Working in Finland Outi Isotalo, Jaana Mutanen CIMO International Trainee Exchanges

1. Working in FinlandOuti Isotalo, Jaana MutanenCIMO International Trainee Exchanges

2. Finnish working culture • Punktuality • Informality • Equality • Dependability • Honesty

3. When applying for a job… • be active, contact employers, network • visit career services • visit employment offices • write your application with care • be aware of your abilities and what you can offer for an employer • remember that you compete with Finnish students and recent graduates  you have more to prove • learn Finnish

4. Erasmus • Students registered at a higher education institution • A placement between 3 and 12 months • Host organisations may be enterprises, training centres, research centres and other organisations including higher education institutions in one of the 31 participating European countries • Excluded are EU-institutions, organisations managing EU programmes and national diplomatic representations (embassies etc.) of the country of the student • Students may be awarded an ERASMUS grant, the student has to turn to the international office of his or her higher education institution • Students may get a financial contribution or a contribution in kind by the host enterprise/organisation

5. Minna Söderqvist: How do Finnish employers see foreign job applicants • What contributes and what hampers foreigners in finding a job in Finland? • Employers aren’t able to use the abilities of foreigners: no previous experience • Companies having international contacts employ more foreigners • Multicultural work community taken as more innovative • Foreigners seen as a possibility • Training placement important for future job

6. Söderqvist: A Foreign applicant should • Have a BIG network of Finnish persons! • Be able to handle the ”You are a bigger risk in recruiting” • Be able to show your expertise and professionalism in the interview • Find out about Finnish way to recruit and to work  Ask help from those Finns you know, from studies, neighbours…

7. Söderqvist: A foreigner should • Be educated • Be professional • Have intercultural skills • Have own initiative • Be reliable • Be able to use Finnish as working language, in a long run

8. Rights and duties • Registration, residence permit and visa • Insurance • Written employment contract • Working hours: usually maximum of 40 hours a week • Annual vacations: 2 days of vacation for each month • Salary: usually paid at the end of month • Taxes: work period less than 6 months, 35% tax at source; more than 6 months, tax at the normal rate • Social security insurance (about 6%) automatically deducted from a total salary

9. How to apply? • Application forms from Finnish language teachers at your home university • Deadline for applications February 15th • Application should include: - two cpmpleted application forms - two recent passport-sized photographs - two copies of a letter of motivation - two copies of a letter of reference

10. 2004 Trainees to Finland 525 Finnish in Finland trainees 39 2005 Trainees to Finland 510 Finnish in Finland trainees 31 Statistics

15. Finnish in Finland • Training period from one to 18 months • Work placements are mainly in the cultural sector: museums, libraries, various organizations, local summer festivals • CIMO grant 500-670€/month (only for 6 months) • Placements in Finnish families

16. More Information • Employment offices www.mol.fi • Career services, if allready in Finland • CIMO http://finland.cimo.fi/

17. Be active!