Year: 2024
A language-aware Metropolia busts the myth of monolingualism
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 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 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 Language guidelines in nutshell. https://www.metropolia.fi/en/about-us/language-guidelines Kielibuusti-hankkeen sivut. (2024) https://www.kielibuusti.fi/en/employers/multilingual-workplace/steps-toward-language-awareness-in-the-workplace 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. Lehtimaja, I., Korpela, E., Komppa, J., Kotilainen, L. & Kurhila, S. 2023. Monikielisen työyhteisön opas. Helsinki: Alma Talent. 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 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 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
Changing Circumstances: Accessing Resources for Years to Come for Immigrants, Entrepreneurs & Immigrant Entrepreneurs
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.
Understanding Finnish Work Culture – Insights for International Jobseekers
Image: Marjaana Malkamäki, KEKSI. All rights reserved. Navigating the job market in a new country can be a challenging effort. One of the factors that can significantly influence your success as an international job seeker in Finland is understanding of the local work culture. According to the yearly recruitment study done by Duunitori, one of the most important factors influencing recruitment decisions, as in previous years, was how well the candidate fits into the workplace culture (1). Some companies can worry that newcomers do not understand Finnish workplace norms, which can prevent them from recruiting employees with an immigrant background (2). To stand out in the recruitment process, it is important to understand what employers value and expect so that you can bring the right things to the table when you apply for a job. Additionally, understanding the work culture helps you act appropriately and meet expectations throughout the job search process and in the workplace itself. The Main Characteristics of Finnish Work Culture The Finnish work culture can be described as punctual, equal and direct in its communication style. A strong work ethic and practicality are qualities that are highly valued by Finns. Self-direction and honesty are highly demanded, and words carry a lot of weight in Finland. (3,4,5). Punctuality: Finnish society places a high value on punctuality. This applies to everything in society, from public transport to business life. Meetings start exactly at the scheduled time, not a minute past. It is considered rude and unprofessional to be late. Arriving a bit early is always a good practice. This way you will demonstrate respect for others' time and commitment to the job. Equality: According to Finnish law, all kinds of discrimination at workplaces are prohibited. It is illegal to treat people differently because of their religion, gender, sexuality or nationality. Many companies also understand that promoting diversity, equity ja inclusion, i.e. DEI, is not just good for the employees, but also gives a competitive advantage and is good for business. (4) Flat organisational structure: Equality and modesty are deeply embedded in Finnish culture. In most workplaces, the organization is very flat, and people work on a first-name basis, even with their bosses. Titles such as "Sir" or "Madam" are rarely used, whether in person or via email – maintaining a respectful tone is sufficient. Employees at all levels are encouraged to communicate directly with each other, and teamwork and collective problem-solving are common ways of working in Finnish companies. Self-direction and autonomy: Due to the flat organisational structure, employees are encouraged to take the initiative and be responsible for their own tasks and projects. Managers usually trust employees to complete their work independently without constant supervision. Employees are expected to take ownership of their work, motivate themselves, and continuously seek opportunities for improvement. This level of autonomy can be surprising to newcomers. Furthermore, in Finland, making mistakes is not the end of the world or something you need to hide. Learning from your mistakes is highly valued. However, employees should communicate with their managers when they need support or face challenges they cannot solve on their own. Honesty and directness in communication: Finns are known for their honesty and transparency. This direct communication style may sometimes be perceived as rudeness by those from other cultures. Meetings are usually focused on getting straight to the point rather than engaging in small talk and efficiency is valued over politeness and niceties. This can sometimes lead to misunderstandings, especially if the focus is purely on the problems without balancing the message with positive feedback. Finns see it as pragmatic to address issues directly and consider it normal for positive aspects to remain unspoken. Work-life balance: Despite strong work ethics, Finns do not generally appreciate sacrificing personal well-being for work. Many Finnish companies offer flexible working hours, allowing employees to start and finish their workdays at times that suit their personal schedules. (7). Flexible working has been embedded in Finland’s working culture for more than two decades (8). The typical Finnish workday is shorter than in many other countries, with an average of around 7.5 hours. Overtime is not typically expected, and employees are encouraged to leave work on time. Smoother Integration through Understanding of Cultural Nuance By understanding and adopting the specific features of Finnish working life – from punctuality and flat hierarchies to trust, autonomy, and work-life balance – you will improve your chances of finding a job and succeeding in your new role. Adapting to a new culture can be also a rewarding experience that broadens your professional and personal perspectives. However, it’s important to remember that every company also has its own culture and values. Before applying for a job, carefully read the company's