Looking for any job

[filipdragos]

Hello,
My name is Dragos Filip and I am a 25 year old young European citizen who arrived in Helsinki at the end of August. For the time being I am struggling to find a job in Finland and it seems to me that my chances are very limited given the fact that I am a non speaker of Finnish language. Naturally, I am more than willing to acquire a good knowledge of this language, but I know that this will take some time and I cannot afford not working until I manage to acquire at least some basic knowledge of Finnish. Since I got here, I have registered at the EURES office, I have registered to almost all of the recruitment agencies in Helsinki and I have been taught how to use http://mol.fi so that I can access the job offers, translating and sending applications every day. I have also obtained my Hygiene and Occupational Safety cards. However, in spite of my persistent efforts, I have not got one single job offering. I realize that this is a very difficult period of time but there has to be something for me out there. I am opened to any kind of job opportunities including shifts, night work, weekends, part-time, full time, temporary or permanent work and training. I consider working in other city as well.

Finally, here is a short introduction of myself: I have a BA in Social Communication &Public Relations and a work experience of 6 years-2 years as a sales representative, 3 years as a journalist and temporary jobs (bartender, market worker). I should also point out that I have a driving license (B category – cars and vans) that I obtained 6 years ago. I am an honest hard working man who is constantly looking for new opportunities to improve himself.

I want to add that I don`t drink alcohol and I don`t smoke. I love driving, traveling and sports.

For any further information you can contact me via e-mail at filipdragos@yahoo.com, or by phone 0466124191.

[rinso]

You seem to do all the right things and still no success.
Unfortunately that is the reality at the moment.

I got two points of advice
- start networking. try voluntary work to build up a network
- look for jobs that are payed by the hour. (door to door delivery, snow cleaning etc.)

[sabsum]

Hey there!!
I felt so sorry to hear about ur situation.It seems u have really tried a lot .I know it's difficult,esp at the very beginning.I wish i could help u
I was just thinking if u could once try for a cleaning company ''kestosiivous''.There are many workers working even without good finnish skill.It's glad to know that u also hav a driving license,which is a plus-point.
Plz do call them once and inquire about the vacancy if they have any.I am not so sure though,if they need or not.
I would personally advise to go to their office and talk.
(Kestosiivous Oy - Kilonkallio 3, 02610 Espoo)
But if u don't feel like going or just want to call,u can call to:
Sari Järvinen(she speaks good english)
Tel. 0400 443 644
remember to let them know abt ur license

Good luck!!

[filipdragos]

Thanks for the tips. Related to the networking, I don`t know what to say because I am new in a country and in a city which I did not get to know very well...I don`t know many people and it`s hard for me to do door to door sales especially only speaking english. I would do snow cleaning I would do anything, I said I would do training too for a few months to be qualified in something but everybody told me that all the trainings are in finnish (which is perfectly normal by the way because I am in Finland and nobody is forced to do trainings in other languages just for the sake of immigrants)...I just need a chance to learn the language and to work at the same time. Anyway I don`t want to complain and to sound like a crybaby. Regarding the cleaning job I will give a call to the person mentioned to ask if there are any vacancies and if there are I will go to their office too. I don`t have many big hopes because I already applied for lots of cleaning jobs, but didn`t receive any answer. I tried the post office too for delivering newspapers, or for sorting mail, nothing so far. I applied for warehouse jobs, nothing. I don`t know where to go any more. I know it`s the recession period, or financial crisis, whatever it`s called....but still...I don`t know what to say. I really like it here and don`t want to leave. Hope things will get better.

[rinso]

hard for me to do door to door sales

Sorry, I meant those advertisements and brochures deliveries door to door.
With the Christmas season coming there will be a lot of (temporary) work.
Contact the post office, they know which companies are involved.

[EP]

3 years as a journalist

I know this idea is not much of a consolation, but you might get some € out of writing to papers in your home country. "This is how labour market looks like in Finland", "Ugly pitch black November".

[mrjimsfc]

I have a BA in Social Communication &Public Relations and a work experience of 6 years-2 years as a sales representative, 3 years as a journalist and temporary jobs (bartender, market worker). I should also point out that I have a driving license (B category – cars and vans) that I obtained 6 years ago. I am an honest hard working man who is constantly looking for new opportunities to improve himself.

Unfortunately, in Finland your list of qualifications equates to only two types of job opportunities, cleaning and restaurant. At the present, this is the only thing that may be available.

[filipdragos]

Yes thank you for the information, I was already aware of that. I would work as a garbage man it doesn`t matter as long as I do something. I didn`t write that to show that I want a manager position or something like that. I know that my studies and my work experience value nothing here. I wrote that information just to show that until this age I did something to try to earn my living and that I am familiar with work. I know that Finnish people are smart people and have Master Degrees and PH Degrees but I am not like that. I am more of a practical man. I would rather have a good life experience than a set of diplomas. So far I have survived here using my life experience. As you see my diplomas meant nothing.

