A language-aware Metropolia busts the myth of monolingualism

17.10.2024
Eveliina Korpela

Learning Finnish can significantly enhance the study experience and job opportunities for international students and employees at Metropolia UAS. Many international students choose not to stay in Finland after graduation. Research shows that limited Finnish language skills can hinder their sense of inclusion, affecting workplace well-being, integration, and long-term residency (1). Learning Finnish is crucial for those wishing to stay in Finland. Proficiency in Finnish positively impacts students’ inclusion, well-being, and adaptability (2).

In light of these findings, Metropolia has developed language guidelines emphasizing early Finnish language training in degree programmes (3). Even basic Finnish knowledge can be beneficial in daily life and leisure activities.

International students often face difficulties securing internships or jobs in Finland. Even in English-speaking environments, situations requiring Finnish can arise, leading to feelings of shame and inferiority. The goal of the language guidelines is not to create a monolingual (Finnish or English) environment but to foster a multilingual Metropolia that embraces evolving language skills: Finnish-speaking students are encouraged to use and practice English more frequently, while international students are supported in learning Finnish alongside their other studies — not just in Finnish language courses, but throughout all their studies.

A multilingual Metropolia: a place where everyone feels at home

Language-aware thinking takes a respectful and approving attitude towards different languages and forms of language (4). At Metropolia, we encourage lecturers of degree programmes to incorporate multiple languages into their teaching, allowing international students to hear simple, frequently occurring Finnish expressions and routine phrases as part of their teaching in English (e.g., huomenta kaikille, nyt pidetään tauko, haetaan vähän kahvia) and to become familiar with key course concepts in Finnish — and in other languages that exist in the group — as well. When the group translates important concepts into different languages based on the group’s linguistic backgrounds, it often reveals various aspects and nuances of the concept and thus deepens the learning experience. For instance, various aspects of ”early childhood education” are illuminated for the students when they collaboratively reflect on the meanings and connotations of the term ”education” in different languages, e.g. kasvatus, education, utbildning, educazione, onderwijs.

It is also important for international students to have opportunities to participate in language-supported internships and to engage with Finnish workplaces early in their language studies. This experience, supported by an internship pair and a language mentor, would greatly enhance their language acquisition.

If there are Finnish speakers within an English-speaking study group, it would be beneficial for them to take an active interest in the Finnish language learning of international students. By doing so, they could provide opportunities for these students to practice Finnish in everyday communication during lunch or coffee breaks.

Is it necessary to learn Finnish when everyone in Finland speaks English?

If the entire Metropolia community exclusively communicates in English with the language learner from the beginning, there is a risk that the institution itself may inadvertently limit the learner’s opportunity to acquire Finnish through authentic interactions (5). By incorporating Finnish into safe, informal interactions, in addition to formal language courses, it becomes easier to gradually extend language use to internships and other professional settings. This approach allows the learner’s language skills to develop first in informal, low-stakes situations.
Many international professionals who have lived and worked in Finland for an extended period have emphasized that learning Finnish was the key to accessing Finnish culture and achieving true integration. Even when work is conducted smoothly in English, managing everyday life can be significantly more challenging without Finnish language proficiency (6).

Many international employees have emphasized that learning Finnish was the key to accessing Finnish culture and achieving true integration.

Metropolia plays a pivotal role in supporting language learning

The language guidelines highlight the crucial involvement of the higher education community in language learning process. A key aspect of developing language skills is Metropolia’s provision of a safe and supportive environment for learners to use and practice Finnish. This is especially significant for students who are proficient in English, as they often face challenges in receiving support for learning Finnish: Finnish speakers tend to switch into English when they recognize that their interlocutor is a fluent English speaker or a language learner.

It is essential to provide international students and staff with ample opportunities to practice the language, and they must also seize these opportunities (7).  Successful language learners typically exhibit the following traits: a desire to learn, a positive attitude towards the learning process, and the courage to make and learn from mistakes — language is most effectively acquired through active use.

Language is most effectively acquired through active use

To facilitate language learning outside the language courses, it is essential that the surrounding community provides opportunities for learners to engage in meaningful interactions in the target language. A significant obstacle to language acquisition, particularly in bachelor programmes, is the absence of meaningful interactional opportunities in Finnish. Also, an ideology that downplays the value of Finnish language often isolates international students in an English-speaking environment, hindering their Finnish language development (8).

Making student’s language skills and goals visible

The language guidelines emphasize the importance of the Language PSP (Personal Study Plan), which is completed collaboratively by the student and their tutor or supervisor (9). This plan outlines the language aspirations and expectations of international students and brings to light the various factors that influence language learning. Finnish, while often regarded as challenging, is not inherently more difficult than many other languages. The primary challenge in acquiring Finnish appears to be the difficulty foreigners face in actively using the language, even within Finland.

The language courses, interaction opportunities, and support provided by higher education institutions alone are insufficient to ensure successful language acquisition. Learners themselves must engage with these opportunities, enroll in as many Finnish language courses as possible, and begin using Finnish, even if their proficiency is limited to a few phrases. It is also essential to dispel the myth of perfect language proficiency. None of us achieves perfection in any language; effective communication can occur even with an accent or minor errors. The essential goal is to be understood and to effectively convey one’s message.

A language-aware Metropolia recognizes the crucial role of language skills in students’ integration into Finland and their employment prospects. It is also important to understand that multiple languages can be utilized depending on the context. For instance, courses may be conducted bilingually, and it would be beneficial if, in group assignments, students had the option to submit their work in Finnish, English, or a combination of both.

