Civil Engineer Looking for Finland Work

drog822 · Post by **drog822** » Tue Aug 24, 2010 7:01 pm

Hey everyone,

I am a US citizen with about 4 years of engineering experience in Civil Engineering and associated Autocad design software, and I am looking to move to Finland for work. I have extensive knowledge of road design, storm water management, construction administration, etc. I also am a LEED Accreditted Professional interested in sustainable construction techiniques and have some experience in that area as well. I have pretty good qualifications for work, but I dont know how to speak Finnish.

Based on many posts I have read, it takes some weeks or months to find a good career based job here and get the appropriate work permit required. Speaking Finnish seems to be a huge help, as well as being an EU citizen. Am I wasting my time trying to find a good career job here?

Any tips/links for writing a good CV geared at European applications. The resumes look to be much different than those of the US.

thanks for any help you can give!

David Rogers EIT LEEP AP

**Sponsor:**

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Tue Aug 24, 2010 7:57 pm

but I dont know how to speak Finnish.

Since civil engineering in Finland is mainly a domestic market, this is a serious handicap.

it takes some weeks or months to find a good career based job here and get the appropriate work permit required

That sounds very optimistic. Half a year till a year might be more realistic.

Am I wasting my time trying to find a good career job here?

Many foreigners end up in jobs far below their education level. Employers favour Finns over foreigners if they have a choice. With your handicaps (no lingo, no EU) you need a niche skill to have a chance.

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Tue Aug 24, 2010 8:47 pm

rinso wrote:
but I dont know how to speak Finnish.
Since civil engineering in Finland is mainly a domestic market, this is a serious handicap.

+the rules and regulations are in Finnish (and probably in Swedish too). Thus reading Finnish would be nice too.

inkku · Post by **inkku** » Tue Aug 24, 2010 8:59 pm

Try international and Finnish consulting companies who implement international projects.

mrjimsfc · Post by **mrjimsfc** » Tue Aug 24, 2010 9:09 pm

Try this one at the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant. They have people from all over the world there and only a few of them speak Finnish. On the other hand, English is required!

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Tue Aug 24, 2010 10:17 pm

Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant. They have people from all over the world there

Including Sergei...

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Tue Aug 24, 2010 11:07 pm

mrjimsfc wrote:Try this one at the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant. They have people from all over the world there and only a few of them speak Finnish. On the other hand, English is required!

Upphew wrote: +the rules and regulations are in Finnish (and probably in Swedish too). Thus reading Finnish would be nice too.

The big irony is that both of these pieces of advice are quite accurate. Well, those of the Areva management who survive the fiasco called Olkiluoto construction job will perhaps think again how they will start with the next similar project....

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Tue Aug 24, 2010 11:59 pm

Rip wrote:
mrjimsfc wrote:Try this one at the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant. They have people from all over the world there and only a few of them speak Finnish. On the other hand, English is required!

Upphew wrote: +the rules and regulations are in Finnish (and probably in Swedish too). Thus reading Finnish would be nice too.
The big irony is that both of these pieces of advice are quite accurate. Well, those of the Areva management who survive the fiasco called Olkiluoto construction job will perhaps think again how they will start with the next similar project....

Oh crap, I haven't thought that. I take some of the !"#¤% I have been throwing at GP and other greenyhippies back.

lipko · Post by **lipko** » Wed Aug 25, 2010 11:13 am

I haven't got a job as an engineer for 11 months.
But something to cheer you up:

I received this email today.

From 30 applicants we have chosen two persons to fill the open mechanical designer tasks.
Unfortunately, this time elect didn't focused on you.
We appriciate your intrest in our company, and wish you a nice autumn.

lipko · Post by **lipko** » Wed Aug 25, 2010 11:52 am

To say something a bit more useful:
Make a freaking cool portfolio to show that you are the coolest guy they've ever seen. Even if you are the mostest skilledest engineer in the world, the employers will never know about it, because you won't be invited to interviews.
I applied for entry-level and not-so-entry-level positions, and never got invited to an interview. Not a phone call, nothing. I speak Finnish a bit but I don't have work experience, though I have experience with the stuff I applied for (3D design, programming, automatics and stuff). I even have a small portfolio to show these skills. But WORK experience that counts. And the lingo.

I guess if I had some more time (3-4 months) maybe I could get lucky (at least statistically) to get in.
I will try later, I'll learn Finnish (I'm Hungarian, and I find the grammar pretty easy, but words are hard to learn), get work experience, save "some" money (for another 12 month search...)

Or not.

drog822 · Post by **drog822** » Wed Aug 25, 2010 11:18 pm

Thanks for all the replies. I did end up looking into the job at the nuclear power plant (Homer?) and maybe something will come of it. Its a shame that mol.fi is only in Finnish, but I suppose with good reason. I guess I need to study Finnish for a couple years or something.

kiitos!

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