website and job advertisement to understand what is valued in this specific company. Here are a few fail-safe tips that will work in any Finnish company: Be punctual: Always arrive on time or slightly early for meetings and appointments. Communicate openly: If you face any challenges, discuss them openly with your manager. Take initiative: Show proactivity by suggesting improvements and taking charge of your tasks. Treat everyone equally: Show respect to all people, regardless of their title, gender, age, race, political views, or any other aspect of their identity. Appreciate your mistakes: If you make a mistake, admit it, own it and treat it as a learning experience. Understanding the Finnish work culture is a step towards a meaningful career in Finland. Here efficiency meets equality and work is balanced with personal life. Sources: Duunitori 2024. Kansallinen rekrytointitutkimus 2024. URL: https://duunitori.fi/rekrytointi/rekrytointitutkimus (Accessed 24 July 2024) Yle News 2019. All Points North #39: Breaking into the Finnish job market with Taina Susiluoto and Eve Kyntäjä. Julkaistu 8.2.2019. URL:https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/all_points_north_39_breaking_into_the_finnish_job_market_with_taina_susiluoto_and_eve_kyntaja/10637383(Accessed 25 July 2024) InfoFinland 2024. Finnish working life. URL:https://www.infofinland.fi/work-and-enterprise/finnish-working-life (Accessed 24 July 2024) TEK Tekniikan akateemiset. Finnish working culture. URL: https://www.tek.fi/en/services-and-benefits/work-life-in-finland/finnish-work-culture (Accessed 24 July 2024) Raunio, M. & Säävälä, M. 2017. Workaholic or easygoing? Interpretations of National Culture in Industries with Immigrant Workforce in Finland. Finnish Yearbook of Population Research, 51,41–60. DOI: https://doi.org/10.23979/fypr.56873 Niemi, L. 2024. Yhdysvaltalaisoikeiston mollaama henkilöstöpolitiikka on Elisassa ja Nordeassa arkea. Artikkeli. Helsingin Sanomat. Julkaistu 20.7.2024. URL: https://www.hs.fi/talous/art-2000010570150.html (Accessed 24 July 2024) Work in Finland. Work-life balance in Finland. URL: https://www.workinfinland.com/en/why-finland/living-in-finland/work-life-balance/ (Accessed 24 July 2024) Savage, M. 2019. Why Finland leads the world in flexible work. URL: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190807-why-finland-leads-the-world-in-flexible-work(Accessed 25 July 2024) Author Riia Hoppania works as a Specialist in the Continuous Learning team at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. She is currently developing career services for Metropolia’s international degree students. Riia has several years of experience working as a Career Coach in Metropolia’s SIMHE services and in different collaboration projects with employment services. She is experienced in coaching job seekers with different backgrounds, especially immigrants with higher education.
ChatGPT – Your Virtual Career Coach in the Job Search Journey
Looking for a job can feel like an overwhelming task. Some may describe it as a full-time job. You spend hours searching for job opportunities, participating in recruitment fairs, optimizing your LinkedIn profile, tailoring and fine-tuning your CV and cover letter, and then filling in all the same information into a company’s specific job application software. Sometimes you get to the interview round. Have a good feeling about how it went. Get super excited and hopeful, and then receive THE email: “Unfortunately this time you were not selected”. The job-searching process can be quite a frustrating, time-consuming, and lonely journey. But what if there was a way to make it more efficient? What if you could have yourself a tireless sparring partner, a virtual career coach to walk the job-searching journey with you and help you every step of the way? ChatGTP, an AI-powered language model has turned out to be a surprisingly handy helper for job seekers. In a relatively short time, job seekers around the world have found the advantages of using ChatGPT and other AI tools and the number is steadily growing. In Finland, according to National Recruitment Survey 2023, Job Search in Finland (1), 8 % of respondents (N =3600) used AI in their job search and 36% said they might explore it in the future. The respondents used AI mostly for writing the application documents, but AI can be helpful in many steps of the job searching journey. It can, for example, help you find job opportunities, recognize your skills and competencies, write tailored job applications, help you to practice for job interviews and give advice on how to advance your career. With the help of the following hands-on tips, you can partner with ChatGPT to make your job search journey more efficient. Basics of ChatGPT ChatGPT stands for Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer. (2) The basic idea of how ChatGPT works is that you chat with it. You ask questions and the AI gets to work. AI searches information from the material it has been trained with or material you provide for it and combines it into comprehensive unique answers in seconds. You may chat with the ChatGPT both in Finnish and in English. However, the English version works better as most of its training material has been in English. (3) It's important to keep in mind that the answers you receive from ChatGPT are AI’s predictions of the right answer, not knowledge of the right answer. Sometimes AI can also hallucinate, meaning it produces answers that are not based on facts or the right context. When using ChatGTP, the content should be treated with a healthy dose of source criticism and evaluation of whether the answers are accurate or not. (3). Be aware of privacy issues Before you get started with ChatGPT it’s good to acknowledge some privacy issues. Keep in mind that the material you provide for the ChatGPT might be used later as AI’s training material. As a general rule, don’t submit anything you would not publish on the internet. I recommend that you remove any of your personal data before providing material for the AI, for example when working on your CV and cover letter with the help of ChatGPT. Ready to get started? Follow these easy steps: 1. Create a ChatGPT account If you don’t have one yet, start by creating a ChatGPT account. The account can be created for free: https://chat.openai.com/auth/login. Once you have created a user account, you can start a conversation with the AI and ask various questions. 