Desperately seeking work in Helsinki

JoshBMartin · Post by **JoshBMartin** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 3:10 pm

Hi,

I am about to move to Finland with my Fiancée and am desperately seeking work, or help finding work, of any kind.

ABOUT ME:
- Bright graduate with a 1st Class Honours Law with Business Degree and a Distinction in the Legal Practice Course, but I declined opportunity to practice law in UK.
- Work in my spare time on an exciting web project and have learnt loads of skills in web project management, SEO, social media marketing, web marketing and internet law
- Lots of experience in sales and customer service roles, including telesales, telemarketing, inbound telephone customer service, barwork and retail

LANGUAGE SKILLS:
- I am a British citizen so English is my mother tongue and I am particularly skilled at written and spoken English, having previously made money in my spare time proofreading and correcting academic texts
- I am desperately trying to learn Finnish and am doing okay, but I am only really going to get the basic skills and confidence in speaking when I am over there! I have already lined up further adult education in Finnish language for when I arrive

WHAT I AM ABLE TO DO:
-ANYTHING! But in particular, the kind of jobs I am qualified, experienced or generally interested in include:
- Sales
- Marketing
- Web Development/Marketing/Management
- Law
- Management Consultancy
- Driving jobs (Delivery/courier/taxi driving)
- Bar jobs
- Retail jobs
- Warehousing / Shelfstacking / Picking / Manual Labour jobs of any kind
- Customer service
- Proofreading / Writing / Reporting / Research
- Admin/Office jobs of absolutely any sort
- Part time / Full time / Temp / Early Hours / Evening / Weekends all considered

LOCATIONS:
Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo - Anywhere within commuting distance of Helsinki

Please can anyone advise me on where to look? I have checked through all the obvious websites (MoL, Uranus, Manpower, EURES) plus a couple of well-known companies (like Nokia, UPM, Kone) but there tends to be nothing for English speaking people which isn't in a highly technical or science-based field. Can people suggest English-language based companies, management consultants, small firms, small businesses, English publications, jobs that require zero language skills etc -> Absolutely anything!

In England I am extremely well qualified for many jobs in many industries but in Finland I am a complete fish out of water! Many thanks to absolutely anyone who can help!!!

Josh

**Sponsor:**

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 4:33 pm

As you can understand is work in the law field almost impossible for you without Finnish. And your Finnish should be good enough to perfectly understand legal Finnish. Also being educated in the UK means you miss the basic knowledge of the Finnish system. Since Finnish law students are well qualified in English, you're at a big disadvantage.
And for other jobs (for which you don't need a degree) you have the handicap of being over qualified. Employers will expect that you'll leave as soon as you find something more suitable. I wouldn't say it is impossible to find something, but it will be difficult.

mrjimsfc · Post by **mrjimsfc** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 4:48 pm

I'm afraid that there are only those things you don't want to hear. First, none of your skills and/or capabilities are needed or even wanted in Finland. Second, your fiancee is going to need someone who she can talk to (really talk to) in her own language. She's going to need some one to help maintain a household. She will find some one who can and will fill those needs but it won't be you. Don't go to Finland! You don't need that kind of pain in your life. Sorry!

lukemichael · Post by **lukemichael** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 6:02 pm

no need to feel desperate just yet friend, you are not even in finland!
and never mind what the others say either, anything can happen, just be open to what is now,
the rest will take care of itself.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 7:28 pm

but I declined opportunity to practice law in UK.

Ain't that bright graduate,this.

simon · Post by **simon** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 8:33 pm

Pursuivant wrote:
but I declined opportunity to practice law in UK.
Ain't that bright graduate,this.

An employee turns up for his first day at work.
The boss hands him a broom.
The employee says "But I am a graduate".
The Boss says "Oh sorry. I'll show you how to use it".

Oombongo · Post by **Oombongo** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 9:12 pm

don't make the mistake of moving out of love. mrjimsfc has summed up about what may happen to you.

JoshBMartin · Post by **JoshBMartin** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 10:50 pm

Well, I have to say that I'm quite shocked at your responses. I joined up to this forum expecting some positive and helpful advice, but clearly a lot of you are just here to enjoy a bitching match and make yourselves feel big.

I am engaged to my girlfriend for a reason, I am moving to Finland and I am going to make money there one or way or another. I hope someone else can change my opinion and actually give me some helpful advice. I can only imagine that you guys have come out of failed relationships yourselves and that's why you're now sitting here on the forum just trying to criticize me and tell me how I'm going to fail.

If you're the kind of English people I am going to be living with in Finland, I think you're quite right, I probably won't last long there! I'm embarrassed.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Thu Feb 02, 2012 11:41 pm

Ok, Mr. Light-Shines-Out-Me-Arse

While I do appreciate the list of things you are willing to do, and commend this attitude to others, which shows promise, at the end of the day, all the jobs you list the question remains:

Customer service in Finland was originally designed by and for the Finns, so there isn't any huge demand for customer service in a language nobody speaks is there?

You have HBS. You will survive, just don't become a whining git blaming Finland of your own choices and your own shortcomings.

