Finding Traineeships and the Reality of it!

Vol. 25, Issue 18, 10 March 2023

As a first-year student, the hottest topic is finding traineeships. This subject is always on everyone’s minds and is a part of every conversation. Being new to Finnish culture and system it is quite tough to understand as a foreigner on the job recruitment process.

Although it depends on the situation of the student. If a student has prior experience or has learned the Finnish language already, these factors might act as an advantage to getting a traineeship. However, for a student who is fresh out of high school with no work experience and no knowledge of the Finnish language, it becomes a hassle to find an opening in the industry. Most open positions ask explicitly for Finnish language skills making it impossible for non-Finnish speakers to even apply. In locations that are remote such as Kouvola offers limited job openings and on top of that, most have a requirement for the Finnish language. In bigger cities like Helsinki, there is a higher possibility of finding traineeship programs where there is no specific language requirement, however, all things considered, the options still remain limited.

Coming to Finland, new students do not feel the sense of urgency of this situation at first. Most students are ready to leap into their studies and solely focus on them, however, soon the reality hits them and overwhelms them. The first shock strikes them when they arrive and the lack of guidance forces them to take care of things all by themselves. Later on, juggling between appointments and coursework leaves students quite lethargic and unmotivated to study. It is necessary for students to understand the various rules of the Finnish system if they want to survive, but with no flexibility offered, it makes the students even more stressed. The need to earn money to cover rent and the tuition fee is also a leading cause for most students to be lonely and feel unseen. All these factors contribute to making an unpleasant environment to focus on learning. However, it is all part of learning and gaining new experiences.

Affected by constant rejection, it cannot be helped but be unmotivated. However, the only way is to keep improving your skillset to add to your curriculum vitae. In the case of the language barrier learning the Finnish language is the only way to increase your job offer pool. Everyone is going through this situation and you are not alone. The best advice that can be offered is to keep trying even though it might feel cliché and selfish.