2. Recognise your core skills and competencies Sometimes it’s hard to define your core skills and competencies. AI can help you with this. Copy your CV or LinkedIn profile content to ChatGPT and based on the information provided, ask it to analyze the person's five most important competencies. Before doing this, remove all confidential or too personal information from the material due to privacy issues. Remember that the answers you receive are always based on the text you provide. Does the list of the five most important competencies align with your perception of yourself? If you feel that the results don’t accurately represent you, it’s time to make some adjustments to your CV and/or LinkedIn profile. Pro tip: The easiest way to copy your LinkedIn profile content to ChatGPT is to use the “More” button at the beginning of your LinkedIn profile and select “Save to PDF”. 3. Find job opportunities After you have crystallized your key skills and competencies it’s time to explore different opportunities where you could use your skillset. You may ask ChatGPT to recommend the kind of jobs where you could utilize your competencies based on the information provided. You may even ask for a list of a few companies operating in Finland that might have a use for an expert like you. Pro tip: Have you considered entrepreneurship as one of your career options? Ask ChatGPT what kind of consultancy business you could establish based on your skill set. 4. Write tailored job applications Something that ChatGPT is good at is role-playing. Ask ChatGPT to be a career coach with excellent copywriting skills. Let it know that you would like to apply for a specific job and, as background material, submit the job description and maybe some additional information about the company. Next, let ChatGPT read your current CV and draft version of a cover letter. Ask it to check for possible grammatical errors and give recommendations for improvements. Also, based on the job ad, ask ChatGPT to analyse what keywords you should use in your application and what relevant competencies you should highlight for this position. With the help of AI, you may have more clarity and impact on your application documents. Pro tip: In Finland, recruiters appreciate quite concise job applications. If your CV is several pages long, ask ChatGPT to help you edit the text shorter. 5. Practice for a job interview Job interviews can be nerve-wracking. Training for it is a smart move especially if you are nervous about it or if it has been a while since your last one. Ask ChatGPT to take the role of a hiring manager of the target company and organise an interview simulation for you. Provide background information e.g., your application documents, the job description and some additional material about the company. Based on the information provided, ask ChatGPT to interview you for the open position. If you write your answers, you can ask ChatGPT for feedback and tips on how to improve your answers further. Pro tip: You may also try switching the roles. Take the role of the hiring manager and interview ChatGPT for the job. Ask it to take the role of a job applicant and answer the interview questions based on your application documents. Maybe you’ll get new ideas on how to highlight your skills and competencies at the interview. 6. Get advice on how to advance your career For career changers and those who feel stuck in their career, AI provides personalized recommendations for upskilling and reskilling based on industry trends and your individual career goals. Ask ChatGPT to take the role of a career coach. Provide some background information about your current position, educational background, work experience and career aspirations, and let your virtual career coach recommend the next steps to achieve your goals. Own your own words and let your personality shine through the text While AI is a great help for crafting application documents, don’t outsource yourself from the process. Experienced recruiters can spot pretty easily when a candidate uses AI to write their application documents. This is ok, as long as your authentic voice and your own words can be identified from the application. After all, humans still want to hire humans. If the recruiter gets the feeling that the application is completely written by AI, it might raise concerns about your abilities to produce well-structured text of your own which often is expected from candidates applying for expert positions. ChatGPT is just a tool Leveraging ChatGPT as your virtual career coach can save you time and effort. The best way to learn how to use it is just starting to test how it could support your job searching journey. Just remember to evaluate the insights and make your own informed decisions critically. After all, ChatGPT is just a tool, not a substitute for your own judgment and ethical responsibility. Sources: 1. Duunitori (2024). Kansallinen rekrytointitutkimus 2023, Työnhaku suomessa. URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x0xD9_qVzllV1kbu8gxwHOcNuBrqSBHG/view. Read: 23.04.2024. Unadkat. A. 2023. What the heck is a Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, and why should I care? URL: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-heck-chat-generative-pre-trained-transformer-why-amit-unadkat/. Read: 23.04.2024. OpenAI (2024). What is ChatGPT? URL: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6783457-what-is-chatgpt. Read: 24.04.2024. Author: Anu Luoma works as a Specialist at Metropolia’s International Relations office. She works in a national Talent Boost project which aims to support international talents’ integration and opportunities to build their future in Finland. She has wide experience as a Career Coach and is teaching courses: Boost Your Job Search and Discover Your Career Path in Finland.
