Need avice - English Speaking Jobseeker

[09seger]

Also Sinikala, if you have a Phd you still need a teaching qualification if you want to teach in compulsory education, however if you want to teach in a university the prefer Phd with experience. Yes its true P.G.C.E has masters levels credits which you can carry forward to do MTL but only if your assignments are at masters level whilst on P.G.C.E course!
Do you teach?

[Pursuivant]

I think Pursuivant is a little bitter about something!

Well its just these ponce expats thinking their arse is gold coming here, whining about everything, and then leaving.

Let me introduce you to my favorite Victorian Lady; Ethel Bielliana Harley Tweedie, who travelled the world in the turn of the 20th century and made quite a few popular travel books published under the name “Mrs. Alex Tweedie”. Her book published in 1897 “Through Finland in Carts” is that ages answer to Lonely Planet and Berlitz guides. The book is readable online .

But lets get back to Mrs. Tweedie and Finland. She is in a sense a very modern Lady, as it seems its been over 112 years since she was here and foreigners still observe similar things. So I guess its really not worth whining over some things as its been a hundred years and nothings changed. Of course – some things have changed immensely, but some things just do not change.

Like the fact we’re at the arse-end of Europe and nobodys heard of us.

No one ever dreamed of going to Finland apparently. Nevertheless, Finland is not the home of barbarians, as some folk imagine, neither do Polar bears walk continually about the streets, nor reindeer pull sledges in summer

Like we’re a bit silent and obtuse.

Nothing excites a Finn. Although he is very patriotic he cannot lightly rise to laughter or descend to tears ; his unruffled temperament is, perhaps, one of the chief characteristics of his strange nature. ……

They are a grave, serious people, who understand a joke even less than the Scotch, while such a thing as chaff is absolutely unintelligible to them. Life to the Finns seems a very serious matter which can be only undertaken after grave thought and much deliberation. They lose much pleasure by their seriousness. They sing continually, but all their music is sad; they dance sometimes, but the native dances are seldom boisterous as in other lands. They read much and think deeply, for both rich and poor are wonderfully well educated ; but they smile seldom, and look upon jokes and fun as contemptible.

And yeah, FINNS STARE!

But the stolidity of a Finn is always remarkable, and the appearance of strange English- women in somewhat unusual attire appeared really to fascinate the gentleman, who neither moved nor spoke, only simply stared.

Not to mention they ask WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

The peasant asks where you come from the moment he sees you are a stranger, and the better-class folk soon turn the traveller in their midst inside out with questions. They ask not only “Where do you come from ?” but, ” Where are you going ? ” What is your business? “

And the language has always been easy.

The language is intensely difficult to learn, for it has sixteen cases, a fact sufficient to appal the stoutest heart.

And the students wear those funny white caps.

All the students of both sexes wear the most charming cap. In shape it closely resembles a yachting cap ; the top
is made of white velvet, the snout of black leather, and the black velvet band that encircles the head is ornamented in front
by a small gold badge emblematic of the University. No one dare don this cap, or at least not the badge, until he has passed his matriculation examination.

And Finns are ugly, fat and drink a lot.

The Finns, though intellectually most interesting, are not as a rule attractive in person. Generally small of stature, thickset, with high cheek-bones, and eyes inherited from their Tartar-Mongolian ancestors, they cannot be considered good-looking; while the peculiar manner in which the blonde male peasants cut their hair is not becoming to their sunburnt skins, which are generally a brilliant red, especially about the neck where it appears below the light, fluffy, downy locks. Fat men are not uncommon ; and their fatness is too frequently of a kind to make one shudder, for it resembles dropsy, and is, as a rule, the outcome of liqueur drinking, a very pernicious habit, in which many Finlanders indulge to excess. There are men in Suomi—dozens of them—so fat that no healthy Englishman could ever attain to such dimensions ; one of them will completely occupy the seat of an Isvoschtschic, while the amount of adipose tissue round his wrists and cheeks seems absolutely incredible when seen for the first time, and one wonders how any chair or carriage can ever bear such a weight. Inordinately fat men are certainly one of the least pleasing of Finland’s peculiarities.

Not forgetting that Finns apparently never have had any fashion sense.

Top hats seemed specially favoured by Finnish gentlemen. Flannel shirts and top hats are, to an English mind, incongruities; but in Suomi fashion smiles approvingly on such an extraordinary combination. At the various towns, therefore, mashers strolled about attired in very bright-coloured flannel shirts, turned down flannel collars, trimmed with little bows of silken cord with tassels to fasten them at the neck, and orthodox tall hats.

And theres no decent cuppa.

The old market folk all drink coffee, or let us be frank at once and say chicory, for a really good cup of coffee is almost unknown in Finland, whereas chicory is grownlargely and drunk everywhere, the Finlander believing that the peculiar bitter taste they know and love so well is coffee. Pure coffee, brewed from the berry, is a luxury yet to be discovered by the Finlander.

