How to find a job
Young people over the age of 15 who have finished compulsory education may obtain a permanent job. Short-term temporary work may also be done during the school holidays or with a guardian’s permission by young people who reach the age of 14 during the same calendar year. Most employment relationships are permanent, although fixed-term contracts are becoming common. Part-time work, however, is not as common in Finland as it is elsewhere in Europe. Because of family leave and the day-care system, women participate actively in working life and commonly work on a full-time basis.
The public employment and business services [TE Services] website contains information about jobs, the services offered by TE Offices, registration, and various work-related opportunities.
Because there is a labour shortage in many sectors in Finland, the Jobs in Finland website has been created to attract people with knowledge and skills from abroad. This website offers job advertisements which specifically state a requirement for employees who speak English.
There are also many opportunities for seasonal work in Finland. Summer employees are needed in the gardening, agriculture, restaurant and tourism sectors, for example. The internationalisation services of the Finnish National Agency for Education coordinate a large number of traineeships. There are various student organisations such as AIESEC and IAESTE offering work-experience opportunities for non-national students. The Finnish branch of Service Civil International (KVT) organises work camps, usually in the summer.
For more information visit the EURES Portal.
If you have the right to do so, starting your own business in Finland is definitely worth considering rather than fighting in an increasingly competitive job market. All you need is motivation and something saleable; the process for establishing a business is easy. Plus, if you are unable to speak Finnish but can speak English or Swedish, the language barrier referred to above is significantly reduced.