Finland is a country of stunning natural beauty, with over 188,000 islands and around 188,000 lakes. It's the land of the Midnight Sun, where the sun rises every day in June and July.

You'll have a good level of living and enough of leisure to explore the country's verdant woods, stunning landscapes, and sparkling waterways, all while working a conventional 40-hour week. Over two decades ago, flexible scheduling was implemented, and most employees now receive five to six weeks of paid vacation each year.

The Finns are well-known caffeine junkies; annually, each Finn consumes an astounding 12 kg of coffee.

Finland Employment Opportunities

Traditional exports from Finland have included machinery, paper and wood products, electrical equipment, optical equipment, and cars.

The IT and tech industry has grown to become the largest in the economy, and the country is now recognized as a significant center for technology in Europe. Over half of Finland's exports are in technology, led by Nokia, which was a major participant in the early days of mobile phones and today concentrates on network equipment, software, and services.

JOB OPTIONS THAT DRAW A LOT OF GRADUATES

• Chemicals
• Clothing \sElectronics
• Technological and scientific instruments
• Textiles

Visit Work in Finland and the European Job Mobility Portal to get the ball rolling on your job search in Finland (EURES).

There are many online resources where you may do a job search:

Places to Work in Helsinki

• Employment Opportunities in Finland | Oikotie Reed
• Rekrytointi
• Problematic Lack of Skills

Some of the most sought-after occupations are:

Mechanic, Business Consultant, Accountant, Kindergarten Teacher, Doctor, Electrician, Speech Therapist, Nurse, Programmer, and More!
To see a comprehensive list of shortage professions in Finland, check out Wage Centre - Shortage occupations in Finland.

Finding Work in Finland: Step-by-Step Advice

Finding a job before relocating is highly recommended. You may accomplish this in a number of ways:

• TE-palvelut is Finland's employment advising service for foreign employees, and it offers a web-based job board. The search filters can be used to only show results for which languages are supported.
• European Union (EU) nationals can utilize the European Commission's job mobility site EURES to search for employment opportunities in other EU member states.
• Look at employment boards like Monster and Eurojobs to get an idea of what's available.
• In Finland, social media plays a significant role in the hiring process. Find out the best ways to make use of social media in your search for employment.
• Many open positions are never posted. Making a strong first impression and demonstrating your excitement and dedication to seeking job may be accomplished by sending out speculative applications to organizations you'd like to work for.
• If you plan on waiting until you arrive in Finland to begin your job search, you might peruse the classified sections of newspapers and television stations to uncover openings.

Your resume and cover letter should adhere to Finnish style guidelines.

• Your CV should be no more than two pages long, well-organized and aesthetically appealing, and highlight your relevant work history and education in reverse chronological order.
• Cover letters should be no more than one page and written in the first person; sending the same letter to many employers is a certain way to get rejected.
• Expat-Finland can help you get a leg up on the competition by providing sample resumes and cover letters.
• Expat Finland - Establishing a business in Finland is a great resource for anybody interested in starting their own company or joining an existing one in Finland.
• Gainful employment over the summer

See TE-palvelut - Finding a Job for advice on finding summer employment in the nation. Find summer job openings here on the site.

An alternative is to participate in a volunteer program in Finland, where you may get experience, learn the language, and immerse yourself in the local culture.

Short-term volunteer labor camps are coordinated by Kansainvälinen vapaaehtoistyöry (KVT), the Finnish chapter of Service Civil International (SCI). Their goal is to promote equality, social acceptance, and care for the environment while supporting local efforts over the course of two weeks (but some programs last for 12 months). You'll be responsible for coordinating costs and obtaining a visa on your own (where appropriate).

Jobs in education

Job openings for ESL teachers are plentiful in Finland. Cities like Tampere, Turku, and the capital, Helsinki, tend to have more opportunities for ESL teachers because they are less well-known as a destination.

You can get work teaching English at private and international schools without knowing Finnish or Swedish, however it is desirable to have a classroom where only English is spoken.

To work as an EFL instructor in Finland, you need at least a Bachelor's degree and a TEFL certification. You should research each institution's specific criteria before submitting an application. Discover more about the certification by reading our tips for teaching English in a foreign country.

Finnish firms typically look for intern experience when hiring new employees. Opportunities like internships and summer jobs can be stepping stones toward a full-time position.

Placement of students can be facilitated by:

• The United Kingdom Chapter of AIESEC: For College and University Students and Recent Graduates
• The Institution of Arts, Engineering, Science, and Technology in the United Kingdom (IAESTE UK).
• The Finnish Visa Process

Finland does not need visas for citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, or the Nordic countries. If you plan on remaining longer than three months, however, you must visit the local police station to apply for a residency permit.

A residency visa is required for all employees from outside certain countries, including the UK, and may be requested for at the Finnish embassy or consulate in your country, or online at EnterFinland.fi.

If you plan on establishing a business in Finland, you'll need a self-employment permit, which is issued once you register your company with the Finnish Trade Register.

Applying for a residence permit might take up to four months to review and authorize, so you should do it as soon as possible.

The Local Register office is where you'll go to register with the Finnish Population Information System if you want to remain for more than a year.

There must be a language requirement.

Finnish and Swedish are the two most widely spoken languages in Finland. In Finland, only 10% of the population speaks Swedish as their native tongue, yet it is the predominant language along the western and southern coasts. Minority languages such as Romani, Sami, and Finnish Sign Language are also spoken.

To find job in the great majority of fields, fluency in Finnish is required. Learning the language is essential to your career and social success, as well as your personal safety.

The necessary degree of skill is directly related to the field you're working in. Jobs in healthcare, business, and other client-facing fields typically need fluency in Finnish.

Free resources like Venla.info and infoFinland.fi are available for learning the language, while Expat Finland - Finnish language instruction provides details on where to enroll in classes.

Methods for Selling Your Skills to Potential Employers

You shouldn't have any trouble presenting your qualifications earned in the UK to potential employers in Finland because the country is a participant in the Bologna Process, which guarantees direct comparability of degrees between EU member states.

However, in order to operate in some regulated professions, such as healthcare and education, you may be needed to get your credentials formally recognized. If your employer thinks you fall under this category, they can direct you to the Finnish National Agency for Education.

How is the labor environment in Finland?

Helsinki came up at number four on the 2022 Work-Life Balance Index, making it one of the finest places to find a healthy work-life balance. It tied for first place in an index measuring "happiness and wellness," which also considered factors like vacation time, quality of sleep, length of commute, money in the bank, and number of hours spent working each week.

Finland is in the forefront of flexible work arrangements because of recent legislation (the Working Hours Act) that grants workers the freedom to determine when and where they put in at least half of their scheduled workweek.

Workers in Finland have traditionally adhered to a Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm workweek with a daily, 12- to 14-hour schedule, with a lunch break lasting between one and two hours each day. In addition to the legally required 25 days of vacation time each year, workers also get 13 paid holidays every year.

You need to apply for a tax card from your local tax office if you plan on working in Finland for more than six months, at which point you will be required to pay taxes. If you want additional information about taxes in Finland, you may check out their website.

Examine Further to Learn More

Find all about the educational experience in Finland.
For up-to-date information on acquiring a visa for your visit to Finland, check out GOV.UK's Living in Finland page.