Finns are racists of course.

But it has its advantages, as the passport rigorously keeps anarchists, socialists, Jews, and beggars out of Suomi.

And the TAX RECORDS ARE PUBLIC – which comes as a surprise… to whom?

Very few persons are rich in Finland according to English lights, but many are very comfortably off. It would be almost impossible there to live beyond one’s income, or to pretend to have more than is really the case, for when the returns are sent in for the income tax, the income of each individual is published. In January every year, in the Helsingfors newspapers, rows and rows of names appear, and opposite them the exact income of the owner.

Oh yes and that telephone thing:

Helsingfors is very advanced in its ideas; has electric light everywhere, telephones in each house, etc. Telephones are very cheap, costing about a couple of pounds a year, and they are universal. Perhaps they rather disturb the peace of a household, being in such constant use for every conceivable and inconceivable thing…”

Nothing has changed apparently.

Apart from cultural and ethnographic observations, Mrs. Tweedie goes on to a thorough analysis of the economic and political situation of the Grand Duchy towards the end of the book. She is amazed of the equality of women, the fact that women are studying in the university and riding bicycles, she writes pages on the Finnish education system – sound familiar, that?

There is no sex in Finland, men and women are practically equals, and on that basis society is formed. Sex equality has always been a characteristic of the race, as we find from the ancient Kalevala poem.

I warmly recommend the book as a read, it also has descriptions of a past world that is no more. And some things still are – someone travelling here should not be “shocked” of these “Finnish things” – mind you if she observed something 112 years ago – it is not exactly any news over here.

[09seger]

ok I see you have lost the plot lol! If things havent changed in 112 years......arent you worried?

Never once have i thought my arse is gold comming here, I have prior knowledge from my finnish husband and I enjoy to experience differences. I dont care if people dont use manners, I dont care if they drink 40 cans a night, and I dont care if they are silent!!!!!! What I do care about is that I try.... I chose to come here with my Husband and Children to experience the Finnish Culture and language and I want to say I tried my best.
We only have one life and we can chose to live it or chose to moan!!! So I suggest you stop moaning and enjoy any experiences you may encounter!!!!!
I merely made an observation, supported by evidence ....how easy it is to claim unemployment....and yes I am alarmed about that because the only other Knowledge I have about unemployment is in UK where its difficult, and you have to attend weekly meetings and if you dont your 60 pound a week ( or whatever it is ) Is stopped. The tories are now reforming this to make it even more difficult to claim unemployment!
So when people tell me oh claim unemployment.......no I wont! I never have done and I never will!!!!! I will do packing or any other factory work before i allow my morale to stoop so low. And before you get on your high horse.......this is about MY PERSONAL VIEWS....not because Im British or German or Finnish!!!!!!
Just to note *** Nobodys arse is gold....not even buddahs*******

[Upphew]

Just to note *** Nobodys arse is gold....not even buddahs*******

Yet it doesn't keep one from acting like it was at least silver.

[09seger]

Hahahahah I have always prefered silver to gold anyway lol!!!!!!!

[Upphew]

Hahahahah I have always prefered silver to gold anyway lol!!!!!!!

Then you will love Finnish ice hockey team.

[09seger]

Great Sense of humour Upphew!!!! Lets not upset Pursuivant now though!!!!! Yes At least its a colour!!!!!!!!!

[CH]

Just to note *** Nobodys arse is gold....not even buddahs*******

Yet it doesn't keep one from acting like it was at least silver.

Have to agree on that. I'm sorry, but you really come off as "I'm so better than these savages... my country is so better than this backwards country".

If you don't want to claim unemployment benefits, fine, your choice. But they are there because Finns like there to be a proper safety net. Sure there are people who rather spend their life in a constant drunken state and claim unemployment benefits, but that's not most of the people, is it? (Or it might be in your social circle, what do I know.) Should we change the system that otherwise more or less work just because there are some that abuse it?

To me it just sound like you have climbed up on a pedestal ("see, I don't claim any unemployment benefits"), and now you are mad because everybody else isn't ooh:in and aah:in about how glorious your sacrifice is. So you go swiping out at all of us drunken, unemployed, don't want to work, natives. Gee, thanks!

[09seger]

erm.....no I dont have a country.....no country is backwards...just different! Yes its me that wont claim unemployement not the fact that Im Brish/ German.
Safety net yes great......but everywhere in the world theres people who abuse it. Its just a big surprise or an eye opener when people attend a job finders course drunk, or downloading porn on a computer course or openly admits they love being unemployed, or goes on about Estonian Hoars! well thats only 4 out of 12 people so yes not the majority! But its a clear third! Like I said its just different!!!!! Maybe people like it this way but If we were all the same life would be boring!!!!!