Entrepreneurship – Using Your Skills in Different Ways
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.
Crafting a Compelling LinkedIn Profile for Jobseekers in Finland
Finland is a country of small networks. It can be hard to find and get into these networks. LinkedIn is one door into them. Depending on your industry, LinkedIn can play a significant role in your visibility to potential recruiters and for content that is searchable online. This visibility is important when you are looking for work. In this blog post, let’s break down what fully utilising your LinkedIn profile and account functions means. To begin with, we need to see how useful LinkedIn is in Finland. LinkedIn is both an established and growing social media platform in Finland. So, it is important to stand out on it. The research that tracks subscribers by country shows us that LinkedIn has been growing by around 100,000 members each year since 2019 (1). This means that about 32.4% of the entire Finnish population has a LinkedIn account. Which, in turn, means that around 50% of Finns between 15 and 65 have a LinkedIn account. This is important for jobseekers to know. Below you will see that there is a reason for this. The Finnish job market relies heavily on networks and networking and LinkedIn is a professional networking platform. LinkedIn makes it easier to establish a professional identity and a personal brand. Table 1. LinkedIn Users in Finland Your professional identity is “who you are in your work. It is the label you name yourself for whatever it is you do for a living” (2). Once you pinpoint your professional identity, you can begin or continue to build your personal brand on LinkedIn’s professional platform. LinkedIn has many great uses for jobseekers. Their job board and search function are very useful and allow for many different filters to help you narrow your search for more relevant results. The ability to explore and follow interesting companies to discover their needs, what is important to them, their corporate culture, and more. You can also follow individuals and groups who you admire, who you wish to learn from, and engage with. Additionally, there are two essential parts for building your brand, 1) your profile and 2) the content that you create, share and interact with. Each of these requires different tools and time. Let’s look at both of these parts. Breaking Down the LinkedIn Profile LinkedIn is about presenting yourself and interacting with topics that are important to you professionally. When you start doing this, it is important that your profile is looking well put together and comprehensive. Headshot/Photo You need to make sure that the photo you use in your profile is professional and clear. This is something that you can have friend take against a white background in your house when there is a good amount of light. Make sure to wear something that you would be comfortable working in. Banner photo This photo is the one that goes across the top of your profile page. It is a great opportunity to use it to represent something that is important to you. It is quite a prominent place and size on your profile so think about it. You can utilise whatever kind of photo here or some kind of graphic you like. Maybe browse other people’s profiles to see what you like. You could also use a tool like Canva to create something for you. Creating a LinkedIn banner (or any visual) with Canva is easy because it offers templates that have correct dimensions for this purpose. About section The About section is for adding information that is not directly available in your CV. It allows you to tell a story about yourself. This section that allows you to create a few paragraphs of text about yourself. Use this section to tell something about yourself that your other sections do not. This is a great place to talk about what drives your professional identity. It is important to note that there is a 2000-character limit but when people browse, only the first three lines are visible until someone clicks on your profile. So, make sure that those three lines are great ones! It will add great personality to your profile. Experience There is a reason that this section is called “Experience” and not “Employment”. This is because we can gain experience in many different ways. There are different ways to write about your previous experience, but it is important to include the dates and titles and a short description of what you did in each of them. Don’t forget that just because you volunteered for something, it doesn’t mean that you don’t put it in the experience section. Increasingly, LinkedIn is recognising the diverse kinds of experiences we have in our lives that help us to gain skills. One of those more recently recognised and added was the option to list “Parent” as a job title. Parenting is a whole set of skills that people develop in a certain part of their lives. These skills can be very useful in the workplace. Education As expected, this section allows you to list your academic qualifications. There will be full academic qualifications and different trainings that you have completed. These are good to put in this section - with a reminder that there is another section that can be for training and professional development if you wish to put it there instead. Other Sections In these other sections you can separately list many different items that are related to your professional life: Licenses and certifications Projects Volunteering Skills Publications Courses Honours and Awards Languages Getting and Writing Recommendations There is also the possibility for people to write a recommendation for you. This can be used for former colleagues, bosses, people you supervised - LinkedIn will ask the author to define the relationship when it is being written. This is something that can be done in a reciprocal way, you can find someone that you worked well with and ask them to write one for you, but you will also write one for them. When writing a recommendation, you can briefly write about these few things: the length and context of your working relationship mention the skills and expertise they have reflect on their role in the team add a personal note if you want Keep the recommendations to a reasonable-sized paragraph (100-150 words) and these will really help to round