How to look for work in Helsinki

Tools:

Jobseeking

Both employed and unemployed jobseekers can register as jobseekers with an employment office. You will usually need to visit an employment office in person initially to register; however you can also complete the jobseeker registration form online and new jobseekers can submit their forms electronically to the employment office.

Employment offices offer services to different jobseeker groups, including young people, those requiring vocational rehabilitation, immigrants, maritime sector employees, those entering or leaving Finland to look for work as well as recent university graduates. A few employment offices also provide temporary agency work services free of charge. You can also look for work using the labor administration's online service (Avoimet työpaikat) that provides information about thousands of job vacancies.

You can also use the Paikkavahti jobwatch service and receive notification of vacancies by e-mail. One way of looking for work is to post your details on the CV-netti service. These online services are only available in Finnish and Swedish.

Financial Aid

Employment offices may grant mobility allowance to cover travel expenses related to job seeking. The allowance may be granted to unemployed jobseekers or jobseekers threatened by unemployment who have registered as a jobseeker with an employment office.

Private persons and employers may also receive various forms of financial aid and grants from the labor administration. Their main purpose is to promote employment and the functioning of the labor market. Financial aid is also granted for subsistence during unemployment, training or rehabilitation. For further information about the forms of financial aid and grants and eligibility for these, please contact an employment office.

Financial aid for independent initiative may be granted by the Labour Force Department of Employment and Economic Development Centres to support cooperatives established by unemployed persons. The aid is intended to cover costs arising from cooperative start-ups that create jobs or employment opportunities for unemployed persons.
Social enterprises are intended to improve employment prospects for disabled and long-term unemployed individuals and to advance entrepreneurship. Only businesses accepted to the register of social enterprises maintained by the Ministry of Labour can use the title and special logo.

Résumés and Interviewing

For young professionals in Finland , one page should be the maximum length for a résumé. More experienced professionals may use a longer résumé. In Finland , a photo is not expected as part of the résumé, unless otherwise stated in the job advertisement. However, a scanned photo attached to the résumé/CV may serve as an advantage by attracting the reader's attention. In the business world, Finns dress conservatively, usually dark business suits in the winter and light suits in the summer for both men and women. You should also familiarize yourself with the place of the meeting so that you will be on time. Organization and punctuality are expected.

Usually an interview starts with introductions, handshakes with everyone present, and the exchange of business cards. You should address executives and professionals by their titles and surnames, and those without titles as Mr., Mrs., or Ms., with the surname. There is usually little preliminary conversation. During the discussion, let the interviewer set the direction; do not interrupt or attempt to fill long silences. When questioned, it is to your benefit to explain achievements thoroughly, but without boasting or appearing overconfident.  Finns are a hard-working and modest people and prefer straightforward and honest communication. You should ask questions about the job, the lines of authority, your colleagues, and your responsibilities, but avoid raising the issue of salary or benefits early in the process.

Useful Addresses:

Employment office (in English):
http://www.mol.fi/mol/en/index.jsp

The Centre for International Mobility, CIMO:
http://www.cimo.fi/Resource.phx/cimo/

AIESEC in Finland
AIESEC is student work exchange network, offering opportunities for a traineeship in a Finnish organization. You can apply via the Internet.
http://www.aiesec.org/finland/ 

IAESTE in Finland
IAESTE is a student work exchange program that focuses on technical work experience.  Students must apply in their home countries.
http://www.iaeste.org/network/finland.html

European Law Students Association – Student Trainee Exchange Programme
Traineeships are between 2 weeks and 18 months, in any law related area; law firms, courts, public institutions, banks, in-house legal departments, consulting firms and international organizations.
http://www.elsa.org

Self-employment in Finland

On certain conditions, employment offices may provide grants for business start-ups. The purpose of a start-up grant is to help secure the entrepreneur's subsistence for the period they are estimated to require for starting up their business and becoming established. The labor administration organizes training for prospective entrepreneurs as labor market training. Those organizing various types of entrepreneurship training also include the business departments of the Employment and Economic Development Centres.

At the moment, the strongest markets for consultants in Finland are strategic consulting and IT consulting. According to the Finnish Management Consultants' Association, management consultancy has grown about 20 percent yearly since 1994. The growth has been fastest in the information technology field.

According to a report made by the Finnish SME-Foundation, consultants foresee a growing demand for abilities related to teamwork, personal communication, language skills, cultural competence, communications technology, and analytical skills.

Websites for Employment in Finland :

Adecco Finland http://www.adecco.fi/en/

Manpower Finland: (in Finnish) http://www.manpower.fi

Kelly Finland (in Finnish)
http://www.kellyservices.fi/web/fi/services/fi/

Aarresaari is a network of academic career services representing 19 Finnish Universities(Finnish only)
www.aarresaari.fi

AKAVA - the Confederation of Unions for Academic Professionals in Finland - is a trade union confederation for those with university, professional or other high-level education
http://www.finnguide.fi/finlanddirectory/

Monster Suomi (Monster Finland) is the Finnish branch of the international job and career recruitment agency, located in more than 37 countries. Currently available only in Finnish.
http://www.monster.fi/

The Finnish Association of Architects, SAFA, is a non-profit, professional organization which is open to all architects with a university degree from a Finnish university
http://www.finnguide.fi/finlanddirectory/

Seure Suomi is a Finnish temporary job recruitment agency which recruits candidates in the Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo area of Southern Finland. Other websites are featured below -- most are in Finnish only but some are in English. http://www.seure.fi/

More useful addresses:

Online employment ads in Finnish Media

The Helsingin Sanomat publishes an extensive Employment Section in their Sunday editions.
http://www.helsinginsanomat.fi
http://www.hs.fi/english/


Update 27/08/2010


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