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Information on finding work in Finland

As a job seeker with an international background, you bring valuable skills and perspectives to the Finnish job markets. However, as a highly skilled immigrant, finding a job in your field in Finland can take a lot of work. Simply having a degree is often not enough to find work in Finland. Understanding the Finnish working culture and labour market, learning at least some level of Finnish and adopting Finnish job search techniques will help you achieve your career goals.

Fortunately, there is plenty of information, services and opportunities available to help highly skilled immigrants find work in Finland. Metropolia's career coaches have gathered the best resources for you to find more information to support your job search and career in Finland. Follow the links and read more about how you can improve your chances of success in your job search in Finland.

Finnish work culture and job markets

Finnish language and employment

Job searching in Finland

Entrepreneurship

Do you wish to get more detailed help? Book an appointment for personal guidance session in Vihta-booking system.

Finnish work culture and job markets

How does understanding the Finnish work culture help you to find work in Finland?

Finnish working culture can be different from what you're used to. For example, punctuality, equality and self-direction are highly valued in Finland. It is typical that Finnish workplaces have a very low hierarchy. This means, for example, that employees are also expected to be active and take responsibility for managing and developing their own work.

According to study done by Duunitori one of the most important factors influencing a recruitment decision is how the candidate fits into the culture of the workplace (cultural fit). To stand out in the recruitment process, it is important to understand what employers value and expect so that you can bring the right things to the table when you apply for a job.

Learn more about Finnish work culture

What kind of benefits do you get from understanding the local job market?

By getting to know the local labour market, you will better understand which sectors have the most jobs available and be able to assess employment prospects and competition in different sectors. In sectors where competition is fierce, job seekers need to pay more attention to their job search strategies and active networking. Understanding the local labour market and employment situation can also help to target job search to sectors and regions where the demand for labour is highest. This can influence your decision about what you want to do in your job and where you want to live and work.

The sources below provide information on the general labour market situation in Finland and the employment situation in different sectors

Finnish language and employment

Should I learn Finnish to find work in Finland?

""It may be possible to find a job in some sectors and in some companies without Finnish language skills. However, in most Finnish companies and jobs you are expected to know at least the basic level of Finnish. It is highly recommended to start learning Finnish as soon as possible, as language skills open up more opportunities and are an advantage in life in general when living in Finland.

Different sectors and companies in Finland are at very different stages in terms of how international they are and how open they are to hiring an English-speaking employee. The openness of companies to hire people from different backgrounds depends on factors such as the degree of internationalisation of the company, the company culture, the industry in which the company operates and geographical factors.

At one end of the job markets there are multinational companies and startups, operating in an international environment and using English as the language of business, and at the other end there are the public sector and small and medium sized companies operating mostly in national languages in their current environment. Technical sectors generally use more often English as a working language.

Learning Finnish will help you better understand the Finnish way of thinking, make new friends and build a successful career in Finland. Not only will knowing Finnish open up many more job opportunities for you, it will help you feel at home in Finland and integrate into Finnish society.

Check out the tips from Metropolia's Finnish teachers on how you can make learning the language easier for you on: Five Effective Ways to Learn Finnish (Various Variables blog) and Find your way to become a Finnish speaker (Various Variables blog).

Find Finnish courses

Sites for self-studying

  • Kielibuusti platform is free of charge information platform and resource bank where you can find material on learning Finnish, for example material for self-studying and tips for learning Finnish language. The website is produced with the support from the Ministry of Education and Culture.
  • YLE kielikoulu learn Finnish by watching YLE programmes
  • Selkomedia offers news in easy Finnish for foreign speakers and others who need easy access to Finnish
  • Suomi Taskussa video portal helps you learn Finnish with videos

Job searching in Finland

Finding a job in Finland can require a lot of initiative and perseverance. Seek actively opportunities and do not hesitate to contact employers directly. Before you start preparing your application documents, it is important to understand and identify your skills and competences and how your international qualifications fit into the Finnish labour market. If you need support in assessing the suitability of your qualification for the Finnish labour market, you can read more about recognition of qualifications on our website or book a personal guidance discussion

Proactive approach is needed when looking for work in Finland

  • Find out what a typical CV and motivation letter look like in Finland. TEK Workbook has good materials on CV and cover letter drafting and on how to prepare for the job interview.
  • Use LinkedIn as a source of information about the labour market in your field, find events to attend and connect with other Finnish professionals. Read more about how to use LinkedIn as a jobseeker on Various Variables blog: Crafting a Compelling LinkedIn Profile for Jobseekers in Finland
  • Find your own way to network. Use LinkedIn, attend events and find out how and where you can meet interesting people. It is also important to talk openly about your skills and what you are looking for. You can get tips on how to get started on this Various Variables blog: The art of networking - where to start if you don't know anyone in Finland
  • It is important to have some work experience (unpaid or paid) on your CV, preferably in Finland. References are also commonly used in Finland, it is worth looking for someone who can tell about your skills and the way you work. Signing up with a recruitment agency can also be useful, depending on your field and what you are looking for.