out your profile. Developing a Content Strategy It is important for any hiring employer to be able to see what you have been doing and how you both might be of interest to each other. This goes for anyone reading through your LinkedIn profile and your content as a whole. Your LinkedIn presence goes beyond the profile sections that you fill in. It also includes the content that you create, share, and re-post, like and comment on. It can take some time to make sure that your LinkedIn profile is really looking updated and complete. But it is important to take the time to do this. In a way, not having a LinkedIn profile is like a company not having a website; it is difficult to believe that it is real. If you do not invest time in your LinkedIn presence when you are looking for a job, then it can be difficult for employers to imagine you in their organisation. When the profile itself is in good shape, you need to determine how you want to show up and present yourself through your own day-to-day contact and interactions on LinkedIn. As mentioned previously, one of the best tools that you can learn to use to develop your visual content is Canva. There is a free version, and it is a great tool that is easy to learn and can help you create more pleasing visuals than any other tool if you are not a graphic designer. If you feel that you need some more insights into how you can create a LinkedIn strategy for yourself to begin developing a personal brand, Herizon.io runs a “LinkedIn Bootcamp for free. Their organisation also has other services and training for international jobseekers. 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 well-versed in being a global citizen. She has lived in Finland for more than 15 years and is also an entrepreneur. References 1. https://napoleoncat.com/stats/linkedin-users-in-finland/2023/12/ 2. https://www.morethanmytitle.com/blog/2022/7/20/personal-branding-versus-professional-identity
Supporting Inclusion by Welcoming Highly Educated Immigrants Living in Finland to Teach
It benefits Finland when a maximum number of people living here feel they can contribute and be essential members of our community. There are numerous social and financial costs to us all if even one member of the society is excluded (1). In fact, promoting inclusion is a goal for both the Finnish government and the European Union. In Finland one of the most important forms of participating in our community is work (2). As a SIMHE Career Coach I support highly educated immigrants living in Finland in different life situations. Some of them are working, some are on a family leave planning on returning to work and some might be active jobseekers. As our services are voluntary, the common nominator with our clients is their goal to find work that fits their expertise and interests so they can contribute to Finnish society. Along the way I have encountered professionals of various fields. Some have been working as teachers or lecturers in another country; some of them for foreign universities. Finland is getting more multicultural, so there is also a need for teachers from various cultural backgrounds to better relate to and offer guidance to our students (3). Finnish Qualifications for Teachers with Foreign Degrees Senior Lecturer Minttu Räty validates my experience that teachers tend to be recruited to Finnish higher education institutions based on a combination of career, teaching, and scientific contributions and skills in addition to their formal qualifications. Language and work life skills acquired in Finnish organisations are especially valued because most studies are in Finnish and both students and colleagues may wish teachers to share also local experience and knowledge (4). Someone without formal qualifications can typically be a substitute teacher in Finnish basic and upper secondary education or in liberal adult education as well as in basic education in the arts for maximum a year depending on the school level. However, for permanent posts at public schools a qualification detailed by Finnish law is required (5). If someone is a qualified teacher abroad and they wish to continue their profession in Finland, they might choose to apply for a recognition of their professional competence via Finnish National Agency for Education (6). Teachers’ pedagogical studies can be supplemented in English. Many other qualifying studies are available only in Finnish and possibly Swedish. Also, most teaching positions require teachers using these national languages of Finland. In Finnish higher education teachers’ pedagogical studies are valued and could be required especially in the future (7). Five Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences who all have a School of Vocational Teacher Education, carried out the Opettajaksi Suomeen OSU project in Finnish during 2021 - 2023 (3). Many who participated in the OSU project completed their pedagogical studies and some of those have also been employed as vocational teachers in upper secondary education (8). Supporting Professionals to Lecture at Higher Education Institutions We should better utilise the knowledge and skills of highly educated immigrants who live in Finland. According to the Laurea University of Applied Sciences Intercultural Learning Online ILO project news this challenge should also be tackled by our universities and colleges. A growing number of immigrants would benefit from having representative role models also as educational institution staff members (9). I am glad that the ILO project thought of supporting highly educated professionals from abroad by showcasing their experience as guest lecturers. During this project within a wide European network migrants got to keep open lectures in English. Through these new connections in higher education institutions, they can find ways to continue working in their new European home. Some of the students attending those lectures received study credits in their higher education institution (10). The ILO project plan to publish materials targeted at both highly educated immigrants and all of us working in higher education institutions (4). The materials are published for use and further development, and you will find them online in March 2024. Among other things the project promoted intercultural understanding by having joint workshops