A language-aware Metropolia acknowledges the value of diverse language skills and accepts that English and Finnish may be spoken with various accents and in different ways. Interaction with language learners may require Finnish speakers to slow down their speech and use gestures to facilitate understanding. Although this approach demands some adaptability from Finnish speakers, achieving mutual comprehension in Finnish can be greatly empowering for the language learner.

International student, embrace the opportunity to learn Finnish and enhance your life in Finland!

Three key considerations for international students learning Finnish:
  • 1. Proficiency in Finnish is crucial for securing employment and fully enjoying life in Finland.
  • 2. Begin speaking Finnish as early as possible, even if only using basic phrases. Start with routine greetings and simple inquiries to practice listening and speaking. Gradually incorporate more Finnish into your conversations as your skills improve.
  • 3. Enroll in as many Finnish language courses as possible and seek out internship opportunities where Finnish is the primary language. Actively request language support and mentors. Although learning Finnish requires considerable effort, it is a worthwhile investment that will yield significant benefits.
Metropolia language guidelines in nutshell.

More tips and ideas for planning and implementing multilingual situations and learning language in different kind of situations will soon be published on the Metropolia intranet. Stay tuned!

Author

Eveliina Korpela works as a senior lecturer at Metropolia UAS and as a researcher at the University of Helsinki in a project Multilingual Worklife and Means of Participation. She is currently developing multilingual practices and language learning at work also in Kielibuusti-project. She has co-published numerous Finnish language textbooks and, along with her research team, authored a Guide for a Multilingual Workplace (Monikielisen työyhteisön opas, Alma Talent, 2023).

Sources

  1. Nikulin, M. 2019. Akateemisen maahanmuuttajan suomen kielen taidon tarve työssä ja arjessa. Lähivõrdlusi. Lähivertailuja, 29, 171–203. http://dx.doi.org/10.5128/LV29.06
  2. Cf. Stilling, E. 2022. Med språket som strategiskt verktyg. Guide till ett språkutvecklande arbetssätt för chefer, HR-personal och beslutsfattare. Tukholma: Föreningen Vård- och omsorgscollege. https://vofront-files.vo-college.se/vofront_files/218c4845-cc38-4a38-84c0-8e88da116abe.p
  3. Language guidelines in nutshell. https://www.metropolia.fi/en/about-us/language-guidelines
  4. Kielibuusti-hankkeen sivut. (2024) https://www.kielibuusti.fi/en/employers/multilingual-workplace/steps-toward-language-awareness-in-the-workplace
  5. Cf. Lønsmann, D. 2015. Language ideologies in a Danish company with English as a corporate language: ‘it has to be English’. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 36 (4), 339–356.
  6. Lehtimaja, I., Korpela, E., Komppa, J., Kotilainen, L. & Kurhila, S. 2023. Monikielisen työyhteisön opas. Helsinki: Alma Talent.
  7. Kirilova, M., & Lønsmann, D. 2020. Dansk – nøglen til arbejde? Ideologier om sprogbrug og sproglæring i to arbejdskontekster i Danmark. Nordand – Nordisk tidsskrift for andrespråksforskning , 15 (1), 37–57. https://doi.org/10.18261/issn.2535-3381-2020-01-03
  8. Intke-Hernandez, M. 2021. Kielenoppija tarvitsee tuekseen kielitietoisuutta ja yhteisiä tekoja. Kieli, koulutus ja yhteiskunta, 12 (6). https://www.kieliverkosto.fi/fi/journals/kieli-koulutus-ja-yhteiskunta-joulukuu-2021/kielenoppija-tarvitsee-tuekseen-kielitietoisuutta-ja-yhteisia-tekoja
  9. Kielibuusti-hankkeen sivut. Kieli-HOPS. Language PSP. https://www.kielibuusti.fi/en/learn-swedish/language-learning-tips-and-resources/plan-your-language-learning-with-language-psp

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Changing Circumstances: Accessing Resources for Years to Come for Immigrants, Entrepreneurs & Immigrant Entrepreneurs

