Finland is a great place to work for young professionals. #1 work-life balance, #1 happiest country, #1 employee friendly working hours, #1 skill development at work - Finland ranks high in several categories for a quality career! Read more on what kind of a work environment Finland is for educated professionals.
It is important to invest in your career-building throughout your studies. This means selecting elective courses that support your goals, developing your networks in school projects and professional events, studying Finnish and making the most out of your work placement and other networking opportunities in your programme.
Note, however, that studying should be your main focus during your studies in Finland. You should therefore make sure to balance your daily routines so that you have enough energy for studies and enough time for focusing on your wellbeing. That's what the work-life balance is all about!
Working during studies: check the regulations
If you wish to work part-time alongside your studies, make sure to check what your current residence permit / registration status allows you to do and what the taxation regulations are in your case:
Non-EU/EEA/Nordic citizens
With the residence permit for studies, non-EU/EEA students have the right to work
- part-time alongside your studies (average of 25 hours/week during the academic semester)
- when Metropolia does not offer tuition, i.e. in the summer and during the Christmas break
- without restrictions if your work is related to your degree, i.e. practical training and thesis work.
See up-to-date regulations on the Finnish Immigration Service website.
EU/EEA and Nordic citizens
As an EU/EEA or Nordic citizen, you have the right to work without limitations during your studies without needing a permit.
After graduation: update your status
Once you graduate, you are transitioning from the status of a student to that of a jobseeker, an employee or an entrepreneur. This means changes in your official status in Finland and requires updates also with Finnish authorities.
If you are a non-EU/EEA/Nordic citizen and you do not yet have a job upon graduation, you have the right to apply for an extended permit of one year to look for a job or start a business. If you have found a job upon graduation, you need to apply for a residence permit on the basis of work.
Read detailed information on the Finnish Immigration Service website.
Finding a job in Finland
While it may be possible to cover part of your living expenses doing part-time work, it is not necessarily easy to find a part-time job, especially if you do not speak Finnish or, in some areas, Swedish.
Many job ads are published only in Finnish or Swedish and local language skills are often required. Generally speaking, you should not count on part-time work as your sole source of student financing.
Once you get your Metropolia ID, you can look for jobs in Metropolia's JobTeaser portal. Jobs that do not necessarily require Finnish skills are also published on the national Jobs in Finland platform and in the portals of the recruitment agencies.
Aiming at becoming an entrepreneur?
Finland and the Helsinki region rank high in different studies for its supportive environment for startups. Read more on how to join the coolest startup hub in the world.
You are not along in setting up your own business. Build your networks and gain experience with Metropolia Entrepreneurship Society METES during your studies. The cities in the region also have their services available to support you in your business planning and preparation, see e.g. NewCo Helsinki, Business Espoo and Business Vantaa.
For more information, see the following: