Quantity Surveyors in Finland?

[lankygerman]

I'm looking to move to Finland for the usual reasons. I'm a Quantity Surveyor (Construction Cost Manager/Contract Administrator) and would really like to continue that career when I move.

I can't find any comparable jobs advertised and am planning to start applying speculatively and I could really use some advice from anyone who has successfully moved from the English industry to the Finnish one.

1) Are my skills directly transferable to the Finnish construction industry?

2) What sort of companies would employ an individual who currently speaks very little Finnish?

3) Will my lack of a construction qualification hinder my applications significantly?

4) Realistically, should I go to Finland try to study engineering and the language for 5 years whilst raising my kids as a house husband and then think about starting my career again from the bottom?

Thanks Gavin

[rinso]

1- probably not
2- probably none
3- probably yes
4- this is your most likely future perspective if you come to Finland (based on this limited information)

I don't want to sound negative, but most foreigners find it difficult to continue their careers here without Finnish skills.
And I think that Construction Cost Manager/Contract Administrator is not the kind of job where employers are eager to hire a non Finnish speaker.

[sinikala]

There are a lot of German / French engineers at Olkiluoto III, and much of the labour was Polish.

I would be surprised it they could not have found use for an english speaking QS who knows his arse from his elbow. Perhaps too late in building this plant? But I read something that there may be another reactor built after this one.

see here

http://www.rauma.chamber.fi/ol3/files/8 ... 438552.pdf

and search

http://www.areva.com/

for "olkiluoto"

You would be pissing 5 years into the wind if you want to retrain here. IMNSHO.

[rinso]

You're right fish, I didn't think of those foreign companies.
But then again, wouldn't they bring their own staff and hire Fins over here who know the local situation ?

[Rosamunda]

There are also companies like Lemminkäinen (sp???) which are based in Finland but work on projects all over the world. So "Finnish" specifics are maybe not so important, as long as you are prepared to travel.

[Rob A.]

Welll...I'm relieved you "locals" are clearing this up a bit...I was a bit concerned about the first response to the poster...

I've been around major engineering projects for a good part of my working life, and British quantity surveyors are always found somewhere in these kinds of projects....at least the ones involving Canadian engineering firms...

I didn't want to say anything because I don't live in Finland, but these guys are so well trained and have such a good reputation I would find it hard to believe any "world-class" engineering project would not be interested and I would think the language on these kinds of projects would be English anyway...by default...

The smaller projects??...Well, you locals can comment on them...