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27.9.2024 Various Variables
No matter how long you spend in Finland, there will always be new experiences. It is a very similar situation for new entrepreneurs. New situations need new information and solutions. Having lived in Finland for almost  20 years, I know that there are still things that come up where I have absolutely no idea what to do. What I have learned in all these years, is where to start looking for the answer. In the information age, this is one of the most important skills you can have. We don’t need to know all the information at once; in fact, we wouldn’t be able to process all the information even if we heard it. A lot of things are unnecessary until they are necessary. If you arrive in country as a single, independent student, you don’t need to understand the daycare system, and in entrepreneurship, understanding how to take a company internationally is not the first thing you will learn in your entrepreneurial journey. This is the same situation for immigrants and entrepreneurs all over the world. Whole-life Events Just like integration, entrepreneurship is a whole-life event. As an immigrant, no matter what you are doing to subsidise your life, this means two things: You will be creating a whole life for you and your family – not just the hours you study at an institution or work at a job. You will spend your whole life integrating.And in parallel, as an entrepreneur, your time is now not bought by an employer but can now take far more of your daily time to create. You are only stopped by the limits that you impose on yourself. As every new challenge comes your way, you will need to figure out how to address it. Some of the challenges you might find yourself facing as an immigrant are: finding housing accessing healthcare services searching for jobs becoming an entrepreneur finding ways to spend your leisure time learning Finnish or Swedish dealing with emergencies finding and completing further education understanding the primary education system As an entrepreneur, you are seeking help with: concepting an idea testing your ideas learning new software learning how to understand your potential market and customers building a customer base designing and re-designing offers building a website understanding how to utilise different social media channels for selling and brand building accounting deciding which tasks to delegate and which services to buy from others AS previously stated, no one resource will help you in all these situations, understanding where to find these resources that can help you with all of these questions is a very big step in the right direction. Support During Studies When you come to Finland as a student, there is a good chance that you have come alone, and you are ready for all kinds of adventures. You will also be lucky enough to have a general support system that the institution provides. This is great and it can really help you to settle in and find your feet. Then you graduate, a celebratory event which also means big changes in your life. When you are a student there are many services that you do not need to seek outside the institution. It is possible that as an alumnus, you can access certain institutional services, so make sure that you check with your former institution to see what is still accessible for both your immigrant journey and your entrepreneurial one. Staying in Finland After Studying Once you have finished your education, you may be looking for a more permanent job (possibly different than the one you have done while at school if you have been working) or to expand on any entrepreneurial thoughts you may have had during your studies. These, again, are slightly different sets of skills and resources that you will need. A good place to find both information about your new situation in life and even entrepreneurship is the Newcomer’s Guide (pdf) produced by the Cities of Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa. The label ‘Newcomer’ is too narrow, in my opinion, for the information that it contains. You definitely need some of this information when you first arrive, but it is helpful to refer to the guide at different stages of your life in Finland. The Newcomer’s Guide also has advice on where to look for different kinds of employment, including entrepreneurship and a review of the startup ecosystem. Being gainfully employed is a huge part of many people’s integration. Sometimes that requires you to start your own company. There is a whole ecosystem in the capital area for this and the guide helps to explain it. In the near future, there will also be an online service that Metropolia UAS and the City of Helsinki are currently developing  that will help aspiring or budding entrepreneurs to find the right path through their entrepreneurial journey. In order to further your understanding of what is currently available to you as an entrepreneur, you can read my previous Various Variables blog post Entrepreneurship – Using Your Skills in Different Ways and this previous blog post by Vejay Nair & Marika Antikainen. My own experience For myself, I reflected on what contexts I have inhabited during these past 20 years in Finland. I have been: a single exchange student (with no dependents) a married person (to a Finn) a degree student a married parent a divorced single parent an unemployed spouse an unemployed single parent a full-time entrepreneur a part-time entrepreneur a temporary employee a full-time employee. It has been quite a journey, but it is one that has new challenges at every bullet point. This diversity and length of experience is also the reason that I feel that I have some insight that can help to guide people in finding the right resources at the right time. All of the situations above have taught me the value of being open and asking for help. Continue To Be Open The common skill that I have cultivated the most being an immigrant and an entrepreneur is to ask for help in order to understand new things. Life is full of things that do not make sense, are just outside of our current skill set, or we need a little time to learn. YouTube videos are a deep resource to anyone who wants to do something new. But outside of online resources, you can ask real people for help to find what you need. Not everyone will be able to help you, but every time you ask, you get a tiny bit closer to the answer. Even if it is just eliminating what is not the answer.

