Why wont someone hire me?

[z3phyr]

Hi everybody,
What is it with this country that companies wont hire me?
I am highly skilled in construction but because I am not fluent in finnish they wont look at me. This is exaserbated when agencies and companies keep saying they would hire me yesterday if only I spoke! So basically finns regard language more important than skills acquired from years of experience!
I wouldnt want to be in a dangerous job with someone with no skills but who could speak finnish. Ridiculous.
I have been told many times of foreign companies in finland whose workers dont speak finnish and even immigration has suggested I go down this route to avoiod being kicked out. Due to the fact I am not lucky enough to be a european. Instead I am luckier and come from New Zealand
Is there anyone out there who could pehaps guide me in the right direction? I have run out of ideas.
Thanks

[sinikala]

A few options...
- learn some Finnish
- or start your own company
- or make like a banana...

[truth]

They would hire you if only your closest friend or your wife goes to speak Finnish language with them with over a thousand pleas. But you going over with million pleas won't make a difference.

Welcome to Finland

[rinso]

There are plenty of highly skilled people without a job who do speak Finnish.
So as a no lingo foreigner you end up in the bottom of the pile.

[Pursuivant]

I have been told many times of foreign companies in finland whose workers dont speak finnish

Yeah, but they hire in someplace EU and pay them EU-wages so they come in cheap and go cheap - they're "the damn foreigners taking your job", as theres no benefit in hiring anyone resident as you can get a cowboy subsubsubcontractor cheap.

[lipko]

yup, what the hell is with this country?
Why the hell they don't choose me from the 300 Finnish speaking applicants (250 Finnish citizens) in the middle of the economical crisis?
Why the hell they don't choose me with no work experience, no contacts/network, no työturvallisuuskortti / hygieniapassi, no car?

This country is screwed I tell ya.


A (probably) usable advise: make contacts. Go to pubs, make friends (more precisely "tuttu"-s). You can never know, maybe something gets in your way. And learn Finnish as hard as you can (and of course some Swedish too, while you're at it)

[CAD_Guy]

I am highly skilled in construction but because I am not fluent in finnish they wont look at me. This is exaserbated when agencies and companies keep saying they would hire me yesterday if only I spoke! So basically finns regard language more important than skills acquired from years of experience!

As usual on this forum people seem to miss this one idea. The fact that they would hire him only if he spoke Finnish. So think about this for a minute, they rather hire nobody (meaning there is work) than hire someone who has skills but doesn't speak the language. To me this is one of the biggest issues in this country with regards to skilled immigrants. I'm not saying this doesn't happen in other countries by the way but it is a major one here.

So what you're all basically saying to the guy is go back to New Zealand because you have no hope in hell of working here unless you speak Finnish. Brilliant and extremely helpful as always.

Also another down side to Finland is that fact that your education seems more important to an employer than your experience.

[lipko]

Be realistic!

"So basically finns regard language more important than skills acquired from years of experience!"

This is plain stupid. Probably 200 people will apply for the job (and any jobs). Including maybe 150 skilled/experienced/Finns/with-contacts.

Or do you base this statement on facts/surveys?

(PS: I'm a job seeker foreigner too)

[CAD_Guy]

Or do you base this statement on facts/surveys?

If you have read what he stated:

This is exaserbated when agencies and companies keep saying they would hire me yesterday if only I spoke!

¨
He's speaking from experience. Not sure how much but experience nevertheless.

It's a common truth here in Finland, especially in less skilled jobs (no offence), Finnish is more of a requirement than say a job in engineering or IT, where English is pretty common, if not the language used on a daily basis. However, I have read that getting a job as a doctor or nurse is virtually impossible if you don't speak Finnish. So the skill level thing is not consistent.

[lipko]

I'm not sure about one thing:
Finnish is more important than skills, OR it's important, when otherwise equal candidates apply for one position.
These are not the same.

And in one countries the doctor/nurse doesn't have to speak the lingo? Maybe in some third world countries, when there aren't doctors anyway.

And as I experienced, Finns don't talk English so well, some don't talk English at all.

But of course, I may be totally wrong. If so: YIKES!

[CAD_Guy]

Finnish is more important than skills, OR it's important, when otherwise equal candidates apply for one position.

It's his frustration talking. He's skilled and doesn't understand the problem. Which is as I stated, the less skilled the job, the more likely you'll need Finnish. I have a friend who's highly skilled at using different machinery and can't get a job because he needs to learn Finnish because of the people he'd interact with.

And in one countries the doctor/nurse doesn't have to speak the lingo? Maybe in some third world countries, when there aren't doctors anyway.

You probably picked a bad example here. When doctors travel to places they don't speak the lingo they typically have interpreters, that isn't going to happen here.

I have found lots of Finnish people know English to some level (most Fins will tell you they don't speak English well, Finnish modesty), just watch TV, there's lots of it there. However people speak their language because they're comfortable with it.

Apparently this is the reality of being an immigrant. Fun isn't it?

[lipko]

Yup.

Do you work BTW (CAD_Guy)?
Sorry, it may be stupid question, I'm sleepy, and I had a beer left from Vappu...

[tiago]

I don`t understand you guys... You are keep saying always the same things. "Why I can`t find a job; Why they don`t hire me; bla bla.
Everybody knows that: IN FINLAND, SPEAK FINNISH! But no, you just keep whining all the time. Don`t try to escape from the biggest barrier that you have here, the language. Just accept the reality, and sooner you do that, sooner you will achieve your objectives.


So, STOP writing english and speak as well, and start to speak and write in finnish! You have to understand that, coming to Finland Forum just to whine and saying bad things about Finland, it`s not going to change your situation. What it can change your situation is: 1-Learn the language, 2-networking and third, networking

I`m portuguese living in Finland for almost one year and half and I can manage my finnish at work. I know some foreigners that are living here for more than five years, and they can barely order a kebab!
And why? Because they were lazy to learn the language in the beginning and then the motivation within a few years it just, disappeared.

Finnish isn`t chinese... You just have to "forget" your english, and speak finnish as much as you can, even bad finnish, otherwise, it will never come

You have to remember that.... jobs for english speakers are only a few...and don`t forget. Most of the finns speak fluent finnish(of course) and good english.....so

Be positive

[finlandforumuser]

So, STOP writing english and speak as well, and start to speak and write in finnish!

In my company as well as quite many others English is the official language. To get the employee must pass interview.

Finnish isn`t chinese... You just have to "forget" your english, and speak finnish as much as you can, even bad finnish, otherwise, it will never come

I am here 10 years and unable to speak a word in Finnish, because no effort and no motivation.

[Upphew]

So, STOP writing english and speak as well, and start to speak and write in finnish!

In my company as well as quite many others English is the official language. To get the employee must pass interview.

And just to give a heads up for bright eyed furriners reading this: "quite many" in Finland is closer to countable with fingers and toes than bowl of beans.