where multicultural project participants collaborated to link project topics and guest lecturers into higher education courses (11). For example, during autumn 2023 Laurea UAS offered a course called Intercultural and Multiprofessional Competencies to their degree, exchange and open students. I participated in the course as a student to discuss these familiar topics. During the course we completed and gave feedback on a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that was being developed. We were also welcomed to two Erasmus+ projects. Our teacher Tiina Wikström wrote that as ILO project guest lecturers “migrants will get for example supporting networks, experiences and certificates that support their employability” (12). How Can We Support Intercultural Inclusion into Finnish Workplaces? Everyone benefits if we succeed in creating multicultural teams in Finland. Did you know that diverse teams are smarter and more innovative and thus generate more return? (13). Tiina Wikström wrote that it is essential that highly skilled migrants find employment that genuinely match their education (12). This is also the aim of SIMHE Services at Finnish higher education institutions. We want to ensure that highly educated immigrants can enter appropriate education and career paths that match their pre-existing skills and interests in Finland (14). I share a dream with my colleague Metropolia's SIMHE Career Coach Latvian-born Elvira Vainio (15). Our wish is to will live in a Finland where new employees are chosen based on their relevant skills – not limited by their name nor cultural background. I believe that providing our students with relatable role models, such as teachers and guest lecturers, is important in building a Finland where everyone feels understood and included. Author Niina Tapanainen currently works as a SIMHE Career Coach supporting highly educated immigrants living in Finland. Niina has a Master’s Degree in Education and is a qualified Guidance Counsellor and Psychology (as a second subject) Teacher. She has worked nearly two decades within the career and guidance counselling field mainly in Higher Education Institutions. She loves continuous learning and spends rest of her free time enjoying life: relaxing, dreaming and whatever interesting comes her way. Sources: 1. Hilli, Petri; Ståhl, Timo; Merikukka, Marko & Ristikari, Tiina 2017. Syrjäytymisen hinta – case investoinnin kannattavuuslaskemasta. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://www.julkari.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/135714/YP1706_Hilliym.pdf?sequence 2. THL 2022. Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. Osallisuus. Web page. Updated on 4 May 2022. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://thl.fi/fi/web/hyvinvointi-ja-terveyserot/eriarvoisuus/hyvinvointi/osallisuus 3. TUNI 2023. Tampere University of Applied Sciences. Opettajaksi Suomeen OSU. In English. Web page. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://sites.tuni.fi/osu/in-english 4. Räty, Minttu 2023. ILO-project Manager in Laurea University of Applied Sciences. Personal video interview on 17 November 2023 supplemented with personal emails on 24 November 2023 and on 13 December 2023. 5. Asetus opetustoimen henkilöstön kelpoisuusvaatimuksista 1998. Finnish decree on the eligibility requirements for teaching personnel 14.12.1998/986. https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/1998/19980986 6. EDUFI 2023. Finnish National Agency for Education. Finnish National Agency for Education's decisions on eligibility for positions in the field of education and training. Web page. Retrieved on 23 Nov 2023. https://www.oph.fi/en/services/finnish-national-agency-educations-decisions-eligibility-positions-field-education-and 7. OAJ 2023. Trade Union of Education. Teaching in higher education. Web page. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://www.oaj.fi/en/education/what-does-teaching-involve/teaching-in-higher-education 8. TUNI 2023. Tampere University of Applied Sciences. OSU -Opettajaksi Suomeen -hankkeesta hyviä kokemuksia. Blog post on 16 Nov 2023. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://blogs.tuni.fi/taokblogi/hankkeet/osu-opettajaksi-suomeen-hankkeesta-hyvia-kokemuksia 9. Räty, Minttu 2022. Laurea University of Applied Sciences. ILO-projektissa korkeasti koulutetuille maahanmuuttajille mahdollisuuksia luennoida opiskelijoille. News published on 3 March 2022. Retrieved on 20 November 2023. https://www.laurea.fi/ajankohtaista/uutiset/ilo-projektissa-korkeasti-koulutetuille-maahanmuuttajille-mahdollisuuksia-luennoida-opiskelijoille 10. ILO-project 2022. Intercultural Learning Online. Web page. Retrieved on 20 Nov 2023. www.iloproject.eu 11. ILO-project 2022. Project Aims, Activities and Expected Results. Web page. Retrieved on 20 Nov 2023. https://iloproject.eu/project-aims 12. Wikström, Tiina 2022. On the move: Supporting highly educated migrants in Europe Case: Erasmus+ project ILO. Article on 28 April 2022. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://journal.laurea.fi/on-the-move-supporting-highly-educated-migrants-in-europe-case-erasmus-project-ilo/#953c953c 13. Rock, David & Grant, Heidi 2016. Why Diverse Teams Are Smarter. Harward Business Review. Published on 4 November 2016. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://hbr.org/2016/11/why-diverse-teams-are-smarter 14. EDUFI 2023. Finnish National Agency for Education. SIMHE services at higher education institutions. Web page. Retrieved on 11 Dec 2023. https://www.oph.fi/en/simhe-services-higher-education-institutions 15. Vainio, Elvira 2022. Nimi leimaa työnhakijaa – asenteet vaikeuttavat maahanmuuttajien työllistymistä. Tikissä on Metropolian tutkimus-, kehittämis- ja innovaatiotoiminnan (TKI) blogi. Blog post on 18 August 2022. Retrieved on 20 November 2023. https://blogit.metropolia.fi/tikissa/2022/08/18/nimi-leimaa-tyonhakijaa-asenteet-vaikeuttavat-maahanmuuttajien-tyollistymista
Marvels and Quirks of Multilingual Living
