From exchange studies to working life in Finland

Two international students, Koen Smits and Dmytro Yakovenko, share how they built their lives and careers in Finland, as well as the challenges they faced as foreigners entering the job market. They have learnt the key features of Finnish working life which according to them, are the flat hierarchy in workplaces, direct communication, and a strong emphasis on trust and keeping your word.

Koen’s path: From the Netherlands to a startup in Finland

Koen Smits comes from the Netherlands and studied at Maastricht University. His first contact with Finland was during his Bachelor’s studies, when he did an exchange at Hanken School of Economics. Due to that experience, when he later applied for a Master’s exchange at Aalto University, he already had an idea of what to expect.

Dmytro’s path: From Ukraine to EY in Finland

Dmytro Yakovenko is originally from Ukraine. He first came to Finland during his Bachelor’s studies for an exchange year in Jyväskylä. After that, he applied for a Master’s program in Germany to experience a different educational system. However, he developed a strong connection to Finland and started exploring the options of going back there. 

He returned to Finland through an exchange at Aalto University – that was an experience he enjoyed so much that, just a few months later, he decided to apply for the full‑time summer Information Technology Program (ITP). The ITP turned out to be rewarding both academically and professionally and gave him hands‑on experience with data analytics tools and became a natural link between his studies at Aalto and the preparation for his future role at EY.

‘What struck me during the ITP was how directly applicable the curriculum was. We used very similar tools and approaches that I now use at EY, so it naturally became the bridge between university and working life. In many ways, it was the missing technical link that complemented my mainly business‑ and economics‑focused studies and helped me feel genuinely prepared for my first full-time role.’

Even before coming to Aalto, Dmytro had decided that he wanted to build his professional life in Finland. He started researching Finnish working life and job market even before arriving in Helsinki.

‘I wanted to hit the ground running as soon as possible after arrival, to set myself up for a strong entry into the Finnish job market. A few months before the exchange, I reached out to a lot of people on LinkedIn – from students to experienced professionals – simply to understand how things work here. That turned out to be incredibly valuable: the insights I received helped me build a clear job‑seeking plan from day one. And, even more importantly, a few of those initial LinkedIn messages grew into real camaraderie – I’m now lucky to call those people my friends.’

So, how did his job-seeking plan look in practice? In short – “putting himself out there”.  He visited numerous company excursions and events to hear their presentations, went to career fairs, and talked with many people to gather information. His goal was to find either an internship or a full-time position.

Today, Dmytro works as a data analyst at EY – he solves technical data challenges, improves analytics processes, and works closely with teams and stakeholders across the Nordics. 

‘I discovered the role in a simple way: it was a LinkedIn posting. But getting there wasn’t as simple – it was the result of dozens of conversations, countless notes from company events, and several interviews that didn’t work out. Every step helped me understand the Finnish recruitment a bit better. Once the EY role appeared, I knew exactly how to approach it. In the end, persistence turned out to be more important than any single application.’

Entering the Finnish job market as a foreigner

Both Koen and Dmytro have had positive experiences in Finland, but they are also realistic about the challenges of entering the job market as foreigners. 

Koen emphasises that it is harder than it may seem to get a job as a foreigner in Finland, but it is possible with the right strategy. According to him, networking is mandatory. In his experience, cold-contacting teams and recruiters led to more interviews than sending standard applications. Participating in events organised by companies or through Aalto Finance also worked well for him.

He encourages students to reach out to alumni, professors, and industry professionals for advice and tips. ‘Finnish people like to help, and if you show that you respect Finnish life and culture, they will be willing to support you. Through these conversations, I received very valuable insights about companies I was applying to,’ Koen says. 

Koen stresses that understanding Finnish work culture is important. This includes learning what Finnish people value and the implicit norms and values they live by. He recommends talking with people about these topics and using Aalto’s resources, as well as platforms like Herizon, which focus on helping international people build a life in Finland. These resources provide important and relevant information to support the transition.

In the end, both Dmytro and Koen want to share that they are happy with their workplaces. Their teammates have been very welcoming and supportive from the first day. ‘There are colleagues from several other countries, so I never felt like a foreigner, and the community feels like the international environment at Aalto,’ Dmytro says. They have both found their communities and are feeling at home.