Entrepreneurship – Using Your Skills in Different Ways
9.4.2024 Various Variables
Employment may be difficult to find for some newcomers to Finland. One of the ways to make sure that your skills continue to develop or are utilised is to become an entrepreneur. There are different kinds of entrepreneurship in Finland. Many factors will determine if you want to try entrepreneurship, but it is always worth considering even if it is not your first choice. As mentioned, there are different forms of entrepreneurship; the two most common forms are a sole entrepreneur (toiminimi in Finnish) or a limited company (Osakeyhtiö in Finnish). Other options exist as well such as becoming a light entrepreneur and a freelancer. Each have their own rules and regulations. For more specific information on these forms of entrepreneurship, you can visit the Uusyrityskeskus (New Business Centre) in your city, or you can check out more information in the yearly guidebook that the Uusyrityskeskus creates. All of the initial information that you will need to consider becoming an entrepreneur is included in this comprehensive pdf guidebook. It is also available in Swedish and Finnish. The 2019 version of the guide is also available in Russian, Arabic, Chinese and French on the Uusyrityskeskus website. These will still be helpful because the information does not change too much year on year. Remember to always double check it – especially if it is about taxes, pensions, or anything that you need to pay. These numbers can change yearly. What Will I Sell? There are different ways to become an entrepreneur. In this section, we will look more closely at four different ways to become an entrepreneur. Your own situation and skillset will determine which route you take. You can have an idea that you have created yourself, you can decide to create a consultancy to sell the skills that you already have, or you can even purchase a business that already exists. Consulting Others A consultancy is when you take the skills and education that you already have and sell those to customers. A consultancy is a service business which means that you provide expert services for customers. Consultancies, in general, do not sell products. Buying an Existing Business As current entrepreneurs wish to retire, there are more and more businesses in Finland that require new owners. Purchasing an existing business is a solid way to become an entrepreneur if this is what you want. The companies already have customers and there is a defined market for them. It is also possible that a fresh pair of eyes will find new ways to make the business grow and modernise. This is sometimes referred to as Business Transfer or Business Acquisition The Federation of Finnish Enterprises (Suomen Yrittäjät) has a unit dedicated to this specific way of becoming an entrepreneur. They even run some information sessions about it. You can see all the information that they have on this topic on their website. Your Own Idea You may even have your own idea of what you can do. This can be a café, an import/export business, selling crafts that you make, etc. The possibilities are endless. You can even decide if you want to do this entirely online or in a physical shop. Possibilities exist to do this by yourself or partnering with someone else. Often this kind of entrepreneur is called self-employed. Create a Startup A startup is a term that has been confused over the years and is sometimes used to describe starting any kind of company. But this would be incorrect. A startup is a company that is intended to be scaled pretty quickly. Most likely, this means that it is a tech-based company. Finland’s capital area, which includes Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa, is well known for its startup ecosystem and has produced quite a few tech startups. Finding an Idea There are many ways to find an idea for starting a business. Below I have listed five ways to begin exploring how to find your idea. The outcome of this brainstorming will fit into one of the four categories in the previous section about what to sell. 1. Let Go of Originality There is a place for original ideas, but it is rare to have one. Someone somewhere will have thought of the same thing either in part or as a whole. That is ok. Having ‘competitors’ means that there is already a market for that service or product you are considering. Google was not the first browser and Apple was not the first phone maker. 2. Use Your Skillset As mentioned above, you have a bunch of skills that can be utilised. You just need to thoroughly analyse them to identify how you might package them. What do you know well that others do not? What can you do easily that others need help with? These types of questions will help you to understand what your unique selling point is. 3. Solve a Problem or Identify Underserved Needs We walk around every day being irritated by things that we feel do not work well or are not fit for purpose. Are any of these things fixable by you in a way that you could monetise? Use your irritation to create a sellable solution. The same principle can be applied to underserved needs. Can you see that a certain product is missing that you have seen other places? As someone coming from outside the country, there are places where you can imagine a different way or product for doing something. Different cultures solve problems differently and this new perspective could help to find gap in the market. This gap may be filled using something that you know about that others do not. A great example of this is the Finnish astiankuivauskaappi (dish drying cabinet). It even has its own Wikipedia entry. 4. Build on Products or Services That Already Exist Sometimes you see a product or service that could be extended or improved with an independent addition. When iPhones started coming out, independent retailers began to provide all kinds of covers for them. This was something that they could see that people would need since they were very expensive and needed protection, but it also allowed people to personalise their phone as a statement. You could be an expert in Excel spreadsheets and you could decide to sell courses in how to increase productivity with that tool, or you could create an e-book that has a glossary of ‘hacks’. 5. Ask Family and Friends Asking family and friends what they think you do well or even analyse what it is that they ask for help in from you is a great place to start your exploration. Sure, you may help them for free because they are your family and friends, but would there be a market for turning those skills into something you can sell. Maybe you create simple websites for your friends so that they can display a portfolio or even for their business. Support for Entrepreneurship Once you have come up with your idea, it is time to start thinking seriously about testing your idea and figuring out how you will create your business. Some decisions will be about what kind of funding you will need to make it happen. In the beginning, it is a good idea to ‘bootstrap’ which means to try to make it with as little outside funding as possible. But that does not mean that everything should be done on your own. The Startup Grant (StarttiRaha) Even though the name seems that it is only for startups, the Startup Grant, can be used for almost all types of companies. There are some types of companies that they will not give the grant for, but you should check with the Uusyrityskeskus to find out if your company idea is eligible. The Startup Grant is intended for helping new company owners cover basic needs during the starting up phase of the company. This means that if you receive it, it is approved for 6 months and then you are able to apply to have a second 6 months. It is important that you do not register your company before you are given approval for this grant. Help to Become an Entrepreneur There are many organisations out there that want to help entrepreneurs. Many times, the help is providing information, but it can also be with things such as: Registering the company Giving advice before and after you have started it Industry specific advice Mentoring Idea development and more There are many organisations that can help: Business Helsinki Business Espoo Yritys Vantaa Suomen Yrittäjät Startup Refugees The Shortcut Kiuas For more information about organisations that can support your entrepreneurial development, you can check out this previous blog post by Vejay Nair & Marika Antikainen. Becoming an Entrepreneur as a Student There is even a way to get help if you are a student. At many universities and universities of applied sciences in Finland, you will find courses and units that focus on helping students to become entrepreneurs. At Metropolia, this is the Turbiini pre-incubator programme. This course allows students to earn credits for developing their ideas and for learning the skills needed to become an entrepreneur. In 2023, 175 students went through the Turbiini course and already in 2024, there are 118 students signed up for the course in the first half of the year. The course is run in Finnish and in English. If you are not an official Metropolia student, then you can apply to take the course through Metropolia’s Open University. Blogger Pamela Spokes works as a Service Designer in Metropolia’s RDI team. Originally from Canada, Pamela has years of experience in university admin focusing on international recruitment, marketing, and the international student and staff experience. With a Bachelor’s degree from Canada, a Master’s degree from Sweden, an MBA in Service Innovation & Design from Laurea UAS, and her AmO from Haaga-Helia UAS, she is well-versed in being a global citizen. She has lived in Finland for more than 15 years and is also an entrepreneur.