Think about the last time you have met someone who only spoke one language. Do you even remember when that was? Being bilingual has become a norm in modern society, and many people have started adopting even more than just two languages. Whether it be for work, studies, or as a hobby, learning different languages is now understood as a normal, if not even a required thing to do. However, most people in their pursuit of learning tend to glance over the side effects that learning a whole different language brings. After all, languages, not unlike music, or even trade skills, are an integral part of the culture they are associated with. Language is More Than Just a Set of Rules Language serves as a reflection of our thought processes and stands as a crucial means through which we convey the intricacies of our cognitive realms. Language is way more than a mere tool for communication; it is an integral element of culture that imparts uniqueness and specificity. We could state that language is culture and culture is language. There is an inseparable connection between these two. It implies that the language mirrors our values and beliefs. The manner in which individuals conceptualise the world is directly shaped by the language they employ to articulate their thoughts. Knowing at least two languages affects cognition and interaction with the environment. It for sure broadens your horizons. Each language reflects the history, traditions, customs, social consciousness, religion and way of life of the society where it is formed. Language can convey both the collective characteristics of nations and peoples, and the individual, specific perception of the real picture of the world by different individuals. (1) Language connects a person with the surrounding world, reflects their worldview and is in constant dialogue with culture. The role of language in the formation and development of personality is huge. When an individual communicates in a specific language, the associated cultural norms and stereotypes come to the forefront. Research of this nature reveals that our personalities are not as steadfast as we might believe. Instead, we adjust our behaviour and even our thought patterns based on the social group with which we are presently engaged (2). Moreover, some individuals assert that their personalities undergo changes when they switch between languages. Some bilingual people do experience the feeling that they have a separate "personality" for each language. However, this may be because speaking different languages, they behave according to different cultural norms. A change in language leads to a change in cultural expectations. Using Language to Convey Emotions Bilingual people often experience varying emotional intensities when communicating in their primary language compared to their secondary languages. Substantial research suggests that individuals feel a greater ability to express themselves in one language over another, or they find comfort in using a specific language in particular situations. The daily use of language to convey emotions is a common practice, yet there is limited and vital research on the diverse emotional reactions of bilingual individuals. Numerous factors come into play when examining fluctuations in emotional states during language use. Researchers endeavour to uncover the reasons behind the disparities in emotional experiences, alterations in modes of expression, and even distinct decision-making when utilising different languages. These disparities may hinge on cultural influences, personal backgrounds, and the events that individuals encounter. Given the subjective nature of bilingual experiences, a more profound exploration is warranted. The self-identification of bilingual individuals by language is crucial, as it profoundly influences their feelings, thoughts, and behaviours. (3) For example, parents consistently employ words to convey and explore emotions with their children. They make it clear that emotions such as affection, encouragement, and criticism can be communicated using various words or expressions. Additionally, it is proposed that the utilisation of different languages by parents to convey emotions carries significant implications for their children's emotional experience, regulation, and comprehension. However, in families where two or more languages are spoken, the impact of parents' choice of emotion-related language is much more complicated. (4) The choice of emotion-related language can shape overall family dynamics and communication. It may influence how emotions are expressed, understood, and responded to within the family, contributing to the overall emotional climate. Children might develop a preference for expressing specific emotions in one language over another, based on the family's emotional communication patterns. What Struggles Come with More Than One Language? While multilingualism is typically linked to cognitive advantages like improved executive functions, there can be challenges or misunderstandings related to memory in multilingual individuals. One prevalent issue is known as the Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon. This occurs when a person is temporarily unable to recall a word from memory, even though the word is familiar. For all our monolingual friends: no, we are not stupid, we have just forgotten this one specific word in all the languages we know! Besides, multilingual people can sometimes experience interference between languages. This can lead to the unintentional use of words in one language when speaking or writing in another, especially if the languages are closely related. It is worth noting that this may possibly lead to the unintentional use of "false friends", words that look or sound similar in two languages, but have completely different meanings. Confusion of these words can lead to misunderstandings or even humorous situations. (You better give your German bestie the most boring "Geschenk" than some breathtaking "Gift".) Moreover, many individuals who are fluent in multiple languages often experience a diminished emotional impact when expressing themselves in their second language. Profanity in a foreign language tends to lack the intense emotional resonance that it carries in one's primary language. When acquiring a new language, people often quickly commit swear words to memory. However, the challenge lies in discerning the appropriate context for using these "taboo" words during conversations. Even native speakers find it difficult to articulate why a particular word is chosen in a given situation over another. Translating such words