How LinkedIn can help you to find work in FInland?

In the video: LinkedIn: Path to Employment, you can learn about platform’s various possibilities. The focus is particularly on how job seekers could benefit from using LinkedIn. Host: Oscar Smart ( Career Coach at Metropolia UAS), Iida Panula (Recruitment Advisor at Get Work Vantaa -project) and Timo Avdo (Entrepreneur)

How can networks help you find work in Finland?

Applying for open positions is the most typical way of looking for work. However relevant professional networks make finding a job much easier. Research done by Sitra shows that only 25% of the professionals found their job by applying to a traditionally advertised open job position. The rest of them found the position from the “hidden job markets” and via for example their networks.

Networks start to form already at a very early career stage, for example at high school, trough studies, even in hobbies and of course later in working life. Networks build on trust so be patient, it takes time to build lasting networks.

Even though professional networks are important, all personal networks matter. It´s good to get involved with people also in other areas of life. If you are new in the country, it can sometimes be easier to start with other social networks than the professional ones. Remember that everyone you meet, new friends, neighbours, team mates etc. all have their own personal and professional networks. You never know who they might be able to connect you with.

Here are few good readings about hidden job markets and about the importance of networks in Finland:

Where to get support on finding work in Finland?

Unemployed job seekers can get support for job search and career planning from the employment services of the municipality of residence. For example in capital area Helsingin työllisyyspalvelut, Vantaan työllisyyspalvelut and Espoon työllisyyspalvelut will help you.

If you are under 30 years old, you can also get support from Ohjaamo. Ohjaamo is a one-stop guidance center where you can get help in matters related to work, education and everyday life. If you have arrived in Finland as a spouse, check what Spouse programme could offer you.

Here are some additional guides and sites and services where you can get support on job searching in Finland

  • International Jobseekers Guide The guide offers information about a variety of topics including information about Finnish working culture, looking for work in Finland, becoming an entrepreneur and advice on how to kick-start your job search.
  • IHH Employment coaching International House Helsinki provides international professionals with early-stage personalised employment coaching designed to fit their individual needs.
  • infoFinland Tips and links for job search and for drafting a job application and CV
  • Work in Finland shares general information about work and life in Finland, provide information about vacancies, and facilitate the job search and relocation process
  • Luckan integration offers individual counseling and guidance, mentorship and networking programmes, workshops and social gatherings. They also offer information and guidance on Swedish integration in Finland.
  • The Shortcut offers events, coaching, and training programs for international talents.
  • Herizon drives the Nordic tech ecosystem forward by leveraging international talent already in the region, including spouses and students. They offer fast-track training, mentorship, and job opportunities

Check also Metropolia's upcoming Guidance Generalia lectures aimed for highly educated immigrants and our Various Variables blog with lot of tips on job searching and finding work in Finland.

Do you wish to get more detailed help? Book an appointment for personal guidance session in Vihta-booking system.

Where to look for open positions?

You can search for job vacancies on many different job portals (some of these listed below) and companies own websites. Besides job portals, jobs are also advertised in different social media channels, among which LinkedIn is the most important for professional job hunting in Finland.


Job portals in Finland

General information on working in Finland

  • International House Helsinki (IHH) offers services for immigrants for settling in in the Helsinki region and matters related to working, pensions and taxation
  • InfoFinland offers lot of information on life, work and opportunities in Finland in 12 languages, maintained by the City of Helsinki
  • The SAK employee rights hotline advises employees of foreign origin and young employees with questions or problems concerning their employment, employment contracts, wages, working hours etc.

Entrepreneurship

Where do I get information on setting up a business?

You have plenty of services available in the Helsinki region, start by exploring the following:

Where can I network with other entrepreneurs?

The Helsinki region is one of the growing start-up hubs in the world. You can start building your networks in e.g.:

Explore our other services

Services to immigrants

What kind of services and what opportunities do international professionals and future talents have with us? We help you find your study and career path in Finland.

Read more on services for immigrants.

Career Guidance for immigrants

A one-to-one discussion with a Career Coach helps you to map your competences and identify suitable study and career paths in Finland.

Read more on personal guidance.

Guidance Generalia webinars

Guidance Generalia webinars are open to all immigrants interested in the topic. The topics are selected to help you navigate your study options and develop your career prospects in Finland.

Check the upcoming webinars

Recognition of competence

How can you get started with recognising your key competences? Metropolia also provides recognition of competence by a professional in selected fields of study and for limited target groups.

Read more on recognition of competence.

Higher education preparatory programme for immigrants

Do you wish to study for a degree in Finnish in a university of applied sciences? Metropolia provides studies to prepare you for this. The courses are taught in Finnish.

Read more on preparatory courses (in Finnish).

Study opportunities and developing competence

Are you interested to study Finnish or to develop your field-specific competence? Metropolia offers you a wide range of options from individual courses to tailored programmes and full degrees.

Read more on study opportunities.