Make sure that your CV is as professional as you are
17.10.2022 Various Variables
Companies that recruit for expert positions expect to receive professional CVs. The time that is spent reading one job application and CV might be even less than one minute, says Hanna Sirot, HR Business Partner at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences (1). In this time, the applicant's core competence, work experience and education are quickly browsed. The more compact and clear the CV is, the better chances there are of getting it shortlisted. This is one fact that I have become to know as Business Coordinator at SIMHE (Supporting Immigrants in Higher Education). And my question to you is: Is your CV as professional as you are? To get invitations to job interviews you must first make a good CV. What you need is a high-quality general version of your CV that you can revise to match the position you are applying for. So, take some time to get your CV up to date. 1. Find a template that reflects your professionality A convincing CV is clear, brief and preferably sent as PDF format. You may start your CV updating process by choosing one of the ready-made CV templates you can find from the Internet. You can also find templates on Word: open a Word document, select File and choose More templates. Whatever template you choose, make your CV fit in 1 or 2 pages. It is easier for recruiters to get a quick understanding of your competence when you have listed the content clearly and briefly. 2. Create a general version Writing a general CV based on your professional background helps you to later modify it to meet the needs of a position you are interested in. When you have listed all relevant job experience, degrees and other expertise you have, you can use the same CV with small updates when sending it to different companies. Update this general version when it is necessary: when you start at a new job, your duties at work have changed, you have finished a study module, etc. This helps you to react fast to interesting job offers and submit your application in time. 3. Start with a brief introduction In the upper part of the CV, describe with a few sentences who you are, what you do for your profession and most importantly, what are your plans for the future. Explain why you are interested in this particular company and positions. Let your motivation shine! The purpose of this introductory section is to raise the recruiter's interest to read the rest of your application documents. It also helps keep your career on track. When your goals are written down it is more likely that you will follow your goals and accomplish them. 4. List only relevant experience Start updating your CV by filling in your professional and educational background. Mention only relevant degrees and job experience that add value to your profile and show the milestones in your career. List them in chronological order starting from the newest. This makes it easier for the reader to follow your latest achievements. Mention job titles, companies and units where you have been working. If there are many short periods at the same employer, is it possible to squeeze them together in a brief summary? 5. Add the important skills and strengths Strengths vary from field to field: punctuality is appreciated at accounting, creativity at game design. What are your strengths related to the work tasks you are applying for? Take a moment to identify and reflect your strengths. There are multiple free strength tests on the Internet. Try for example this Via Institute of Character’s Strengths Survey (2). Or check the Indeed Career Guige’s list of 36 strengths (3). Describe your language and IT skills. Have you accomplished modules or courses on your professional field? Determine your levels of language fluency: native, fluent, advanced, intermediate, beginner. Check the definition from Indeed Career Guide’s blog How To Include Language Skills on Your Resume (4) if you are unsure about the difference between native and fluent for example. 6. Add a professional photo to your CV Last but not least, attach a professional-looking photo of yourself. Photo is not compulsory but it helps recruiters to remember your application. It also creates a feeling of trust. Remember to keep the CV brief. Mention only relevant matters. Don’t forget your contact details: full name, telephone number and email address. Place them on a front page of the CV. If you are looking for more detailed instructions watch this 3 minutes video  by Guardian Jobs (5). The quality of the CV is crucial: the better CV, the more invitations to interviews you will receive. And that is the first step in getting the job you prefer.   Sources: 1. Sirot, Hanna. HR Business Partner at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. 2. The Via Institute of Character. The Via Character Strengths Survey. https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register 3. Indeed Editorial Team (2022). 36 Strengths To List in Your Resume (With Examples) https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/strength-in-resume 4. Indeed Editorial Team (2022). How To Include Language Skills on Your Resume https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/resume-language-skills 5. The Guardian Jobs (2019). How to write a CV - a Guide. https://jobs.theguardian.com/article/how-to-write-a-cv-video-   Blogger: Maria Osamitsu works as Business Coordinator at SIMHE project. Her aim is to smooth the path for international talents to Finnish labor markets by creating relevant networks and strengthening customers’ job searching skills.

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Pitching Like Your Idea’s Life Depends on It (because it does)