[interleukin]

I think you must be hanging out with some strange crowd, I have not talked to a single person saying those things during my years in Finland.

[09seger]

Lol I dont hang out with them!!! they are in the community!!!! other than that obscure focus some people have, its a really friendly place to live!!!!And they live like that because they choose too and in this modern world we can all choose what we want!!!!!! ( within reason)

[Pursuivant]

If things havent changed in 112 years......arent you worried?

I'd be more worried if we'd have plunged in to some fashion and have the likes of BNP and EDL as things have changed too much... actually the rate of change has been quite fast, but Mrs. Tweedie wouldn't really be totally lost.

[sinikala]

Also Sinikala, if you have a Phd you still need a teaching qualification if you want to teach in compulsory education, however if you want to teach in a university the prefer Phd with experience. Yes its true P.G.C.E has masters levels credits which you can carry forward to do MTL but only if your assignments are at masters level whilst on P.G.C.E course!
Do you teach?

I supervise the occasional postgraduate student, but I don't teach per- se <giggles>; I do.

Why so many people biting? 09seger said they can't do it with the language barrier

Who died and left you in charge? I responded to Henrik's misconception that Finnish teachers are somehow better qualified than teachers from other countries. They aren't. The show-stopper is the language.

If you don't want to claim unemployment benefits, fine, your choice. But they are there because Finns like there to be a proper safety net. Sure there are people who rather spend their life in a constant drunken state and claim unemployment benefits, but that's not most of the people, is it? (Or it might be in your social circle, what do I know.) Should we change the system that otherwise more or less work just because there are some that abuse it?

Here it's less of a social net and more of a social network. There are few countries that give such a generous handout
to those who don't want to work. In other threads the number of sick leave days of council employees (in Espoo?) was mentioned (by Penelope?). There is a fraction of society here that takes the piss, somehow it's ok to diddle the State as if it's an independent entity, but it isn't, it's paid for by us taxpayers.

And this year it's more visible than ever with the local tax rises, I feel this in my pocket every month, with a couple of hundred Euros less in my pay cheque each month than in 2009.

This is the reason that the contributing section of Finnish society has the lowest purchasing power of any developed country, with the exception of Portugal, if memory serves.

[09seger]

Before you go on about BNP and EDL pursuivant....which country is more racist? I have to laugh!!!!!!!!!! so loud!!!!!!!!!
I remember reading that Finland has a low purchasing power too sinikala and its so sad considering its one of the most developed countries in the world, and in deed annoying when people openly abuse the system!!!!

[Tiwaz]

Before you go on about BNP and EDL pursuivant....which country is more racist? I have to laugh!!!!!!!!!! so loud!!!!!!!!!
I remember reading that Finland has a low purchasing power too sinikala and its so sad considering its one of the most developed countries in the world, and in deed annoying when people openly abuse the system!!!!

Ah, which county indeed IS more racist?
Based on your giltarsed answers, you would say it is Finland. It is common complaint amonts people like you. "Finns are so racist! They just stubbornly refuse to do things my way!"

Overall, Finland is not racist. Problem are people like you, who actually ARE racists without understanding it. You are the one refusing to accept reality that things are different. You SAY you understand that things are different but then stuff like this comes out of your mouth (or keyboard):

"But the jobs are limited here I must admit! You need a hygiene pass for nearly everything and they definatley segregate foreigners!! I am a qualified secondary Physics and chemistry teacher and I admit ...yes I cant do that here with the language barrier!"

Specially the second sentence. You whine that everything needs hygiene pass. Actually, rather few jobs require hygiene pass and those which do are ones where I do not want anyone scratching their ass first and then handling food.

Maybe doing it the UK style (where apparently such things are not required since you are so infuriated by Finnish system) would give you better immune system through constant infections. But we Finns apparently have chosen different route. Which is of course racism if asked from foreigners.

Or segregation of workers. Because there can never be any other reason for people without locally valid certificates who have rough command of Finnish in level of "Many money big bread?" are not getting anywhere in worklife...
Or people who manage to get into interview and decide to go through it just like at home.
Which in many cases would mean making an ass of yourself in Finnish interview, but recognizing that natives have their own culture according to which you are measured is too much.

Instead let's say it is segregation and racism, instead of failure to learn and integrate. Because that puts the blameball in Finnish end of court.

Let's put it this way. If I was the interviewer and you came to the room with attitude which comes from between the lines...

I would not hire you.

It does not matter if you do not necessarily mean it that way, it is how your message is received. Because of this, less time bitching and more time emulating Finnish acting is necessary. Because Finns will judge you according to measuring stick with text "Made in Finland/Valmistettu Suomessa" and not one you were comfortable with at home (IE, Product of Great Britain or whatever).