[mrjimsfc]

You could apply to be a forest worker and if you show up with a good attitude, willingness to work hard, the right tools etc. they might forego the requirement of three years experience and give you a shot at the job anyway.

[filipdragos]

You could apply to be a forest worker and if you show up with a good attitude, willingness to work hard, the right tools etc. they might forego the requirement of three years experience and give you a shot at the job anyway.

I saw that job opportunity but I didn`t think that I have a chance taking in consideration the requirements. I don`t have any tools or a car and neither the money to buy them. However I have sent a CV and if they want I will try to get some money and buy whatever it`s needed...

[filipdragos]

As I still can`t find any job and nobody replied to my job applications, I want to ask if anybody here knows if I can train with a football team from any division. Just to train and do something for my health and my fitness. I don`t want a gym, I prefer training in open air.

[filipdragos]

Still looking for any job...Five months have passed and still nothing...Very nice...
And on top of all, somebody called me around 22:30 in the evening and said that she saw my add here and asked me if I am still interested in a job... And I said OK and her next question was what country I am from (because in my add I just said that I am an European citizen)...This question is illegal to ask in Canada or USA...But here it matters a lot it seems...And I told her where I was from and she started laughing and said that she will send me a message or an e-mail to ask me some questions...Of course as I expected she didn`t do that because of my nationality...Talking about racism and discrimination in Finland ...

[Huy]

Since you can speak some other language ( I would take a wild guess and say Romanian or maybe even a bit Hungarian ), there is always them job offers for test engineers for localization work. And with your BA in SC/PR - have you tried the embassy for part time work?
I ran a quick glance over the MOL site and found this:
http://www.mol.fi/paikat/Job.do?lang=fi ... or=7364362
with requirements close to your level with your previous 3 years as a journalist and a BA degree. I would pull the trigger and see what they say.
And whats up with the talk about racism? Maybe she just wanted to know your language skills. I would use it as my force majeure when hunting for a job.
Anyways, good luck and godspeed.

[filipdragos]

Since you can speak some other language ( I would take a wild guess and say Romanian or maybe even a bit Hungarian ), there is always them job offers for test engineers for localization work. And with your BA in SC/PR - have you tried the embassy for part time work?
I ran a quick glance over the MOL site and found this:
http://www.mol.fi/paikat/Job.do?lang=fi ... or=7364362
with requirements close to your level with your previous 3 years as a journalist and a BA degree. I would pull the trigger and see what they say.
And whats up with the talk about racism? Maybe she just wanted to know your language skills. I would use it as my force majeure when hunting for a job.
Anyways, good luck and godspeed.

No I don`t speak Hungarian, I speak Romanian, English and a little French. I also understand and speak some Italian...About the embassy what can I say, I wrote to the Romanian Embassy here but they don`t give a damn, the job you suggested...I have already applied...And my girlfriend who is a student here (also Romanian) applied too...I applied for almost all of the jobs available at mol.fi that didn`t require Finnish skills...I don`t want to use my previous experience from Romania here because it means nothing and here I want to start over in a way. I am opened to go somewhere without a payment for a month or so and to learn to do something...I said that I will learn Finnish too but as long as I a have some kind of job here.
As for the discrimination and racism I know what I`m talking about because she started laughing when she heard that I am Romanian and she said she will contact me back to ask me some questions which she didn`t. And I know that I am right because I was at an interview in an academical institution here in Finland (don`t want to say the name) and the lady there told me that I should realize that Romanian equals Begger or Thief here. And this is not the only opinion...Others confirmed this too...Of course that there is also the other side of the Finnish population that knows that Romanians are hard working people and an example would be the IT specialists from Nokia, where a lot of Romanians work...But unfortunately the people that know the truth and are opened minded are very few here in Finland...and the majority likes to label people on the basis of their ethnic origins.

[Pursuivant]

Well the majority of people do not know that because its not the the Nokia IT guys they see, they see the ones begging on the street and being in the news all the time living in a trailer under a bridge. So blame the Romanian government, you reap what they sow. We do not have many other nationalities here making such press headlines, except these minorities which of course are labelled as what country they come from. I guess the Romanian government doesn't much give a damn, they're happy they don't have to deal with the social problem of the minority at home. Now it is you who has to deal with the social problem of your country here. Isn't it nice to live in the EU?

BTW this isn't anything "Finland only" thing, you look at any Romanian message boards you see "rroma beggars" threads from people all over the EU countries. Its so easy for some people to make a bad reputation and so hard for other people to get rid of it. My Romanian friends had the same thing happen to them and that was way before the latest beggar headlines when we'd only had some few incidents in the previous summer the reputation was going already then.