 Seminar room with industrial concrete walls and windows near the ceiling, adult male is pitching in front of audience.
14.6.2024 Tikissä
Many times, people focus a lot of their time crafting the business idea. Sometimes people can spend too much time on the logo and the branding of the company as a distraction from the real work of building a business. One of the things that happens quite a lot is that people forget to work on how they will tell people about their idea (or concept or business). What is a Pitch? Pitching is a form of public speaking. A person can pitch to an individual, a small group or to a giant audience. It is a form of condensed public speaking where you are expected to convey your message in a soundbite lasting from the 30-seconds Elevator pitch through to the longer form pitch that is 6+ minutes. The pitch itself is a combination of marketing and personal performance. When Do We Need Pitching? Pitching is needed in many more places than you think. Pitching is done by entrepreneurs and by employees alike. This means that pitching can happen to internal audiences and to external audiences. For the most part, pitching is mainly seen as an external activity but when we approach colleagues and bosses about new ideas, new industries, or new potential markets, we are also pitching to them. Pitching Internally Good employees are usually looking for ideas to help their company improve; to become more profitable, more sustainable, more efficient, more impactful, etc. They may have initial ideas of how this can be done but if you want others to buy-in to your idea, you need to do your research and have a solid plan in place to make it happen. You will need to figure out which departments and which personnel should be involved, how many hours it will take, what the cost structure is, what the business model should be, etc. This requires a lot of people to buy-in to your idea. Pitching your idea to all levels involved is usually necessary. This isn’t even necessarily limited to your professional life. If you want your family to go on a certain holiday or buy a certain car, you may be motivated enough to figure out how to pitch them these ideas to be successful. Daniel Pink discusses pitching using anecdotes, studies, and insights in his 2013 book To Sell Is Human. He explores how we are all ‘working in sales’ in every part of our lives. He also has some useful templates for creating different kinds of pitches. Pitching Externally Many people are also pitching externally. Most notably, we see entrepreneurs and soon-to-be entrepreneurs as the quintessential pitchers. Entrepreneurs are pitching to investors to get funding or mentorship, to individuals to attract employees, or when they are looking for a co-founder. Sales people and company leaders are also engaged in external pitching on a daily basis. Essentially, you need to make your offer interesting enough for someone not connected to your company to give you money, access, or influence. Pitching is an often-overlooked skill at any level of an organsation. 4 Key Ingredients for Successful Pitching So what are the elements that will help your pitch go smoothly and set you up for success? 1)    Knowing Your Idea Inside and Out You should be able to tell someone the real problem that you are solving almost in one line. This deep understanding comes from the customer research that you have done. Although you will not include all the information directly into your pitch, you will know, from the customer’s perspective, what problem they are having, how they are currently solving it, and what is most important to them. In addition to this, you will also understand how your specific solution will solve their specific problem and why they would choose your product over someone else’s. You will have also tested the idea through customer interviews and/or prototyping. You should know the problem, the solution, the customer, the market and how you fit in it inside out. 2)    An Impactful Story Doing good initial customer research allows you tap into the struggles that people are facing. These struggles will allow you to humanise the impact your solution will have on their lives; whether this is saving them money, time, mental stress, or something else. From this you can craft an impactful story to tell to the listener. A great example of this is the micro-finance organisation Kiva. Their co-founder, Jessica Jackley, has spoken many times about the importance of an impactful story on different aspects of the organisation. She can be heard speaking about this topic on the Inside Influence podcast in episode 123. 3)    The Pitch Deck When doing a 30-second pitch (a.k.a the elevator pitch), you will never have any “supporting materials” such as a slide deck (a PowerPoint presentation or the like). If it is from 2 mins onwards, your will probably have the opportunity to use a slide deck. The less time you have, the more concise you will need to be with your slides. The slides should not be stuffed full of content but have very little (but relevant) text and/or visuals. For a balanced pitch, you need to have at least these 8 slides: Problem - explains clearly the problem you are solving Solution - shows how you plan to solve it Value proposition - tells why customers would choose you to solve their problem Business model - examines how your business plans to make money Landscape - recognises your competition with and that you understand the market Team - represents who builds this with you Current & future status - chronicles your process of discovery and what you plan to do next Ask/call to action - describes what you need next from the audience Once you have slides that are clear, visually appealing, and informative, you will begin to work on your pitch script and delivery. 4)    Delivering The Pitch The actual delivery of the pitch can be divided into two parts: the creation of the pitch script (what you will say) and your stage presence (what you do with your hands, your voice projections, etc). Both parts are essential to practice. The Pitch Script The very first time you create the words that you want to use, you can either just talk and see how long it takes and then begin to refine it from there, or you can create a written script for each of the slides and then see how long it takes to get through this. You can record (or not) this first attempt. You can see where you stumble, where the words don’t seem to work or where you are spending too much time. Each time you go through your pitch, refine the words, maybe even what is on the slide. If it is taking too long, you will need to think about how you might say it more briefly. You can also make very brief notes for each slide with key words to help in case you stumble or go blank. You may also want to craft some answers to follow-up questions that you have not addressed in your slides in case they are asked. The Pitch Delivery The delivery is the public speaking portion of the pitch. Public speaking (even if it is just to one person) is a skill that needs practicing. How your pitch is received will be down to how much you practice. Actors in a play do not get up on stage the first day that they get the script, they generally practice for weeks before they are required to perform for an audience. Your pitch delivery, make no mistake, is a performance. Luckily, it is a short one. But it still requires you to practice. You need to make sure that: You can do it in the time allotted You can do it in a smooth manner You are clear Your voice is appropriately loud (find out if you will get a microphone or not) You can give it without looking directly at your slides Don’t turn your back to the audience You cover all the necessary points Practice, Practice, Practice Practicing with a stopwatch and a camera will help you to see where you need improvement. These might be where you put your hands, how much hand movement you have, where your words are not clear, where you are not changing the slides to keep up with your talking, etc. Sometimes, with so little time, you need to speed up the way you speak and this can be difficult for some. But you also need to make sure that you are not speaking too quickly that you are hard to understand. The tendency to rush when we are speaking to an audience is real and to control this, it is best to make sure that when you are pitching, it isn’t the first time you are doing it. It is also important to practice doing all of this with your slides. This adds another level of complexity to the whole operation. Making sure that you are changing your slides at the appropriate times when you are talking in front of an audience, is just as important to practice as the speaking. Pitching ideas, whether internally or externally, can be difficult and people will ask you questions that you either didn’t anticipate about or do not have immediate answers for. This is normal. You can try to anticipate what these might be by watching other pitching events and see what information they present and seeing what questions they are asked. This will help you to shape your answers or even change what you present in the first place. Author Pamela Spokes works as a Service Designer in Metropolia’s RDI team. Originally from Canada, Pamela has years of experience in university admin focusing on international recruitment, marketing, and the international student/staff experience. With a Bachelor’s from Canada, a Master’s degree from Sweden, an MBA in Service Innovation & Design from Laurea, and her AmO from Haaga-Helia, she is interested in purposefully designed experiences that are centred around the user. Don’t be surprised if she knocks on your door to talk about learning co-creation methods through intensive learning experiences.

