Job for me? - one that would work with childcare?
Apartment living?
Winter?
Cost of living, i.e. having virtually no money left at the end of each month due to very high rents, food, etc. ?

Everyone we have spoken to while visiting Helsinki seems to think Finland is great for everyone and especially families.

What is the reality?



To come to Finland or not?

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Godtier
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2018 2:44 pm

Re: To come to Finland or not?

Post by Godtier » Wed Aug 15, 2018 12:12 pm

Job for me? - one that would work with childcare?
Finding a job in Finland as a new arrival without any sought-after skills and the language is about 3/10. Even that's generous.

However, your husband works. So, you will be put into some language courses, and after that, getting into childcare field must be far easier than without the language skills albeit strictly as a child minder in a daycare in the beginning (not sure about being a teacher in the kindergarten etc)
Everyone we have spoken to while visiting Helsinki seems to think Finland is great for everyone and especially families.
Yeah, I am also one of them who think that this country is a great place to raise kids.
What is the reality?
Your family will do great but there will be a huge challenge for you. Your husband has coworkers. Your kids will have classmates. You will be left with no jobs, no friends, and limited social life. However, it all depends on so many things that it might pay off to wear optimistic goggles. At least, life will be bearable :P

Sighthound
Posts: 42
Joined: Tue Nov 21, 2017 10:43 am

Re: To come to Finland or not?

Post by Sighthound » Wed Aug 15, 2018 1:06 pm

We moved from UK to KOtka 6 months ago.

Loving it so far, best choice of my life.

Its expensive, but for me at least, it worth it.

Upphew
Posts: 10748
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2008 10:55 pm
Location: Lappeenranta

Re: To come to Finland or not?

Post by Upphew » Wed Aug 15, 2018 2:05 pm

Pannika wrote:
Wed Aug 15, 2018 11:28 am
2 adults, 1 child. No Finnish language or contacts in the country.

Husband working in tech company in UK has been offered relocation to Helsinki area, which makes for a secure career for him but not sure what happens for me. Guessing child would go to an English-speaking school as already in primary school here.

Our biggest concerns:
Job for me? - one that would work with childcare?
Apartment living?
Winter?
Cost of living, i.e. having virtually no money left at the end of each month due to very high rents, food, etc. ?

Everyone we have spoken to while visiting Helsinki seems to think Finland is great for everyone and especially families.

What is the reality?
If you intend to stay in Finland for longer than few years, then English-speaking school wouldn't be my first choice.
You work in childcare? Or would like to work and take care of your child?
Move to the boonies and get a house.
Winter? Yes please. And not like the ones in Helsinki if possible.
Helsinki and rents, especially smaller apartments, can be painful. Then again are we comparing apples to oranges? Helsinki is the capital, so we should compare it to London? I have a hunch that Helsinki is cheap...
http://google.com http://translate.google.com http://urbandictionary.com
Visa is for visiting, Residence Permit for residing.

Pannika
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2017 2:47 pm

Re: To come to Finland or not?

Post by Pannika » Wed Aug 15, 2018 4:13 pm

Sightsound - what are your reasons?

Pannika
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2017 2:47 pm

Re: To come to Finland or not?

Post by Pannika » Wed Aug 15, 2018 4:18 pm

If you intend to stay in Finland for longer than few years, then English-speaking school wouldn't be my first choice.
You work in childcare? Or would like to work and take care of your child?
Move to the boonies and get a house.
Winter? Yes please. And not like the ones in Helsinki if possible.
Helsinki and rents, especially smaller apartments, can be painful. Then again are we comparing apples to oranges? Helsinki is the capital, so we should compare it to London? I have a hunch that Helsinki is cheap...
Not sure how long we would stay and child already at an age that education may be disrupted for a long time while picked up Finnish.
Don't work in childcare, but would like to work and don't know if that's possible to do alongside school runs and after school activities? In the UK, I have a short walk to/from school but it's really hard to find meaningful work that fits in school hours/term times.
"Boonies" - what/where is that? Am guessing farther out the city? We'd need to be fairly close to a hospital and I am not keen on being in the middle of nowhere.
Winter - Is your answer because Helsinki ones are too warm for you?
Rent - we don't live in London so they are ridiculously expensive compared to the mortgage we pay.

Pannika
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2017 2:47 pm

Re: To come to Finland or not?

Post by Pannika » Wed Aug 15, 2018 11:44 pm

Godtier wrote:
Wed Aug 15, 2018 12:12 pm
Job for me? - one that would work with childcare?
Finding a job in Finland as a new arrival without any sought-after skills and the language is about 3/10. Even that's generous.

