I Graduated in Finland but Can't Find a Job. What Should I Do?
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This blog post is part of a Q&A session hosted by Lidiia Salo, a career coach in Finland. To see the other questions that were asked and answered, and to watch the video recording, click here.
Question
I'm in a very confused situation right now.
I recently graduated with a Master's degree in Health Sciences, majoring in Epidemiology. I've been looking for entry-level positions, but I can't find any. Even paid PhD positions are very difficult to get.
Do you have any suggestions?
I'm also struggling to find even part-time work. I currently hold a work permit and have been unemployed for a month and a half. Because of the three-month unemployment rule, I'm running out of time.
Any advice or suggestions would really help.
Answer
Thank you for sharing your situation.
Depending on your education and previous work history, it's possible that the six-month unemployment rule applies to you instead. I would recommend checking this.
To give you more specific advice, I would need to understand your profile in greater detail. However, based on what you've shared, it seems you're in a very niche field.
My impression is that there are only a handful of entry-level positions available. If we also exclude roles that require Finnish, there may only be one suitable vacancy every few weeks, with many qualified candidates applying for the same position.
If that's the case, networking becomes even more important, just as we discussed earlier.
At the same time, because your situation is time-sensitive, I think it's essential to have a Plan B and even a Plan C.
When we're under pressure, we often become so focused on the obvious solution that we stop seeing other possibilities.
I would encourage you to sit down with someone who can help you explore every available option. It could be your university career counsellor or another career professional. Write down every possible path and create a clear action plan.
At this stage, you also need to think about your immediate situation.
It may take time to find a position related to your studies, but right now your priority is securing any job that allows you to stay in Finland.