Innovation Challenges as a Professional Development Method

 Postit-notes stacked on table, along with a book on Sprint, and possibly pencils.
13.5.2024 Tikissä
One of the most rewarding parts of my work is facilitating change. Especially mindset change in individuals. This can come in many forms and the one that I think is the best is in more intensive learning experiences such as innovation challenges. Learning what is possible in a short amount of time can be a real mindset shift for many people. This mindset shift is what is needed in almost every business and organisation today to move away from older, more traditional methods of development where it can take months or even a year to develop products or services. Every Organisation Needs Adaptability It isn’t that the older way of doing things is necessarily all bad. But the world moves at such a pace now, that having speedier tools that can be deployed, when necessary, will give individuals and their organisations an advantage. This agility and adaptability allow people to think in more diverse ways, include people they may not have done previously, and give them tools to try new ways in a more simple and straightforward way. Facilitating Change Mindset The first thing that is required by everyone involved in any of these intensive learning events is an open mind that is willing to look beyond the regular boundaries for what is possible. Open to developing a mindset that includes things like: valuing and enhancing creativity increased tolerance towards ambiguity a higher willingness to take risks being intrinsically motivated through curiosity and, very importantly, a willingness to accept failure as not only a valid outcome but viewing it as a learning experience. During the event, the participants will be practicing and enhancing these different mindset skills as well as learning new tools and methods for problem-solving. In essence, they will be reinforcing the new mindset by learning tools and methods that reinforce their use in the future. The mindset described above is often referred to as the Entrepreneurial Mindset. Learning By Doing Learning by doing is used in many institutions. It is an “active learning methodology based on experience to assimilate concepts through actions.” (1) This methodology is used slightly differently in different places, but it is not new at all. When you look way back into education and history, you can read that as early as 4th century, Aristotle says in Nicomachean Ethics Book 2 “We learn an art or craft by doing the things that we shall have to do when we have learnt it” [often quoted as ‘What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing’]. (2) The objective of this learning by doing method is to build fundamental memories of how to do something. To avoid the natural forgetting that often happens when we only hear or read about how to do something. Using the learning by doing method, the participant internalises the concept more deeply when it is an experience rather than just a mental memory. Intense Learning Experiences: Sprints, Jams, and Hackathons With this learning by doing method in mind, intense learning experiences are important framework for quickly embedding new methods and mindsets into participants. This framework is both flexible and modern. Intense learning experiences are when groups of participants come together for a limited amount of time. Ideally this timeframe would be 2-10 days but can be just one day for a very short learning experience. This experience will be simultaneously rigorously scheduled while the progress and content are ambiguous. Participants work in teams with a challenge that has been either provided by the trainer or an organisational partner. The process that everyone uses is standardised - like the service design methodology. This allows for everyone to follow the process and understand what is expected of them in the present and what will come next. A shared process creates a clarity in the face of the ambiguous (and ambitious) task at hand. It is important to make sure each participant of a group knows what is happening and to be able to contribute appropriately. This also allows any organisational partners to feel secure that their time is not being wasted and that it is not too chaotic to follow the progress of the team. All the while, the participants are learning and using a reusable set of methods that they can apply elsewhere once the event is over. The teacher also has a framework for which to base learning progress and assessment on if assessment is part of the learning journey of the participants. There are many different types of innovation challenges, three of them are more fully explained in previous blog posts: Service jams, Hackathons, and Design sprints. Each of which are for a different purpose. Skills practiced and developed The skills that are developed during an intense include: the process that is being used (design thinking, design sprint, etc) teamwork skills tolerating ambiguity/uncertainty taking learnings from failures being user-centric user/customer research methods ideation creating concepts from individual ideas prototyping & testing concepts knowing where to spend time and where to speed up There are certainly more that will come from this kind of event, it really depends on the individuals. The last bullet point is illustrated better in another blog article called Slowing Down to Speed Up – From First Idea to Prototype. Sprinting skills can be really helpful to move a project forward much more quickly than previously attempted. These skills are useful for most people in most jobs. Change is hard but having an agreed upon method is already an important step. Having this will help many people to move projects along faster than usual. This can help organisations succeed faster but also to move on from failures faster. Both of these save staff time and the organisation’s financial resources. Author Pamela Spokes works as a Service Designer in Metropolia’s RDI team. Originally from Canada, Pamela has years of experience in university admin focusing on international recruitment, marketing, and the international student/staff experience. With a Bachelor’s from Canada, a Master’s degree from Sweden, an MBA in Service Innovation & Design from Laurea, and her AmO from Haaga-Helia, she is interested in purposefully designed experiences that are centred around the user. Don’t be surprised if she knocks on your door to talk about learning co-creation methods through intensive learning experiences. Resources Learning by doing: what is it and what is its methodology? (smowl.net) Oxford Essential Quotations (5 ed.) Aristotle 384–322 BC, Greek philosopher. (oxfordreference.com)