However, your husband works. So, you will be put into some language courses, and after that, getting into childcare field must be far easier than without the language skills albeit strictly as a child minder in a daycare in the beginning (not sure about being a teacher in the kindergarten etc)
Everyone we have spoken to while visiting Helsinki seems to think Finland is great for everyone and especially families.
Yeah, I am also one of them who think that this country is a great place to raise kids.
What is the reality?
Your family will do great but there will be a huge challenge for you. Your husband has coworkers. Your kids will have classmates. You will be left with no jobs, no friends, and limited social life. However, it all depends on so many things that it might pay off to wear optimistic goggles. At least, life will be bearable :P
Hi, thanks for your reply. I meant finding work whilst managing childcare. For example, here I am self-employed as it is the only way I can take my child to and from school and look after him during school holidays. Are there jobs with those hours in Finland? I hear it is family-friendly so I would hope it was easier (not easy, just easier) to find something in the longer term that fits around being a parent rather than in the UK working full time or nothing is only option where we live now.

Yes, I think I would need to join in some sport clubs or other hobbies.....not sure what but I think I would be ok as long as I could find out about something and manage either with expat community or make sure I joined up to learn a new skill so I would at least be in the company of people at some point. I think the language classes are a good start I hear to meet people in the same position as newcomers?

Is there much work for native English speakers using English? There is a lot of info about English teaching and as it is a foreign language there are there language assistants, for example?

betelgeuse
Posts: 4353
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2013 1:24 am

Re: To come to Finland or not?

Post by betelgeuse » Wed Aug 15, 2018 11:52 pm

Pannika wrote:
Wed Aug 15, 2018 11:44 pm
I meant finding work whilst managing childcare. For example, here I am self-employed as it is the only way I can take my child to and from school and look after him during school holidays.
Research shows it's good for kids to go school on their own. You will find that it's common in Finland.

FinnGuyHelsinki
Posts: 1439
Joined: Sun Nov 08, 2009 8:52 pm

Re: To come to Finland or not?

Post by FinnGuyHelsinki » Thu Aug 16, 2018 7:35 am

Pannika wrote:
Wed Aug 15, 2018 11:44 pm
Is there much work for native English speakers using English? There is a lot of info about English teaching and as it is a foreign language there are there language assistants, for example?
No, there aren't a lot of those jobs. English alone isn't much of an asset *), without additional qualifications or special skills. For a teacher, the most important skill is to be able to teach, which people often cannot do very well without training and experience.

*) Locals can go on with their daily lives without English, officials usually speak at least passable English.

Upphew
Posts: 10748
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2008 10:55 pm
Location: Lappeenranta

Re: To come to Finland or not?

Post by Upphew » Thu Aug 16, 2018 9:43 am

Pannika wrote:
Wed Aug 15, 2018 4:18 pm
Not sure how long we would stay and child already at an age that education may be disrupted for a long time while picked up Finnish.
Don't work in childcare, but would like to work and don't know if that's possible to do alongside school runs and after school activities? In the UK, I have a short walk to/from school but it's really hard to find meaningful work that fits in school hours/term times.
"Boonies" - what/where is that? Am guessing farther out the city? We'd need to be fairly close to a hospital and I am not keen on being in the middle of nowhere.
Winter - Is your answer because Helsinki ones are too warm for you?
Rent - we don't live in London so they are ridiculously expensive compared to the mortgage we pay.
Kid is in teens? But you still want to manage childcare? 10yo won't need you to take him/her to and from school. Unless you live in boonies and need to go to school in the city. And even then the bus card would be more likely option. And kids learn languages easier the younger they are.

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=boonies
Being close to a hospital will mean that you won't be living that much out of town.

Helsinki feels too cold for me. And dark. The sea breeze makes the temperature feel colder than it is. The sea will keep temperatures that much warmer that there isn't snow. So it is cold, dark and wet. With snow it would be colder but snow isn't wet and it brightens the view.

Then the housing in Helsinki will most likely be just expensive. Then again you said it was Helsinki area. Espoo and Vantaa will give you more options and if the commute to Helsinki isn't mandatory you'll see even cheaper prices. Being near rails or thoroughfare to Helsinki will have an effect.
http://google.com http://translate.google.com http://urbandictionary.com
Visa is for visiting, Residence Permit for residing.

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Oombongo
Posts: 1949
Joined: Mon May 01, 2006 11:19 am
Location: local sewer pipe

Re: To come to Finland or not?

Post by Oombongo » Fri Aug 17, 2018 4:41 pm

use a police radar jammer or detector for lolz :mrgreen:
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heretostay
Posts: 637
Joined: Sat Apr 08, 2017 12:54 pm

Re: To come to Finland or not?

Post by heretostay » Fri Aug 17, 2018 5:55 pm

Oombongo wrote:
Fri Aug 17, 2018 4:41 pm
use a police radar jammer or detector for lolz :mrgreen:
For lolz also get a €400 fine for using it


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