Close to seventy per cent of University students work while they study – at least during some periods of their academic career; and most of them manage combine work and study. Mian, one of our International student ambassadors decided to share with you his working life experiences.
When I came to Finland, I got lucky and found a job through a reference in Itella Posti Oy (Finnish Postal Service). I have been working as an early morning paperboy since 2012. Being a paperboy suits me very well, as the working time is only 4 hours during the night. So that doesn’t conflict with studies really.
Chances to get a job in Helsinki, depend on your contacts, skills, will and, of course, your luck. I have noticed that, if you know the Finnish language, it is easy to get a student job around the city. Otherwise, it might get a bit trickier but not impossible. Not even close to it.
Many of the international students find summer positions at the university and in most cases contract actually continues throughout their studies. Others like me prefer a job that balances mental and physical tasks.
In my experience, Helsinki is the internationalized city with jobs of different kinds to offer. Nevertheless to get one you have to be active. Good places to start job seeking are departments note boards and an official labour exchange website.
Good to know: University of Helsinki Career services provides all UH students with support in career planning, job seeking, traineeships and thesis commissions. Read more about working while studying.
Text and picture:
Mian Awais Ahmad
International student ambassador
University of Helsinki