Fostering Creativity at Work to Develop Your Entrepreneurial Mindset

 A view from beach to sea, in the middle wooden pier, at the end of pier a wooden door.
15.4.2024 Tikissä
The Entrepreneurial Mindset is important to foster for all kinds of reasons. Whether you are planning to become and entrepreneur or not. That is because an Entrepreneurial Mindset is a set of definable, specific skills. In 2017, Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture defined entrepreneurial education as “... a set of skills that enable people to identify and make the most of opportunities, overcome and learn from setbacks, and succeed in a variety of settings.” (1) This sets the foundation for defining the entrepreneurial mindset that they want to build from basic education to higher education. Through further research, we have broken this down into 9 learnable skills at Metropolia. Entrepreneurial Mindset at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences [caption id="attachment_12104" align="alignnone" width="620"] Image 1. 9 fundamentals of the entreprenurial mindset[/caption] At Metropolia, we have defined these 9 skills as: Ability to innovate Creativity Proactiveness Teamwork Tolerance to risk-taking Tolerance of failure Plan & reach objectives Problem-centred Networking Each of these skills is important in their own right to build a well-rounded mindset for moving forward in the 21st century. This is part of lifelong learning and continual improvement. In this post, we are looking more deeply into is CREATIVITY. Creativity as a Practicable Skill Creativity is something that has propelled the human race forward for hundreds of thousands of years and it is essential to fostering an entrepreneurial mindset. When you search Google, you get the dictionary definition creativity is “...the use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness...” [caption id="attachment_12102" align="alignnone" width="620"] Image 2. Definition of creativity.[/caption] What can be surprising to many people is that there is nothing about art or drawing or even physical abilities of any kind. It only refers to your brain. It is about how you think about things, how you apply knowledge and insights, and how you make connections. As a concept, creativity is really made up of multiple skills in itself. Problem-solving Artistic expression Innovation Critical Thinking Imagination and Exploration Collaboration Adaptability Looking at this list, you can see that artistic expression is listed as one of the seven skills of creativity. It is there as one way to be creative but it is just one way. It is a very visual and sometimes visceral way of showing creativity and that is why it gets so much attention. It is easy to point out and to share but that does not mean that it is the only way; it is just the most obvious. When looking at how to use creativity and to practice creativity in the world of work, it requires something from the individual and something from the organisation where that person works. Open Minds and Being Wrong From the individual, exercising creativity require you at the very least to have an open mind (willing have and receive ideas from others) and a willingness to be wrong. Fundamentally understanding that you can and will sometimes be wrong can be difficult for many people. Being open and happy to be wrong is even a step further. This requires and acceptance of ambiguity or uncertainty. This is difficult for humans as a whole. Research shows that people would rather guarantee a bad experience than an uncertain one. Another way of saying that is that people would rather guarantee badness (2) than to have the uncertainty that the outcome may be good. Acceptance of Failure as Learning From an Organisation, being able to exercise creativity in their work, people must fee free to fail. Organisations need to cultivate a culture that accepts that failure as learning but also funds failure as a valid outcome. Daring greatly and creating a safe space for experimentation is not cheap either emotionally or financially for an organisation. But the rewards of success can be great. Having an engaged and interested workforce is not very common according to multiple Gallup polls over the past several years. But one great side effect of being able to use creativity on work is that it fosters engagement and a sense of worth. Creativity Can Be Practiced Many people say that if you are trying something new, then you are practicing creativity. That can be anything: playing an instrument, reading a book that is out of your normal genre, learning about a new topic, visiting places you have never been before, etc. But the first step is to really believe that creativity may look different than what you have allowed yourself to believe. So, change your mindset. It is also important to understand that creativity is a tool for mental well-being as much as innovation. According to research conducted in 2016, practicing creativity can improve your mood for up to 24 hours. When you orient yourself to focus on enjoyment not success, that is when you get the most benefits from using creativity. Which means it doesn’t matter how well your activity turns out, it is doing it and enjoying the process and not determining success from the outcome. It is time to start asking yourself how you can begin to practice creativity in your life to begin to reap the benefits. Also asking yourself what creative things have you been putting off until you could be more successful at them? Success in these endeavours is not the goal, enjoying the process is. Rest as a Necessity for Creativity One of the most important things that you can ever do for your creative muscles is to rest. Now this doesn’t mean sleep, although it could definitely include sleep. It means being in a state of non-distraction. No phones, tablets, TV, etc. Rest should also incorporate walking outside…or at least being outside. No podcast, no audiobook, just outside. Spending time with friends is also considered rest. So, your friend could join you for a walk or you could chat over tea. This offline connection is so important to humans that it is actually restorative. This rested state is a much better place in which to be creative. This blog post has been adapted from a presentation given during the Turbiini Lunch and Learn Series where they explored Creativity which is one of the 9 skills of the Entrepreneurial Mindset. Author Pamela Spokes works as a Service Designer in Metropolia’s RDI team. Originally from Canada, Pamela has years of experience in university admin focusing on international recruitment, marketing, and the international student/staff experience. She is interested in purposefully designed experiences that are centred around the user. References Potinkara H. (2018) Dare to be enthusiastic! Teacher´s guide to entrepreneurial skills. Published by the Finnish Federation of Finnish Enterprises. (PDF) Small, A., & Schmutte, K. (2022). Navigating ambiguity: creating opportunity in a world of unknowns. Ten Speed Press. Resources Guidelines for entrepreneurship education 2009 (valtioneuvosto.fi) Entrepreneurship for Education Guidelines 2017 (PDF) How To Encourage And Reward Creativity In The Workplace (personatalent.com) The Connection Between Creativity and Mental Well Being (swifttech.com) Creativity in the Workplace: How to bolster engagement and productivity at work (thedesicionlab.com) Conner, T. Everyday creative activity as a path to flourishing (The Journal of Positive Psychology) Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace: 2022 Report (gallup.com)