Helsinki is home to half a million jobs
Industries in Finland’s capital are quite stable, with significant growth in the scientific, financial and technical sectors. The city’s ICT businesses are booming and have overtaken trade in terms of new jobs created. Helsinki has a shortage of healthcare and early childhood education professionals, so there are many jobs available in these fields.
Tips for finding a job in Helsinki
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Job search websites
Check the job search websites below. Note that the last two links lead to job search websites that are only available in Finnish.
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Register as a jobseeker
If you are unable to find work, you can register as a jobseeker at Helsinki Employment Services. Many services are available to help you there, free of charge.
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Join social media groups and actively network
Join social media groups that focus on employment, and make an effort to actively network (for example, attend job fairs, training workshops and recruitment events)
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Contact companies you would like to work for
Contact firms you are interested in and offer to work, and also ask people you know about work that might be available.
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Sign up for language classes
If you are not already learning one of Finland’s two official languages, sign up to learn Finnish and/or Swedish at a location near you on the Finnishcourses.fi website.
Other helpful services associated with employment
If love has led you to Helsinki, the Spouse Program might be just what you are looking for.
Arranged for recently-arrived spouses and partners from abroad, the service helps newcomers to reduce their dependency on their partner and forge their own path in their new home country. Participants expand their professional and social network, attend helpful career training, and learn more about Finland.
Another city service that offers rehabilitation, education and employment services to members of Helsinki’s international community is the Helsinki Skills Center. Customers are referred to the service by Helsinki Employment Services or social services.
After a short assessment, they are then placed in, for example, a vocational workshop, a Finnish-language workshop or work coaching. The Helsinki Skills Center offers services in Somali, Arabic, English and easy Finnish.
Helsinki provides a service specifically targeted to jobseekers between the ages of 15 and 29. Ohjaamo Helsinki assists young people to find work with a low threshold. Customers can walk into a service location anytime, without an appointment, to ask about work or study opportunities, or just to talk. Ohjaamo Helsinki’s employment advisors and social workers also provide assistance on the phone, email, the Discord chat service and social media channels.
While many Finnish universities offer internships, they do not normally have student work programmes because the state provides financial aid for eligible students. Students must therefore seek part-time work and summer jobs independently if they want to earn extra money.
Many study programmes require an internship. The websites Academic Work and Duunitori list some of the paid internships that are available. Students from non-EU countries are subject to limitations on work arrangements during their studies.
If you’ve completed a degree in Finland and want to remain in the country for work, the immigration authorities can grant you an extended residence permit to look for work or start a business.
If you find yourself jobless after graduation, it is a good idea to immediately register as a jobseeker at Helsinki Employment Services.
Finnish Immigration Service Migri: Residence permit to look for work(Link leads to external service)