Lamauttaja · Post by **Lamauttaja** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 12:32 am

JoshBMartin wrote:Well, I have to say that I'm quite shocked at your responses. I joined up to this forum expecting some positive and helpful advice, but clearly a lot of you are just here to enjoy a bitching match and make yourselves feel big.

I am engaged to my girlfriend for a reason, I am moving to Finland and I am going to make money there one or way or another. I hope someone else can change my opinion and actually give me some helpful advice. I can only imagine that you guys have come out of failed relationships yourselves and that's why you're now sitting here on the forum just trying to criticize me and tell me how I'm going to fail.

If you're the kind of English people I am going to be living with in Finland, I think you're quite right, I probably won't last long there! I'm embarrassed.

wait, not everyone here is such as dicks. I read these comments, and i gotta say some of these people are seriosly @#$% and i don't know wtf they're doing here.

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 8:40 am

Lamauttaja wrote:wait, not everyone here is such as dicks. I read these comments, and i gotta say some of these people are seriosly @#$% and i don't know wtf they're doing here.

They've been here for a while. When umpteenth person suffering from hbs expects to get positive and helpful advice, they tend to get negative and helpful, which happens to be quite realistic too. Or no replies at all from the dicks. You don't recommend people to go out now with t-shirt and jeans, you might even call them stupid even to think that. I don't recommend coming to forum for only positive and helpful advice supporting your unrealistic fantasy. Granted the op had some idea how the lack of language affects things, but I'm not sure he had any idea how the lack of job might affect the relationship.

JoshBMartin wrote:Well, I have to say that I'm quite shocked at your responses. I joined up to this forum expecting some positive and helpful advice, but clearly a lot of you are just here to enjoy a bitching match and make yourselves feel big.

Well, hopefully you drop your expectations and start with open mind... if you want only positive and supportive experience, Finland isn't for you.

JoshBMartin wrote:I am engaged to my girlfriend for a reason, I am moving to Finland and I am going to make money there one or way or another. I hope someone else can change my opinion and actually give me some helpful advice. I can only imagine that you guys have come out of failed relationships yourselves and that's why you're now sitting here on the forum just trying to criticize me and tell me how I'm going to fail.

If you're the kind of English people I am going to be living with in Finland, I think you're quite right, I probably won't last long there! I'm embarrassed.

A for determination, F for not recognizing helpful advice when it isn't positive and presented in courteous manner. Gold is gold even when covered in !"#¤%, so if you want to get advice, you might have to shift some manure. You gave quite a list for us to work on, unfortunately most of it can be dealt with language issue, as you had noticed yourself. mrjimsfc pointed out that the move might affect your relationship, had you thought that before? Have you discussed the issue with missus? Your reaction makes me think that you haven't considered the negative aspects and possibilities enough.

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 9:12 am

I am engaged to my girlfriend for a reason

When you're in love, problems seem to be far away. But the reality is different.
As a linguistic handicapped person, it will put some strain on your relation. (no work, sitting at home, social contacts limited, girlfriend has to do all the paperwork and so on) As mrjimsfc pointed out your girlfriend will have her own wishes.
In the family board of this forum are many examples of failed relationships and desperate pleas for help. Before you make a life changing decision you should be aware of the potential problems.

Well, I have to say that I'm quite shocked at your responses. I joined up to this forum expecting some positive and helpful advice, but clearly a lot of you are just here to enjoy a bitching match and make yourselves feel big.

A lot of people just tell you it how it is. If you ask for work and expect only positive results, you won't get many answers.
And since you're perceived through your posts as a little arrogant, you invoke the more brutal responses.
This is Finland. In real life people might not say it in your face, but they will think it and behave accordingly.

simon · Post by **simon** » Fri Feb 03, 2012 9:16 am

+1 to Upphew/rinso.

Put work in the search function and scroll through the pages of threads, then you might get an idea

CH · Post by CH » Fri Feb 03, 2012 10:06 am

simon wrote:
Pursuivant wrote:
but I declined opportunity to practice law in UK.
Ain't that bright graduate,this.
An employee turns up for his first day at work.
The boss hands him a broom.
The employee says "But I am a graduate".
The Boss says "Oh sorry. I'll show you how to use it".

You might think that the above is a joke, but it holds the truth. Why did you decline the job opportunity? If you had at least some work experience you would have at least a small chance of getting a job. But with no experience, and straight out of school, with no Finnish (or Swedish for that matter) language skills... your employability is pretty close to nill for anything else than holding that broom handle.

If I may suggest, think about doing graduate school here, or going to just any school. That should hopefully increase your chances a bit. Otherwise, get your fiancé to live in the UK for awhile while you work hard on making your CV into something that somebody over here would actually be interested in.

CH · Post by CH » Fri Feb 03, 2012 10:16 am

JoshBMartin wrote: - Work in my spare time on an exciting web project

This part, if you are able to actually do the whole work of creating web pages might be something. Put together a portfolio, though.

Think about these two quotes below for awhile, and have a reality check.

JoshBMartin wrote: - Lots of experience in sales and customer service roles, including telesales, telemarketing, inbound telephone customer service, barwork and retail

How would you be able to do anything of the above without Finnish language skills... and...

JoshBMartin wrote:but there tends to be nothing for English speaking people which isn't in a highly technical or science-based field.

... why might this be the case?

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