proves insufficient, as some lack equivalents due to cultural nuances in word formation. Occasionally, uttering a swear word in a foreign language may feel awkward, as the emotional connection associated with those words differs from that in one's native language. Consequently, an emotional gap emerges between languages, leading to instances where the use of swear words in a foreign language may sound disconnected or even offensive to native speakers. (5) Individuals who grew up being exposed to multiple cultures as opposed to having developed their personality through only one often identify with the term Third Culture Kid. Third Culture Kids (and Adult Third Culture Kids) often find themselves struggling to express their thoughts and emotions well. Since knowing and understanding more than one language and culture changes a person’s worldview, they find it difficult to relate to people who have grown up surrounded by only one language and culture. (6) Lastly, grammar varies vastly between different languages, and as a result a bilingual speaker may be harder to understand, as they tend to mix not only the words, but entire grammatical structures between the languages they speak. Switching languages on the fly is not only challenging for the speaker, but for the listener as well, because hearing a sentence built in an unusual way may distract from the conversation. Finland as a Multilingual Nation The vast majority of people living in Finland speak Finnish, however, quite a few of them also speak Swedish as their first language. The number of foreign speakers coming into the country has also increased the amount of people who speak a different language, thus enabling a much more diverse language pool. In that regard, communicating in Finland has become much easier, as a large amount of the population speaks at least two languages well (Finnish, English). English in all its varieties has long been mixed with other languages, creating a number of English-hybrids, so to speak. At first such entities may seem chaotic, but confusions of this kind are inevitable in areas where two or more commonly recognized languages are in extensive daily contact. (7) As a result, people in Finland may naturally integrate English words or expressions into their conversations, creating a dynamic and evolving linguistic phenomenon known as Finglish. This is often seen in urban settings, among the younger generation, and in contexts where international communication is prevalent. Finglish allows individuals to express certain nuances or concepts that may not have direct equivalents in Finnish. English words or phrases are sometimes used for their specific connotations or cultural associations. It includes using abbreviations, slang, or unique and modern expressions that resonate with a diverse audience. Much like with Finnish, bits of English have also made their way deep inside many languages in Eastern Europe creating nothing short of new dialects. For instance, while Surzhyk, a pidgin language formed from combining Ukrainian and Russian languages has been long used by a large amount of the population, mixing English into the conversation is a relatively recent trend, especially with young people. As a result, many young people end up with nothing short of a whole dialect that combines three different languages together. Multilinguism: To Be or Not to Be? Ultimately, no matter how challenging it may seem, learning a second language is an incredibly important and useful thing to do. And what is even better, it is a lot more fun than you can imagine! Besides, depending on what your native language is and what language you choose to learn second, it could be quite simple, as neighbouring countries have long had histories of sharing grammatical structures and language fundamentals. However, whether or not it is difficult or easy, it is definitely something that everyone should at least give a fair try. Authors Anastasiia Chasovskykh is a Social Services and Healthcare student at PreProg preparatory programme, book translator and linguist. Her particular research interests include manifestation of bilingualism, and impact of language learning on cognitive brain function and human identity. Arthur Shengeliya is an Engineering student at PreProg preparatory programme and a tinkerer who loves tools, and considers language to be the most important tool of all. Falling in love with English at a young age, Arthur spends every day trying to learn something new about it. Outi Lemettinen works as a specialist and project manager in the Continuous Learning team at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. She works in development projects concerning the education of immigrants. She has a master's degree in economics. References Smeets, R. (2004) Language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage. Museum international, LVI, 1-2 / 221-222, p. 156-165. (Accessed 14 December 2023) Ludden, D. (2015) The Psychology of Language. 1st edn. SAGE Publications (e-book). (Accessed 14 December 2023) Marian, V., Kaushanskaya, M. (2008) Words, feelings, and bilingualism: Cross-linguistic differences in emotionality of autobiographical memories. The mental lexicon vol. 3,1 p. 72-90. (Accessed 29 December 2023) Ylänkö, M. (2017) “Bilingual is our identity”: exploring identity construction in bilingual families. University of Jyväskylä, Master´s thesis, 97 pages. (Accessed 6 December 2023) Yezhyzhanska, A. (2021) Languages and Emotions: How Languages Impact Different Emotional States for Bilingual People (Contains thesis, project and project documentation). University of Europe for Applied Sciences Visual and Experience Design, Master´s thesis, 44 pages. (Accessed 30 November 2023) Denise A. Bonebright (2009) Adult third culture kids: HRD challenges and opportunities. University of Minnesota, 359 pages. Palmgen, N. (2007) Ammattislangina finglish – Teknisten viestijöiden anglohybridi osana globalisaation diskurssia. Tampere University, Master´s thesis, 97 pages. (Accessed 30 November 2023)
Blog introduces information, tips and insights that help international talents with a higher education background to integrate and find their study and career paths in Finland. The blog is part of Metropolia’s #talentboost actions.
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